Heart Had to Have ‘Sanctuary Zones’ After Family Assault Incident

Details surrounding Heart’s family drama have come to light, including that Ann and Nancy Wilson insisted on separate “sanctuary zones” amid the ordeal.

It was 2016 when Ann’s husband, Dean Wetter, got embroiled in an argument with Nancy’s teenage sons. Reportedly enraged that the boys had let Ann’s dogs out of her tour bus, Wetter punched one of the teens and put his hands around the throat of the other. He later pled guilty to assault, but the incident drove a wedge between the Wilson sisters.

A story recently published by The Washington Post details just how severe things got. Though Heart continued with their 2016 tour, the women insisted on “sanctuary zones” to keep them – and their respective families – away from each other behind the scenes. Heart was a house divided, with the Post noting that Ann and Nancy kept “separate dressing rooms, separate makeup artists, separate managers, separate camps.” The “sanctuary zones” were even written into the band’s contracts, making the arrangement legally binding.

How Did Heart Get Past Their Family Drama?

Heart toured again in 2019, but tension between the sisters reportedly lingered. Both women pursued solo projects in the years after, but came together once more in 2023.

“I love being in the band Heart,” Nancy explained, detailing why she wanted the group to return. “It’s the thing me and Ann built together. And it’s a beautiful machine. A big metal horse, that gets a lot of attention. Ann Wilson or Nancy Wilson separate — not nearly as many people are interested or come out to see that, because it’s not Heart. So, I mean, the chance to do Heart again, despite, you know, whatever the static on the outskirts, the periphery of it all, I don’t care about. I just want to do the Heart thing.”

READ MORE: Heart Ready to Move Past 'Family Drama' as Tour Kicks Off

The band recently launched their 2024 tour, marking their first extended trek in five years. By all accounts, the Wilsons are back on good terms. Most notably, the “sanctuary zones” have gone away.

“Unnecessary,” Ann noted to the Post. “It was unnecessary,” Nancy agreed. “To have a camp over here, a camp over there.”

Wetter still joins Ann on tour, but reportedly spends much of his time on her bus or watching the show from behind the soundboard. When contacted by the Post regarding the sisters’ relationship, Wetter was curt.

“I don’t want to be a part of manipulating some fairy tale relationship or being a part of it,” he said. “If they want to talk to each other, they totally can.”