Jeremy Dufrene is an American airboat captain and alligator tour guide from Des Allemands, Louisiana, who became internationally known in September 2024 when he married the singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. He guides visitors through the swamps and marshes near New Orleans. He is also a father of three and, since 2026, a credited co-writer on one of his wife’s songs. His story has fascinated readers because it pairs a global pop star with a man whose working life revolves around wildlife, water and wide open bayou.
This guide covers who Jeremy Dufrene is, what he does for a living, how he met Lana Del Rey, and what is publicly known about his family. It also explains why the couple still draws so much attention. Every detail comes from published reports, and where the facts are thin, the article says so.
Jeremy Dufrene Bio Table
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Jeremy Michael Dufrene |
| Born | March 1975 (reports give 20 or 21 March) |
| Age | 51 (as of November 2026) |
| Hometown | Des Allemands, Louisiana, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Airboat captain and alligator tour guide |
| Employer | Airboat Tours by Arthur (also written Arthur’s Air Boat Tours) |
| Previous career | Worked at a chemical plant before becoming a captain |
| Spouse | Lana Del Rey (Elizabeth Woolridge Grant), married 26 September 2024 |
| Wedding location | A public bayou in Des Allemands, Louisiana |
| Children | Three from a previous marriage: one son and two daughters |
| Children with Del Rey | None |
| Age gap with wife | About ten years (Del Rey was born 21 June 1985) |
| Music credit | Co-writer of “White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter” (released 17 February 2026) |
| Public profile | Private by nature, rarely gives interviews |
Who Is Jeremy Dufrene?
Jeremy Dufrene is a Louisiana native who works as a boat captain in the wetlands around Des Allemands. The town sits in the bayou country west of New Orleans and calls itself the “Catfish Capital of the World.”
Until September 2024, almost nobody outside south Louisiana knew his name. His fame arrived overnight, when news of his marriage to Lana Del Rey spread across entertainment media. Within days, a quiet working captain had become one of the most searched names in pop culture.
Dufrene has not chased the attention. His social media is low-key, and he has given very few public statements since the wedding. That reticence is part of why readers keep searching for him.
What Does Jeremy Dufrene Do for a Living?
Jeremy Dufrene works as an airboat captain and alligator tour guide. He takes visitors through the swamps and marshes near New Orleans on a flat-bottomed boat powered by a large fan. Guests see alligators, herons, egrets and many other bird species at close range.
From the chemical plant to the bayou
According to the biography on his employer’s website, Dufrene once worked at a chemical plant. He decided the job was not his calling. The same biography says his family encouraged him to earn his captain’s licence, and he then started running tours.
The company’s own description of him is modest. It calls him a great airboat captain who enjoys talking with wildlife and customers alike.
Celebrity guests on his boat
Dufrene has guided well-known visitors before. Reports name Kate Hudson, Emma Roberts and Glen Powell among the people who have taken his tours. Lana Del Rey joined that list in 2019, though nobody could have guessed what would follow.
Does he still work as a tour guide?
Reports from 2026 indicate that Dufrene continues to work as a tour guide in Louisiana despite his wife’s fame. He appears to value the job and the place it ties him to.
How Did Jeremy Dufrene Meet Lana Del Rey?
Jeremy Dufrene met Lana Del Rey in 2019, when she took one of his airboat tours while visiting New Orleans for the BUKU Music + Art Project festival. She later posted photos from the trip on Facebook with a playful caption asking to be captain at Arthur’s Air Boat Tours. Dufrene responded on Instagram, writing that he never knows who he might run across on his tours and that meeting her was a pleasure.
For years, that was all anyone knew. There was no romance and no announcement. It was simply a famous guest, a friendly captain and a social media exchange that fans would later dig up.
Jeremy Dufrene and Lana Del Rey: A Relationship Timeline
The romance moved quickly once it became public. Here is the sequence of events as reported by major outlets.
- March 2019: Del Rey takes Dufrene’s airboat tour and posts about it online.
- May 2024: Del Rey tags Dufrene as “my guy” in an Instagram caption about time with her siblings. She was reportedly in Louisiana for a festival appearance, and sources say the two reconnected while both were single.
- August 2024: Photographers see the pair holding hands at the Reading and Leeds festivals in England. They are also spotted together at a London coffee bar.
- 7 September 2024: Del Rey brings Dufrene as her guest to the wedding of model Karen Elson and Lee Foster in New York City. This is their first official appearance as a couple.
- 23 September 2024: The couple obtains a marriage licence in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana.
- 26 September 2024: They marry in Des Allemands.
The speed surprised everyone. The relationship went public only weeks before the wedding.
The Wedding in Des Allemands
Lana Del Rey and Jeremy Dufrene married on 26 September 2024 at the public bayou where he runs his tours. The ceremony and reception both took place at the same waterside spot, which gave the day a deeply personal meaning.
Reports describe an intimate affair. Del Rey wore a white gown and walked down the aisle with her father, Robert Grant. Her sister, Caroline, and her brother, Charlie, attended. Photographers captured the couple strolling near Dufrene’s tour boat, which was decorated with flowers. According to the marriage licence, the celebrity pastor Judah Smith officiated.
It was Del Rey’s first marriage and Dufrene’s second. The couple did not announce an engagement beforehand, and the whole story reached the public through licence records and photographs.
Del Rey later shared a rare glimpse of the day. She posted wedding images in July 2025 and a fuller set to mark their first anniversary that September.
Jeremy Dufrene’s Family Life
Jeremy Dufrene has three children from a previous marriage: one son and two daughters. Del Rey and Dufrene have no children together.
Dufrene has kept his children out of the spotlight, and this article follows his lead by not naming them. Del Rey marked the couple’s second wedding anniversary in September 2026 by sharing a photograph that included all three children. She described the group as “our lil fam” in her caption, according to Complex.
Media reports have also mentioned Dufrene’s previous relationships. Those details are personal and often secondhand, so they remain outside this profile.
What Lana Del Rey Says About Her Husband
Del Rey has spoken about Dufrene only rarely, but her words are warm. Within a month of the wedding, she called him her “one and only” and said the couple were very happy. In later remarks she described him as “the most impactful person in my life.”
Her descriptions point to a steady, protective character. She has praised his hard work and calm manner, and she has said he deserved the blessing of their marriage. She has also spoken about the difficulty of keeping their private life private. She criticised photographers who followed the family through remote parts of Louisiana after the wedding.
Jeremy Dufrene’s Public Appearances and Music Credit
For a man who avoids attention, Dufrene has appeared in public more often since late 2025. The couple’s notable outings include the following:
- October 2025: The Valentino spring 2026 show at Paris Fashion Week, their first fashion week appearance together.
- 10 January 2026: W Magazine’s Best Performances Party at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles.
- 10 February 2026: The Ralph Lauren Fall 2026 show during New York Fashion Week.
A songwriting credit
Dufrene also stepped into the music world. On 17 February 2026, Del Rey released the single “White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter,” which she co-wrote with her husband. The song comes from her forthcoming album Stove. Reports describe it as Dufrene’s first songwriting credit, and some outlets say her sister Caroline and brother-in-law Jason Pickens also contributed.
In July 2026, Del Rey gave fans another look at married life with Dufrene while announcing that two albums were on the way.
Age and Background
Jeremy Dufrene was born in March 1975 and turned 51 in 2026. Sources disagree slightly on the exact day, giving either 20 or 21 March, so it is safest to cite the month and year.
That makes him about ten years older than Lana Del Rey, who was born in New York City on 21 June 1985. At the time of their wedding, she was 39 and he was 49.
Why Is Jeremy Dufrene So Interesting to the Public?
Several things explain the sustained interest in Dufrene:
- The contrast: A global pop star married a bayou boat captain, and the pairing defies the usual celebrity script.
- The setting: The swamp wedding gave the story striking visuals and a strong sense of place.
- The privacy: Dufrene says little, so readers keep searching for details.
- The meeting: Their first encounter reads like a film plot, with a tour, a social media joke and a wedding five years later.
- The authenticity: Fans see the marriage as a sign that Del Rey values a grounded life away from the entertainment industry.
Conclusion
Jeremy Dufrene is a Louisiana airboat captain from Des Allemands who rose to international attention as the husband of Lana Del Rey. He worked in a chemical plant before earning his captain’s licence and leading wildlife tours near New Orleans. He met Del Rey on a 2019 tour, reconnected with her in 2024 and married her on 26 September 2024 at the bayou where he works.
He is a father of three from a previous marriage, and he has kept both his family and his career largely private. Since the wedding, he has appeared at fashion weeks beside his wife and earned his first songwriting credit. His story endures because it feels genuine: a quiet working life in Louisiana that crossed paths with global fame and stayed grounded.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jeremy Dufrene
Who is Jeremy Dufrene?
Jeremy Dufrene is an American airboat captain and alligator tour guide from Des Allemands, Louisiana. He is best known as the husband of singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey. He works for Airboat Tours by Arthur, which runs wildlife tours near New Orleans.
When did Jeremy Dufrene marry Lana Del Rey?
Jeremy Dufrene married Lana Del Rey on 26 September 2024. The ceremony took place at the public bayou in Des Allemands, Louisiana, where he leads his airboat tours. The couple had obtained their marriage licence three days earlier, on 23 September.
How did Jeremy Dufrene meet Lana Del Rey?
They met in 2019 when Del Rey took one of Dufrene’s airboat tours while visiting New Orleans for the BUKU Music + Art Project. Both posted about the trip on social media. They reconnected in 2024 and went public with their relationship that August.
Does Jeremy Dufrene have children?
Yes, Jeremy Dufrene has three children from a previous marriage: one son and two daughters. He and Lana Del Rey have no children together. Dufrene keeps his children out of the public eye.
How old is Jeremy Dufrene?
Jeremy Dufrene was born in March 1975, which makes him 51 as of November 2026. He is about ten years older than Lana Del Rey, who was born on 21 June 1985. Sources differ on his exact birth date within March.
