James Hetfield’s ex-wife Francesca has firmly responded to Metallica fans on Instagram who accused her of bitterly trying to ruin the frontman’s reputation following his recent engagement. In a series of comments, Francesca directly addressed and debunked absurd cheating rumors involving a fictional Canadian housekeeper.
When one fan commented, “Translation: ‘I actually am bitter and here is a direct attack on James’s reputation,'” Francesca responded candidly: “I’m not here to ruin his reputation. He does that well on his own.”
The situation escalated when another commenter claimed: “Evelyn Shifflet was the housekeeper of his summer home in Ontario, Canada from 2019 to 2023 and James had an affair with her the whole time right under Frans nose. Then he switched to Adriana in 2023.”
Francesca swiftly shut down the false narrative, stating: “We never owned a home in Canada nor did we ever have a housekeeper name Evelyn. Don’t want to comment on these posts anymore but this just seemed absurd.”
Francesca’s defensive responses come in the wake of significant developments in Hetfield’s personal life. James Hetfield confirmed his engagement to Adriana Gillett via social media on March 17, 2026, according to 101 The Fox. The proposal took place underwater during a scuba diving excursion featuring whale sharks, marking a romantic milestone for the Metallica frontman following his divorce from Francesca.
The engagement news appears to have caught Francesca off guard. She expressed learning about it through social media rather than directly from Hetfield himself. This public revelation of his new relationship has sparked considerable discussion among fans and media outlets covering the story.
