Elaine Starchuk is a former model, beauty expert, and business owner. She is also known as the first wife of Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. Their marriage was short, but it brought Elaine into the public eye.
Elaine started modeling when she was about 18. She later left modeling and built a career in the beauty field. She became known for eyelash work, beauty training, and her business, Enlightened Lashes.
This article covers Elaine Starchuk’s early life, modeling career, marriage to Tommy Lee, beauty business, serious 2013 accident, and court case. It also looks at the verified facts known about her life and work.
Quick Bio
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Elaine Margaret Starchuk |
| Known As | Elaine Starchuk |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Profession | Former model, beauty expert, trainer, and business owner |
| Modeling Career | Started modeling at about age 18 |
| Known Modeling Work | Playboy and Penthouse |
| Famous For | Being Tommy Lee’s first wife |
| Former Husband | Tommy Lee |
| Marriage Year | 1984 |
| Divorce Year | 1985 |
| Children With Tommy Lee | None |
| Beauty Business | Enlightened Lashes |
| Business Field | Eyelash extensions and beauty training |
| Business Location | British Columbia, Canada |
| Major Accident | Vehicle crashed into a Langley deli in 2013 |
| Court Case | Supreme Court of British Columbia |
| Court Decision | 2016 |
| Total Court Award | C$442,540.70 |
| Net Worth | No verified public figure is available |
Elaine Starchuk’s Early Life
Elaine Starchuk, whose full name is Elaine Margaret Starchuk, is a former model and beauty business owner. Public court records confirm her full name and show that she later worked in the beauty field in British Columbia.
Elaine is also known as the first wife of rock drummer Tommy Lee. Their marriage took place before his later marriages to Heather Locklear, Pamela Anderson, and Brittany Furlan.
There is little firm public information about Elaine’s childhood or school years. What is confirmed is that she started modeling when she was about 18 years old. Her own statement in a British Columbia court case supports this part of her early life.
Starting a Modeling Career
Elaine Starchuk started modeling at about age 18. Modeling became an important part of her early working life. She spent time in the fashion and glamour field while she was still young.
Court records state that Elaine modeled for Playboy and Penthouse. These records come from her own evidence given during a 2016 case in the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
Her work gave her links to people in modeling and entertainment. The same court record later noted that her modeling work and marriage to a well-known rock drummer gave her contacts in those fields.
Elaine Starchuk’s Professional Career
Modeling was one of the first known parts of Elaine Starchuk’s career. She worked for Playboy and Penthouse and stayed involved in modeling for part of her adult life.
Elaine later moved away from modeling and built a career in the beauty field. She learned how to apply eyelash extensions and began working with clients. She also started teaching other people how to do lash extensions.
Her beauty work became a major part of her career. Court records show that she applied lashes, trained students, and worked on plans to grow her business. This work later became very important in her 2016 court case.
From Modeling to the Beauty Business
Elaine Starchuk later became involved with a beauty business called Enlightened Lashes. The Better Business Bureau lists Enlightened Lashes as a beauty school in British Columbia and names Elaine Starchuk as its manager.
Elaine also trained in eyelash extension work. Court records say she took a lash course in Las Vegas and then created her own course. She began teaching other people how to apply eyelash extensions.
Her work needed care and steady hands. Elaine worked with clients and also trained other lash workers. She later trained another person to teach students as her business grew.
Enlightened Lashes and Elaine’s New Career
Enlightened Lashes became an important part of Elaine Starchuk’s work. Court records describe her as the owner and manager of her lash business. She handled calls, emails, bookings, supplies, and training plans.
Elaine also did lash extensions herself and taught students. She created training guides and worked on new courses. Her work included both beauty services and teaching.
The Better Business Bureau lists Enlightened Lashes in Surrey, British Columbia. It also lists Elaine as the manager and main contact for the business.
Elaine Starchuk and Tommy Lee
The best-known part of Elaine Starchuk’s personal life is her marriage to Tommy Lee. Tommy was born on October 3, 1962, in Athens, Greece. He became the drummer of Mötley Crüe and helped form the band with Nikki Sixx.
Elaine and Tommy were both young when they became a couple. Public records confirm that they were married in November 1984. Their marriage came during the early years of Tommy’s rise with Mötley Crüe.
Elaine was Tommy Lee’s first wife. He later married Heather Locklear, Pamela Anderson, and Brittany Furlan. His marriage to Elaine remains the first marriage listed in his public record.
Elaine Starchuk and Tommy Lee’s Marriage
Elaine Starchuk and Tommy Lee married in November 1984. Their marriage was brief, and they divorced in 1985. Reliable public sources agree on the year of the marriage and divorce.
Reports do not fully agree on the exact length of the marriage. Some give different dates for their split and divorce. Because of this, the clear fact is that Elaine and Tommy married in 1984 and divorced the next year.
Elaine and Tommy did not have children together. Tommy later had two sons, Brandon and Dylan, with Pamela Anderson.
Why Elaine Starchuk and Tommy Lee Split
The exact reason Elaine Starchuk and Tommy Lee ended their marriage is not clearly confirmed in strong public records. Many online stories give reasons for the breakup, but those claims do not have the same level of support as the marriage and divorce records.
What is confirmed is that their marriage ended in 1985. After the divorce, Tommy continued his music career and later married Heather Locklear in 1986.
Elaine went on with her own life and career. Her later work in the beauty field became a major part of her story. Years later, a serious accident would affect both her health and her ability to do the work she had built.
Dating History
Elaine Starchuk is best known for her marriage to Tommy Lee. The two married in November 1984. Their marriage was short, and they divorced in 1985. Elaine was Tommy Lee’s first wife. They did not have children together.
Many websites list other men as Elaine’s former partners. These claims are not well supported by strong public records. For that reason, they should not be treated as confirmed facts. The marriage to Tommy Lee is the main relationship from Elaine’s early life that has a clear public record.
After the divorce, Elaine moved on with her own life and work. She became less active in the public eye. Her later public record is mostly about her beauty business and the court case that followed a serious accident.
Elaine Starchuk’s Net Worth
There is no trusted public record that confirms Elaine Starchuk’s net worth in 2026. Some websites give different money figures, but those numbers are estimates. They are not backed by public financial records. Elaine has earned money from modeling and from her work in the lash business, but her full wealth is not known.
One firm money figure comes from her court case. On May 13, 2013, Elaine was inside a deli in Langley, British Columbia. A vehicle crashed into the store and pushed her into a wall. The court record says she suffered injuries to several parts of her body. Her lash work was also affected because the job needed careful use of her hands, arms, neck, and shoulders.
The case went to the Supreme Court of British Columbia. In September 2016, the court awarded Elaine Starchuk C$442,540.70 in total. This included C$135,000 for pain and suffering, C$50,000 for past loss of earning ability, C$150,000 for future loss of earning ability, C$80,000 for housekeeping, and other care costs.
That court award should not be called her net worth. It was money given for injuries, lost work ability, care, and other costs linked to the accident. As of 2026, there is still no verified public figure for Elaine Starchuk’s full net worth.
Elaine Starchuk’s Fast Facts
Elaine Starchuk started modeling at about 18 years old. Court records say she modeled for Playboy and Penthouse. She later left that type of work and moved into the beauty field. She learned how to do eyelash extensions and also began training other people.
Elaine became linked with Enlightened Lashes in British Columbia. The Better Business Bureau lists the business as starting in November 2010 and names Elaine Starchuk as its manager. Her professional profile also connects her with Enlightened Lashes Academy in White Rock, British Columbia.
Her 2013 accident became one of the best-recorded parts of her later life. The court found that her injuries hurt her ability to do lash work and grow her business as planned. In 2016, the judge awarded her C$442,540.70. Today, Elaine Starchuk is still widely known as Tommy Lee’s first wife, but her public record also shows years of work as a model, lash artist, trainer, and beauty business owner.