“I Had to Teach ‘The Devil’ Love” — Shannon Tweed Simmons reveals how Gene Simmons now spends tens of thousands on Christmas after growing up Orthodox in Israel. Gene Simmons, the fire-breathing “Demon” of KISS, once dismissed Christmas as a mere commercial scam. But his wife, Shannon Tweed, reveals a stunning transformation: the rock legend now spends tens of thousands on “million-dollar” trees and light displays that actually have the neighbors complaining!

I Had to Teach ‘The Devil’ Love” — How Gene Simmons Swapped His “Demon” Persona for a Million-Dollar Christmas

For decades, Gene Simmons—the fire-breathing, tongue-wagging “Demon” of the legendary rock band KISS—built a reputation as a hard-nosed businessman who famously dismissed Christmas as a mere commercial engine. However, his wife, Shannon Tweed-Simmons, has revealed a surprising family secret: the man who once viewed holidays through a lens of skepticism has transformed into the most enthusiastic Santa Claus in Beverly Hills. Shannon recounts that she effectively had to teach “The Devil” how to love the holiday, a journey that has resulted in Gene spending tens of thousands of dollars each year to create a festive spectacle that occasionally draws complaints from his wealthy neighbors.

Simmons’ initial cynicism toward the holiday was rooted in a childhood of extreme poverty. Born Chaim Witz in Haifa, Israel, he grew up in a practicing Orthodox Jewish household where he recalled scraping by on rationed bread and milk. After immigrating to New York at age eight with his mother, a Holocaust survivor, the concept of a lavish Christmas was entirely foreign to him. For years, Gene maintained his distance from the tradition, but Shannon reveals that everything changed with the birth of their children, Nick and Sophie. To make up for the magic he missed as a young immigrant, Gene’s desire to provide for his kids evolved into an obsession with holiday staging.

The scale of the Simmons family Christmas is now legendary. Gene is known to spend a small fortune annually on professional decorations, including multiple massive trees and light displays so bright they dominate the neighborhood. While fans are used to seeing a leather-clad rock god, Shannon shares that on Christmas Eve, Gene is the first to don an “ugly Christmas sweater” and wake the family up early to open presents. “He can dress up like a devil on stage,” Shannon shared, “but at home, he’s the first one to urge the kids to open gifts.” This softer side of the rock star was a recurring theme on their long-running reality show, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, which documented his transition into a devoted family man.

Gene’s “over-the-top” Christmas spirit is a psychological counter-balance to his early years of lack. By creating a million-dollar holiday atmosphere, he isn’t just following tradition; he is celebrating the success that allows him to gift his family the abundance he once only dreamed of. Today, the face paint still comes off when December rolls around, replaced by a Santa hat and a genuine passion for the season. As Shannon notes, the man who spent decades as a rock-and-roll icon has found his greatest joy in the simple, yet lavish, act of playing Santa for his loved ones.