Cyndi Lauper and her husband, David Thornton, welcomed their only child, son Declyn Thornton Lauper, in 1997.
“We switch back and forth, and then my job kind of never ended,” the “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” singer said during a 2013 interview with ABC News about Thornton’s life as a stay-at-home dad. “You gotta be there for [your kids]. I work a lot because I want to give him everything I never could have.”
Lauper, who didn’t grow up with a “silver spoon,” further explained that she has always tried to be an authentic mom to Declyn.
“I don’t want to be a fake parent. I don’t want to be fake anything,” she said. “I want to be the real thing.”
Cyndi Lauper’s Husband David Thornton Sued Amid Assault Claims Against Son
Nearly 13 years later, Declyn was accused of sexual assault. Neither he nor Lauper immediately addressed the claims.
Keep scrolling to get to know Lauper’s son:
Cyndi Lauper’s Son Declyn Is Also a Musician
Declyn Thornton Lauper has followed in mom Cyndi Lauper’s footsteps as a singer.
“He’s doing really well, [and] record companies are talking to him,” Lauper said on a 2017 episode of Harry Connick Jr.’s eponymous talk show. “It’s an exciting time for him, and he’s in the studio making music. I think he has a lot of talent and a lot of different talents, and he has the whole world ahead of him.”
According to Lauper, her son has been interested in the spotlight since he was a child.
“He used to tell me when he was little, he was like 8 or 10, and it was the encore [of one of my concerts], and he said, ‘Mom, give me the mic. I got this,’” she said. “I figured it was the encore, so he went on and put his hood up and went, ‘Let’s make some noise,’ and the whole place went nuts … [and] he’s very charismatic.”
What Cyndi Lauper’s Son Declyn Thought of Family Reality TV Show
Cyndi Lauper, David Thornton and Declyn Thornton Lauper had their own WEtv reality TV show, Cyndi Lauper: Still So Unusual, in 2013 that chronicled their daily life.
Declyn, who was a teenager at the time, wasn’t pleased whenever Lauper would curse on air.
“He’s, like, ‘Ma, what Dad always says is that if you don’t curse when it’s not important, you won’t curse when it is,’” Lauper told ABC News in 2013. “I was, like, ‘F*** yeah.’ Just kidding!”
Declyn, who performs under the stage name Dex Lauper, launched his own record label, 13 Degrees Media Group, in June 2025.
What Cyndi Lauper Has Said About Her Family Life
Cyndi Lauper and David Thornton have been married since 1991.
“My husband became the strong arm of the family. He was very much there. He’s so wildly talented; he understands stories so well,” Lauper told Vanity Fair in 2023, also acknowledging that they employed a nanny to help care for Declyn. “My son went to good schools, but I missed out on a few things when I was on the road.”
She continued, “People said I was so career-driven, but once the kid came, I looked at how I can support everything: make a record, tour — and my husband would say, ‘Go to Europe, I’ve got him.’ I took my son on tour sometimes, but he needed his own space. He makes music now. It’s more underground. He’s on SoundCloud and he’s a terrific artist.”
Cyndi Lauper’s Son Declyn Was Accused of Assault in 2026
Us Weekly confirmed in March 2026 that Cyndi Lauper’s husband, David Thornton, was named in a lawsuit by a woman claiming that she was sexually assaulted by Declyn Thornton Lauper.
In court documents obtained by Us, the anonymous individual alleged that Declyn assaulted her after she “refused to perform oral sex on him.” She also claimed that Thornton “enabled” the alleged incident since the actor leased the penthouse where the incident took place and reportedly knew that Declyn had alleged “violent and sexually abusive propensities.”
Neither Lauper, Thornton nor Declyn have publicly addressed the lawsuit or allegations. Us Weekly reached out for comment.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
