To anyone passing by in her Detroit neighborhood, she might have looked like any stylish local on her way to meet friends for lunch.
Yet a few understated details hinted that this low-key woman in her fifties was, in fact, one of rock music’s most recognizable and elusive female figures — and someone who had not been photographed publicly since 2009.
There was the long jet-black hair, the black-and-white Breton striped top, a $1,500 Gucci handbag and a Ford finished in a striking red, black and white paint scheme.
The woman was Meg White, best known as one half of The White Stripes, and long regarded as one of rock’s most beloved yet intensely private stars.
White, now 51, rose to international fame alongside her former husband Jack White in the 2000s, with the duo’s breakthrough coming after their four-year marriage ended in 2000.
Her stripped-back drumming style was once dismissed by some critics as basic, but over time it has been reassessed as distinctive, influential and ahead of its era.
Rock icon Meg White has been seen in public for the first time since 2009, after the Daily Mail spotted her heading out for an Italian lunch with friends in her hometown of Detroit
Meg, one half of the iconic rock duo The White Stripes, enjoyed an Italian meal with friends before taking leftovers home afterward
Meg is seen with White Stripes bandmate and former husband Jack White in 2002. The rockers were married between 1996 and 2000, but remained together as a band after their split – and achieved enormous success
Meg and Jack’s 2003 song Seven Nation Army has become an NFL anthem and remains one of the most popular tunes of the 21st century, 23 years after its release.
The pair’s striking red, white and black style was so iconic that they appeared as themselves on The Simpsons.
Meg also fronted a fashion campaign for Marc Jacobs, while she and Jack infamously pretended to be siblings for a time, to try and avoid questions about their failed marriage.
They released their sixth and final album Icky Thump in 2007, made their last public appearance on The Conan O’Brien Show in 2009 – then confirmed their split in 2011.
Meg, who suffered from severe anxiety, subsequently disappeared into a life of contented Midwest anonymity, until now.
Earlier this week, the Daily Mail tracked Meg down in Detroit, where she grew up and continues to live.
She still has her famous long hair, which was partially covered with a sun hat to shield her pale skin from the fearsome August sun.
Meg White was seen enjoying a cigarette with two female friends in Detroit on Wednesday afternoon
Loyal to her Motown roots, Meg drives a Ford Bronco and has another of the manufacturer’s autos in her driveway. The car giant is headquartered in Detroit
Meg wore a black sun hat to shield her pale skin from the fearsome August glare – but her famous long, black hair was still in evidence underneath
Meg dressed casually for her outing in Detroit – but the $1,500 Gucci x Supreme bag she toted offered a subtle hint to her success and wealth
Meg said she quit showbusiness because of her severe anxiety and now appears to be enjoying a life of anonymity
She is seen here laughing after exiting her red, white and black themed Ford earlier this week
The former rock star wore a white striped shirt and carried a Gucci bag for her lunch
Meg and Jack White are pictured in a 2006 episode of The Simpsons, where they played themselves
Meg donned a simple black and white top, loose black pants and a chunky pair of black boots for a lunch outing to an Italian restaurant with two female friends.
Afterwards, they shared a cigarette and a chat while toting bags of leftovers.
She and Jack were famous for wearing complementary red and white outfits at the height of their success, although Meg sometimes switched her clothing color palate to the black and white look that she displayed on Wednesday.
When approached by the Daily Mail, Meg, who is famously shy, was extremely friendly and laughed out loud as she denied being the famous rocker.
But when complimented on her music, she politely said ‘Thank you’ and gave the game away.
Earlier the same afternoon, Meg was spotted leaving her historic mansion, whose unusual exterior decor has long been the subject of local gossip.
Meg and her two friends shared a cigarette and a chat following their lunch at a spot in Dearborn
The trio chatted for half an hour while smoking cigarettes outside the Italian restaurant
When approached by the Daily Mail, Meg, who is famously shy, was extremely friendly and laughed out loud as she denied being the famous rocker – before giving the game away
Meg chatted with her two friends after enjoying a long lunch in a mom-and-pop Italian restaurant
The yellow property, which was built in 1905, has its exterior walls covered with giant decorative spiders and bats.
Its beautifully-tended gardens are filled with plastic skeletons – some of them clad in the flag of the Detroit Tigers baseball team.
The four-bedroom house, which Meg bought for $507,000 in 2004, is regularly discussed on local internet forums.
Her love for her home city runs deep, alongside the sports flags included the flag for the city of Detroit. Like many in Motor City, she only drives cars manufactured there, with two Fords parked at her home.
Commenters often speculate as to the identity of its owner – with Meg’s name occasionally mentioned, but never previously confirmed.
Chatter about its decor grew so feverish in 2021 that a woman named only as ‘Tina’ spoke to a local NPR affiliate about her decorating philosophy.
‘Tina’ told MPR: ‘I don’t do gory and I don’t do cute. I just do old fashioned Vincent Price scary.’
Meg’s Detroit mansion, which she bought $507,000 in 2004, is regularly discussed on local internet forums because of its eccentric exterior decor
The beautifully-tended gardens are filled with plastic skulls and skeletons
Enormous fake spiders are screwed into the yellow stucco of the home – with more skeletons wielding the flags of Detroit sports teams seen in its gardens
Speculation about the decor grew so fevered in 2021 that a local NPR affiliate interviewed the owner of Meg’s mansion, who gave her name as ‘Tina’
‘Tina’ told NPR that she had long preferred Halloween to Christmas, and decided to decorate it for Halloween all year round shortly after buying it
She added: ‘It’s my house. I can do what I want.’
‘Tina’ explained how she had long loved Halloween more than Christmas – but added that she makes a concession to the festive season each year by putting Santa hats on her skeletons.
Meg – who was married to second husband Jackson Smith between 2009 and 2013 – is so private that there is no information on whether she has since met a new partner, or had any children.
But in the MPR interview about Meg’s mansion, the woman named as Tina displayed a maternal side by revealing how much she enjoys giving out candy to thousands of young trick-or-treaters each Halloween.
‘It’s fun. It’s crazy,’ she said. ‘I love the madness of it. Just having like a thousand kids run at you wanting candy, it’s amazing. It’s the best feeling.’
While Jack White has gone on to continued music success, Meg shows no sign of wanting to leave her bubble.
Meg is seen with Jack on The Conan O’Brien Show in 2009. This was her final sighting in public – until earlier this week
She and Jack were famous for wearing complementary red and white outfits at the height of their success
Meg is seen playing the drums at a concert in London in 2005. Many critics dismissed her skills as ‘primitive,’ but her musical abilities were later lauded as well ahead of their time
The duo were critically lauded, receiving six Grammys and a host of other awards
Even her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2025 failed to lure her out of seclusion, with Jack thanking organizers for the honor on her behalf.
So, with no bad blood with her former bandmate, plenty of money and a life of simple but eccentric anonymity that she evidently adores, there seems less chance than ever of a White Stripes reunion.
And while many fans clamor to see Meg back by Jack’s side, a growing number concede that her refusal to return to the spotlight only enhances her incredible enigma.
