People search for “Camelia Kath” because her name appears in the stories of two famous men: Terry Kath, the guitarist and singer of the rock band Chicago, and Kiefer Sutherland, the actor best known for 24. She has never been a celebrity in the usual sense, and she has mostly stayed out of the spotlight. This guide explains who she is, how she connects to the people around her, and which popular claims about her are not proven.
Who Is Camelia Kath?
Camelia Kath is an American woman with a background in the entertainment world who became publicly known through her marriages. She was born in Puerto Rico and is best known as the widow of Chicago guitarist and singer Terry Kath. Some people also refer to her as Camelia Ortiz, which is her reported maiden name, and a few use the name Camelia Lynne because of her later partnership with musician Jeff Lynne.
She has also been credited with work behind the scenes in film and music. Different biography pages describe her as an actress, writer, producer or makeup artist, but none of these job titles is well documented, so they are best treated as reported rather than proven.
Marriage to Terry Kath of Chicago
Her first marriage was to Terry Kath, a founding member of Chicago. Terry Kath was born on January 31, 1946, in Chicago, and he is remembered as a guitarist and singer whose playing earned great respect from fellow musicians. The couple is most often said to have married in 1974, though a few accounts give 1975, so the exact year is worth treating with care.
Their daughter, Michelle, was born on May 19, 1976. The family lived in Los Angeles, and Chicago was enjoying major success during those years.
The marriage ended in tragedy. Terry Kath died on January 23, 1978, at the age of 31, from an unintentional self-inflicted gunshot wound. He died eight days before his 32nd birthday and left behind his wife and a daughter who was only about 20 months old. Camelia was a young widow with a toddler to raise, and the loss was also a heavy blow for the band and its fans.
Marriage to Kiefer Sutherland
Almost ten years later, Camelia married again. On September 12, 1987, she married Kiefer Sutherland, who was 20 at the time, while she was 34. The two are said to have met while working on the film The Killing Time, although that detail is not firmly established.
Their daughter, Sarah, was born on February 18, 1988, and through the marriage Kiefer became stepfather to Camelia’s older daughter, Michelle. The marriage was short. Sutherland and Kath divorced in 1990, and while some pages give the exact date as February 1, 1990, the year is the safest detail to rely on.
Her Daughters
Camelia has two daughters, and both have made their own mark.
Michelle Kath Sinclair is the daughter of Terry Kath. In 2016 she released the documentary The Terry Kath Experience, which tells the story of her father’s life and the early years of Chicago. She is married to Scottish actor Adam Sinclair, and the couple met in Hawaii while he was working on the film To End All Wars. They have two sons.
Sarah Sutherland is the daughter of Kiefer Sutherland. She is an American actress best known for playing Catherine Meyer in the television series Veep, and she studied at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Her success shows how the creative streak in the family has continued into a new generation.
Relationship With Jeff Lynne
In recent years, Camelia’s name has often been linked with Jeff Lynne, the English musician behind Electric Light Orchestra. She is widely described as his partner, and 2017 is the year most often given for the start of that relationship. Other accounts say the couple has been together since about 2008, and some call them engaged or married.
These accounts do not agree, and there is no direct public statement from either person that settles the question. The safe summary is that the two are widely described as partners, while the date and legal status of the relationship are not confirmed.
Is Her Career Well Documented?
Not very well. Some pages list early film credits such as Terror on Tour (1980), Fake-Out and The Killing Time, but they rarely explain where the information comes from. If you need a firm list of credits, the best step is to check an official film credit database directly, because a short web article cannot replace one.
Why Online Information About Camelia Kath Is Confusing
If you search for her, you will notice that nearly every page tells a different story. Birth dates range from 1953 to 1954 and even 1960 to 1968, and birthplaces vary between Puerto Rico, West Hollywood and Los Angeles. Some pages claim she attended a university or had a famous Indonesian film career, and there is no reliable evidence for any of that.
The pattern is easy to spot. Many of these pages repeat the same vague praise, use her name dozens of times, and say very little that can be checked. Two clues help here: a trustworthy page usually names specific events and people, and it usually admits when something is not known.
The same caution applies to net worth. Figures such as 1.4 million or 2 million dollars appear in a few places, but none explains where the number comes from. Since she is a private person with no public financial record, any exact figure is a guess.
Quick Facts
| Detail | What is supported |
|---|---|
| Known for | Widow of Terry Kath; first wife of Kiefer Sutherland |
| Birthplace | Reported as Puerto Rico; not firmly confirmed |
| Birth date | Not reliably confirmed |
| First marriage | Terry Kath, 1974 (sometimes given as 1975), ended by his death in 1978 |
| Second marriage | Kiefer Sutherland, September 12, 1987, divorced 1990 |
| Children | Michelle Kath Sinclair (b. 1976) and Sarah Sutherland (b. 1988) |
| Partner | Widely described as Jeff Lynne; status unconfirmed |
| Net worth | No reliable figure |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Camelia Kath married to?
She was married to Terry Kath of Chicago until his death in 1978, and later to actor Kiefer Sutherland from 1987 until 1990.
How many children does Camelia Kath have?
She has two daughters, Michelle Kath Sinclair and Sarah Sutherland.
Is Camelia Kath still married to Kiefer Sutherland?
No. The two divorced in 1990, and Sutherland has since had other relationships.
Who is Camelia Kath with now?
She is widely described as the partner of Jeff Lynne, but the exact details are not publicly confirmed.
How old is Camelia Kath?
Her exact birth date is not reliably confirmed. She was 34 when she married in 1987, which places her birth in the early 1950s.
Final Thoughts
Camelia Kath’s story is one of loss, resilience and family. She faced the early death of her first husband, raised a daughter, and later became part of another well-known family. Her daughters have both carried on creative work, and her name continues to appear in stories about Chicago and the Sutherland family. Because so much of what appears online about her is repeated, unsourced or wrong, it pays to be careful and to accept that some details remain private.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is based on publicly available information at the time of writing. Camelia Kath is a private individual, and some details about her, such as her birth date, career credits, relationship status and finances, could not be confirmed. Please check important facts against official records or direct statements before using or republishing them. This article is not affiliated with Camelia Kath or any person mentioned.
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Written by Hassan, founder and editor of NTX Magazine — an independent news and biography publication. Every article is researched and cross-checked against multiple public sources before publishing; see our Sourcing Standards page for details.
