Editing Ben Harper (section)

==Personal life==
[[File:BenHarperLauraDernDec09.jpg|thumb|Harper with his second wife, [[Laura Dern]], in December 2009|left|201x201px]]

In 1996, Harper married his first wife, Joanna.<ref name="people2002">{{Cite news|last=Miller|first=Samantha|date=February 4, 2002|title=Dern Happy|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20136353,00.html|url-status=dead|work=People|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130922160702/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20136353,00.html|archive-date=September 22, 2013|access-date=September 21, 2013}}</ref> They have two children together.<ref name="people2002"/> Harper and Joanna separated in 2000, and were divorced in 2001.<ref name="people2002"/>

Harper began dating actress [[Laura Dern]] after they met at one of his concerts in fall 2000.<ref name="people2002"/> Harper and Dern married on December 23, 2005, at their home in Los Angeles.<ref>{{Cite news|date=December 23, 2005|access-date=September 21, 2013|url=https://people.com/celebrity/actress-laura-dern-marries-ben-harper/|title=Actress Laura Dern Marries Ben Harper |work=People}}</ref> They have two children,<ref name=":0" /> son Ellery Walker (born August 2001)<ref name="people2002"/> and daughter Jaya (born November 2004).<ref>{{Cite news|date=November 2004|access-date=September 21, 2013|url=http://www.today.com/id/6646069/ns/today-entertainment/#.Uj5mBySxNSY|title=Laura Dern gives birth to a daughter |work=Today}}</ref> In 2006, the pair co-directed the video for his song "Better Way."<ref>{{cite web |title=NEW RELEASE: Ben Harper "Better Way" |url=https://www.videostatic.com/content/new-release-ben-harper-better-way |publisher=VideoStatic |access-date=15 January 2025}}</ref> In October 2010, Harper filed for divorce from Dern, citing irreconcilable differences.<ref name="us2012">{{Cite news|date=July 9, 2012|access-date=September 21, 2013|url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/laura-dern-reactivates-dormant-divorce-from-ben-harper-201297|title=Laura Dern Reactivates Dormant Divorce From Ben Harper|work=Us Weekly|first=Zach|last=Johnson}}</ref> They briefly reconciled and attended the [[2012 Golden Globe Awards]] together,<ref name="us2012" /> but Dern reactivated the divorce by filing a legal response in July 2012.<ref name="us2012" /> The divorce was finalized in September 2013.<ref>{{Cite news|date=September 11, 2013|access-date=September 11, 2013|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/11/laura-dern-ben-harper_n_3908989.html|title=Laura Dern, Ben Harper Divorce Is Finalized |work=Huffington Post}}</ref>

Harper married social advocate Jaclyn Matfus, on January 1, 2015.<ref name=":1" /> Their son Besso was born in June 2017.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Ben Harper and Wife Jaclyn Matfus Welcomed a Baby Boy in June: Details|url=https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/ben-harper-jaclyn-matfus-welcome-a-son-w504222/|magazine=US Magazine|access-date=March 10, 2017|date=March 9, 2017}}</ref>

Harper is a [[skateboarding|skateboarder]] who has trained with [[Rodney Mullen]] and he also owns a warehouse for his personal skateboarding. Harper co-owns the skateboarding brand Roller Horror with professional skateboarder Mike York.<ref>{{cite episode|author1=Chris Roberts|author2=Roger Bagley|name-list-style=amp|series=The Nine Club With Chris Roberts|title=16 - Ben Harper|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FhkimD1YLY| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211103/9FhkimD1YLY| archive-date=2021-11-03 | url-status=live|website=YouTube|publisher=Google Inc.|access-date=28 September 2016|type=Video}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In September 2016, Harper appeared on ''The Nine Club'' skateboard podcast, hosted by [[Chris Roberts (skateboarder)|Chris Roberts]], where he discussed his relationship and history with skateboarding.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thenineclub.com/the-nine-club-show-podcast/16-ben-harper/9/26/2016|title=#16 - Ben Harper|work=THE NINE CLUB WITH CHRIS ROBERTS|access-date=2017-06-26|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011182438/http://www.thenineclub.com/the-nine-club-show-podcast/16-ben-harper/9/26/2016|archive-date=October 11, 2017|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> On ''The Nine Club'', he also reveals that he went to school and began skateboarding with Chris Miller in [[Pomona, California]].

Harper's cousin is Washington State Supreme Court Justice [[Steven Gonzalez]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/06/25/vote-for-ben-harpers-cousin-for-state-supreme-court|title=Vote for Ben Harper's Cousin for State Supreme Court|access-date=January 11, 2021|archive-date=January 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111224634/https://www.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2012/06/25/vote-for-ben-harpers-cousin-for-state-supreme-court|url-status=live}}</ref>