Maynard James Keenan — best known as the lead singer of TOOL, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer — shares his life with his wife, Lei Li. Their relationship began at Keenan’s winery in Jerome, Arizona, where Lei worked as a lab manager before they grew closer.
After meeting in the late 2000s, the couple dated for a couple of years and then tied the knot in the early 2010s. Their family expanded with the arrival of their only daughter, and the marriage has continued to deepen since.
They have also endured serious hardships: Maynard has recovered from COVID-19 on two occasions, and Lei faced a brave battle with breast cancer. Throughout these trials the pair have leaned on one another, showing notable resilience and mutual support.
Keenan and Lei Build a Quiet Family Life with Their Daughter
Keenan and his wife, Lei Li, lead a close-knit home life. They first crossed paths when Lei was working as a lab manager at Caduceus, the winery Maynard owns in Jerome, Arizona; Lei’s social posts suggest their romantic relationship began around 2008.
Maynard proposed in June 2010, and the two were married on March 1, 2012. He later wrote about aspects of his life and marriage in an article for the Phoenix New Times published on September 10, 2012.
The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Lei Li Agostina Maria, on July 25, 2014 — news Maynard shared via Puscifer’s Instagram. The family makes their home in Jerome, Arizona.
Lei’s Strength Through Her Cancer Journey
Maynard James Keenan is famously reserved about his private life, but in August 2021 he used Instagram to mark his wife Lei’s birthday and revealed they had been through a particularly hard stretch. That period followed Maynard testing positive for COVID-19 twice, and Lei receiving a breast cancer diagnosis as 2020 drew to a close.
In his message he described how Lei met the challenge head-on: she asked the necessary questions, worked closely with her medical team, and mapped out a clear plan for treatment. Before starting chemotherapy she chose to cut her hair and had a friend craft a wig, a practical and courageous step that showed she was preparing herself for what lay ahead.
Her regimen included chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation, and Maynard lauded her remarkable resilience throughout. He referred to Lei as his rock and muse, noting how she endured the ordeal without complaint and with extraordinary strength.
At Last: Keenan and Lei Realize Their Long-Planned Bhutan Adventure
After many years of anticipation and a string of obstacles—new album releases, nonstop touring, COVID, and Lei’s (Jen) struggle with breast cancer—Keenan and his wife finally set off for Bhutan. What had been postponed time and again became a realized dream.
Bhutan, a place Lei had hoped to visit for more than twenty years, greeted them with its calm beauty. Fans can watch a special video chronicling the trip, set to Puscifer’s Grand Canyon, the lead single from their 2015 album Money $hot.
In March 2023, the TOOL, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer frontman posted about the long-awaited journey on Twitter.
The combination of imagery and music in the video seeks to convey the peace and awe they discovered amid the majestic vistas of Southeast Asia.
Lei: Store Co‑owner and Racing Enthusiast
Her Instagram bio lists her as Co-owner/Manager of Puscifer the Store, a business owned by her husband Keenan, and notes that she manages the store’s social media presence. Prior to that role, Lei worked as a lab manager at Caduceus Cellars, another enterprise owned by the singer.
Beyond her retail and lab duties, Lei appears to be involved in car racing. She isn’t described as a professional driver, but has joined several rallies and taken part in charity racing events; her Instagram includes multiple shots of her wearing a racing suit that document those appearances.
Lei’s Taiwanese Background
Lei has said she traces her roots to Taiwan in a comment on Instagram. In June 2019 she shared a painting featuring her parents to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary; when a follower asked about her nationality in the comments, she replied Taiwanese & Arkansas. Yes, I consider Arkansas it’s own nationality, haha. She has not provided any further details about her parents.
