'The Exorcist' star Linda Blair was only 15 years old when she began dating musician Rick Springfield. They often faced public scrutiny due to their age difference.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleThe Exorcist star Linda Blair has found herself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. According to reports, her South Carolina property was searched on Friday, July 31, 2026, as part of an active investigation into a reported kennel operation. The same was revealed by Los Angeles County officials.
Now, with the investigation putting a fresh spotlight on Linda, many have become curious about the actress' personal life. While the actress never married, she was in a relationship with musician Rick Springfield.
For those unaware, Linda Blair was only 15 years old when she dated Rick Springfield. Back in the ‘70s, it was the actress who first approached Rick during a show at the Whisky A Go Go. Owing to her role in The Exorcist, Rick claimed that Linda was the “hottest young actress in movies” at the time. Recalling the moment they met and noting their age difference, Rick wrote in his memoir Late, Late At Night:
“She invited me to the Rainbow club up the street after I’m done with my last set and she says she and her sister Debbie will buy me a drink. I don’t know how old she is, but I soon learn she is only fifteen. I am twenty-five.”
The fact that Linda was a minor did not stop the two from hitting it off. After spending some time at the club, the duo returned to Rick’s apartment, “most specifically, my bed,” as he added. Opening up about how he was Linda Blair’s first lover, he said:
“I am her first lover, and she is an enthusiastic learner. We share a love of dogs and sex — separately, not in combination. Most of the time we don’t leave the apartment. She’s an adventurous girl as well, which is probably why the world’s biggest Hollywood starlet (at this time) lost her virginity to a penniless musician living in a USD 180-a-month apartment.”
Interestingly, both Rick and Linda have opposing ideas when it comes to how private their relationship was. According to the musician, they would go out in public as a couple “blindly and innocently to the media slaughter.” He also said that they were shocked when the media published "incensed articles in both teen and regular press about (their) affair.”
Linda, on the other hand, has claimed that she and Rick were “really quiet” about their relationship. During an interview with Studio 10, she said that they “did try to keep it all very sacred and I think we did a good job because it's something that really didn't ever hit headlines.”
And while Linda Blair and Ricky Springfield were super compatible as a couple, their relationship did not last for long. In the same interview, Linda said that they found it hard to maintain their relationship under the limelight of being in the industry. She also admitted that there was a lot of scrutiny surrounding their relationship. Ricky admitted the same in his memoir and recalled being “pilloried for the whole age-difference thing.”
Linda Blair’s property was searched as part of a joint operation between the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control and the Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning. According to sources, Linda was not only present during the inspection but was also “extremely cooperative.” Reportedly, no dogs were removed from her property. Later, Linda addressed the incident in an Instagram post, stating:
“Turns out we just have some paperwork to do and some diagrams, but as everybody knows, I’m looking to move so I can be more educational and help more animals. I’d rather move forward. And I always say, you know, a good old-fashioned letter of contact always works. Be safe, safe lives, support animal rescue cause we’re all fighting to save lives.”
What are your thoughts on Linda Blair and Ricky Springfield’s relationship and their age difference?
Also read: Sid Wilson And Kelly Osbourne Met When She Was Just 13, Former Couple Shared A Significant Age Gap