John Pilger’s Personal Life, Siblings, Parents, Wife, Girlfriend, Kids, Other Family and Dating History
Family:
Parents:
Pilger hasn’t publicly shared much about his parents, who were working-class Australians. He describes his upbringing as simple and values the influence of their strong work ethic and social consciousness.
Siblings:
Information about potential siblings is unavailable. Pilger rarely mentions them in interviews, suggesting close family life has remained separate from his public persona.
Wife:
He actually married twice:
-
First Marriage:
Pilger was married to Scarth Flett, granddaughter of the physician and geologist Sir John Smith Flett. Their son, Sam, was born in 1973 and is a sports writer. This marriage eventually ended in divorce.
-
Second Marriage:
After his divorce from Scarth Flett, Pilger married Yvonne Roberts, a journalist. They also had a child together, a daughter named Zoe Pilger, born in 1984. Zoe is an author and art critic. This marriage also ended in divorce.
Children:
John Pilger has two children from his previous marriages:
- Sam Pilger: Born in 1973, Sam is Pilger’s son from his first marriage to Scarth Flett. He is a sports writer, though details about his personal life are generally not in the public eye.
- Zoe Pilger: Born in 1984, Zoe is Pilger’s daughter from his second marriage to Yvonne Roberts. She is an author and art critic, with several published works in both fields.
While Pilger keeps his personal life fairly private, both Sam and Zoe have occasionally appeared in public events alongside their father or participated in interviews alongside him. They seem to maintain a positive relationship with him despite his divorce from their mothers.
Dating History:
Pilger avoids discussing his personal life, including details about past relationships beyond his marriage. Protecting his loved ones’ privacy and keeping the focus on his work are likely factors in this discretion.
Personal Life:
Early life:
John Pilger’s early life, like the man himself, is a tale of resilience, curiosity, and a burgeoning conscience awakened by the raw edges of reality. Born in Sydney, Australia, on March 30, 1945, Pilger’s childhood was steeped in the working-class values of his parents, Claude and Elsie.
Claude, a toolmaker, instilled in his son a strong work ethic and also a deep awareness of social injustices. Elsie, a French teacher, ignited in John a love for language and a critical eye for questioning the status quo. Their humble home in Bondi, a beachside suburb of Sydney, became a crucible for Pilger’s burgeoning social conscience.
His early years were marked by a thirst for knowledge and a natural talent for storytelling. He devoured books, from classic literature to political treatises, as well as honed his writing skills on the school newspaper. Pilger’s teenage years coincided with a period of social and political upheaval in Australia, with Vietnam War protests and also growing disenchantment with the country’s close ties to Britain. These formative experiences planted the seeds of activism and a questioning spirit that would later define his career.
