For Better Or Worse: Celebrities Who Married, Divorced, and Then Married the Same Person
Celebrity marriages and divorces tend to make front-page tabloid news. Hey, it's hard-hitting gossip! But when celebrities get married, divorced, only to wind up saying their "I do's" to one another once again, well, let's just say it's hard for many people not to get a bit of whiplash.
From the very public relationship, divorce, and re-kindling of Elizabeth Taylor's marriage to Richard Burton to the "I'm going to write a song about everything wrong in our relationship but am going to remarry you anyway" of Eminem and Kim Scott, for better or worse, these celebrities married the same person twice.
Richard Pryor And Jennifer Lee
Actor and comedian Richard Pryor didn't meet his future wife Jennifer Lee on the set of his latest film. Instead, he met her in a very mundane way, while Lee was helping a mutual friend decorate Pryor's house in Northridge, California. During an interview, Lee confessed that the initial meeting was it for her. She fell in love.
After a long and hectic few years of dating, the two wound up tying the knot in 1981. But the marital bliss was short-lived due to Pryor's partying lifestyle, and they divorced the next year. But their love was still strong, and they wed for the second and final time in 2001.
Elizabeth Taylor And Richard Burton
Actress Elizabeth Taylor was no stranger to the press. But it was a different story altogether when she got together with actor Richard Burton. Known as "Liz and Dick" by the media, Taylor and Burton first found themselves tying the knot in 1964. The two were young, though, with very eccentric lifestyles that, ironically, neither appreciated in the other.
So, they divorced in 1974. Allegedly, Burton was the love of Taylor's life, so she didn't stay away long. The two actors rekindled their romance at the alter in 1975. Alas, it wasn't meant to last. And less than a year later, the two parted ways for good.
Pamela Anderson And Rick Salomon
Pamela Anderson and film producer Rick Salomon met while the former was dating one of the latter's friends. Maybe that should have been a warning. Well, that or the fact that both parties were coming off their second marriages. Either way, Anderson announced on a 2007 episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she and Saloman were engaged.
Anderson asked for an annulment a year after their marriage. Some time down the round, though, they re-discovered one another, becoming "friends with benefits," as Anderson so nicely put it. They decided to give their love another shot, re-marrying in 2014. They should have stuck with the annulment since they divorced a year later.
Larry King And Alene Akins
TV host Larry King might have been married eight times, but only one lady gets to call herself his two-time wife. That title goes to his third (and fifth) wife, the one and only Alene Akins, a Playboy Bunny. The two said their "I do's" for the first time in 1961, under the lights of one of Playboy magazines nightclubs.
Needless to say, their marriage didn't last long. The two divorced in 1963, with King marrying his fourth wife, Mary Francis "Mickey" Stuphin that same year. That didn't work out either. And King wound up rekindling his romance with Akins, re-marrying in1967 until their second divorce in 1972.
Melanie Griffith And Don Johnson
Melanie Griffith met Don Johnson while filming the 1973 movie The Harrad Experiment. As Johnson recalled during an interview, they were in "the stairwell of this Anheuser-Busch Estate waiting for a setup. We started chitchatting." Chitchatting sparked some feelings, and the two began a relationship that led to their 1976 marriage.
Unfortunately, the couple ended up divorcing six months later. After some time apart and a marriage-and-divorce on Griffith's end, they found their way back to one another. In 1989, they gave marriage another try. While it lasted longer than their first go, the two actors wound up divorcing for the second time in 1996.
Elon Musk And Talulah Riley
For SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, love came in the year 2008 and in the form of English Westworld actress Talulah Riley. The two met at a bar, hitting it off and marrying only a few years later, in 2010. But dating seemed to be a better relationship course for the two since they wound up divorced in 2012.
Amid the divorce, Musk tweeted, "It was an amazing four years. I will love you forever. You will make someone very happy one day." Ironically, that "someone" wound up being Musk, again. The two rekindled their romance and re-said their wedding vows in 2013. Three years later, they divorced.
NeNe And Gregg Leakes
Real Housewives of Atlanta stars know a thing or two about drama, and NeNe and Gregg Leakes are no different. First meeting when NeNe was 28, the two reality stars got hitched in 1997, after a bit of persuading on Gregg's part. Unfortunately, NeNe's 2008 reality fame caused a dent in their relationship, and they wound up finalizing their divorce in 2011.
According to NeNe, the divorce was to teach her ex-husband a lesson. She finally agreed to walk back down the aisle with him in 2013. Talk about one expensive lesson! The couple ended things again in 2021.
Natalie Wood And Robert Wagner
The first time Natalie Wood laid eyes on Robert Wagner she turned to her mother and said, "I'm going to marry him." Of course, she probably didn't expect to marry the famous actor more than once! The first time the two wed was in 1957. But after four years of marriage, Wagner and Wood decided to part ways, divorcing in 1962.
Ironically, both parties wound up marrying other people. Ultimately, those marriages didn't work out. And Wagner and Wood refound each other, sparking a newly found romance that resulted in them re-marrying one another in 1972.
Richard Pryor And Flynn Belaine
Between settling down in his second marriage to Jennifer Lee, actor and comedian Richard Pryor fell in love with actress Flynn Belaine. The two actors met during one of Pryor's performances in 1984, tying the knot two years later in '86. As it goes, the marital happiness of being newlyweds didn't last.
Two months into the marriage, Pryor filed for divorce, withdrawing his petition the very same day. It didn't take long for him to file again, two weeks later. Belaine and Pryor went their separate ways, coming back together to give marriage another shot in 1990. The husband and wife titles lasted about a year before they ended things.
Sophia Loren And Carlo Ponti
Italian actress Sophia Loren first met film producer Carlo Ponti in 1950, when she was no older than 16 years old. It wasn't until 1957, though, that the two said their vows, becoming husband and wife for the first time. The thing is, a person has to be legally divorced to marry someone else -- Ponti wasn't.
So, in 1962, to avoid bigamy charges, Loren and Ponti annulled their marriage. They continued to live together, as their love for each other was very strong. Eventually, the legal matters cleared up, and Loren and Ponti could marry once again in 1966.
Barbara Walters And Merv Adelson
Former broadcast journalist Barbara Walters has been married a total of four times in her life. But only one man held the title of her husband twice. That man was Merv Adelson, co-founder of Lorimar Television. After meeting on a blind date, Merv and Barbara began dating, eventually taking their relationship to the next level and tying the knot in 1981.
A few years later, in 1984, they divorced. It didn't take long for them to find one another again, saying their "I do's" for the second time in 1986. But with their careers leaving them on opposite ends of the country, they divorced for a final time in 1992.
Lana Turner And Joseph Stephen Crane
In 1942, actor Joseph Stephen Crane met actress Lana Turner at the Mocambo restaurant. Three weeks later, he asked Turner for her hand in marriage. She said yes, and the two were married on July 17, 1942. But the thing about marrying someone you just met is that you don't know everything about them.
Apparently, Crane was still married to his wife. So, Turner annulled their union. But that wasn't the end for the two actors. After finding out she was pregnant, Turner went back to Crane, taking his hand in marriage for the second time in 1943. A year later, she found that single motherhood was better than marriage, divorcing him.
George C. Scott And Colleen Dewhurst
One of actor George C. Scott's earliest performances led him to his first award and his first appearance with his future wife, Colleen Dewhurst. The two met in 1958 while performing in the off-Broadway production of Children of Darkness. Two years later, in 1960, they tied the knot for the first time.
But their love only lasted five years, as they went through a divorce in 1965. Actors are passionate people, though, and these two didn't stay away from one another for too long. They became husband and wife once again in 1967 before permanently calling it quits in 1972.
Sinbad And Meredith Fuller
In his life, David Adkins, better known by his stage name of Sinbad, only married one woman. It just so happens that woman, Meredith Fuller, was his wife more than once. The first wedding happened in 1985. And after a few years of marriage, they divorced in 1992.
According to the comedian, he wasn't ready to be a husband, as he was pretty much living to lives—one on the road and one at home. "I had no tools to understand how to be a husband," he said during an interview. But he still loved Meredith and fought to be her. They remarried in 2002 and have two children together.
Elliott Gould And Jennifer Bogart
Actor Elliot Gould met actress Jennifer Bogart when she was only 18 years old. Four years later, in 1973, the two were walking down the aisle as husband and wife. But things weren't great between them. They wound up getting a divorce two years later, in 1975.
While not a lot is known about Gould and Bogart's roller-coaster relationship, one thing is clear; they still loved each other very much. A feeling that had them once again saying their "I do's" to one another in 1978. But, as it goes with many couples, they should have learned from the first time. They divorced in 1989.
Jean-Claude Van Damme And Gladys Portugues
Actor and martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme was married twice before meeting his third future wife during a photoshoot. Considering Van Damme's workout regime, it might not come as too much of a surprise to learn that he fell for a bodybuilder and Ms. Olympia contestant, Gladys Portugues.
The two tied the knot for the first time in 1987. But a few years later, in 1992, they sadly parted ways. Van Damme then went on to marry and divorce Darcy LaPier before reconnecting with Portugues. Once the two began spending time together again, Van Damme and Portugues realized they were meant to be, remarrying in 1999.
Rodney Dangerfield And Joyce Indig
Soon after Rodney Dangerfield and Joyce Indig tied the knot in 1951, the comedian gave up his dream of doing stand-up, moving to New Jersey with his new family. He wasn't happy with his new job as an aluminum siding salesman, though, and the marriage deteriorated to divorce ten years later, in 1961.
They tried working things out, getting back together two years later, and once again tying the knot in 1963. But Dangerfield couldn't joke his way out of the crumbling marriage. The two permanently called in quits in 1970. Hey, at least they tried?
Frida Kahlo And Diego Rivera
Meeting at one of painter Tina Modotti's parties in 1928, Frida Kahlo immediately wanted to showcase her artwork to Diego Rivera. He was impressed, and the two wound up in a relationship that led to marriage in 1929. Ten years later, Rivera filed for divorce, citing the request as a "matter of legal convenience in the style of modern times..."
It didn't take long for the two artists to reunite. In 1940, the two had a second wedding, this time a simple civil union. And while their relationship was anything but smooth sailing, they stayed together until Kahlo's passing in 1954.
Marie Osmond And Stephen Craig
First meeting Stephen Craig when she was a teenager, singer Marie Osmond didn't waste any time marrying the basketball player when she turned 22 years old. On June 26, 1982, and in front of a whopping 4,000 guests, The Talk co-host married Craig for the first time.
But juggling between their hectic personal lives and careers was too much for the young singer. Osmond and Craig wound up filing for divorce in 1985. Unexpectedly, the two found each other again with the help of their son, Stephen. Not wanting to attend their son's wedding unmarried, Osmond and Craig said their "I do's" in 2011 and have been together ever since.
Dionne Warwick And William Elliott
R&B legend Dionne Warwick married one man in her life. It just so happens that she happened to marry the same man, William Elliott, twice. First, they tied the knot in 1966, divorcing one year later in 1967. Ironically, they said their vows for the second time that very same year. But one thing put a strain on their relationship, Warwick's success.
"I was the major earning power in the family, and that is very difficult for the male ego,' Warwick explained during an interview. "It just got too much to bear for my husband, and we decided that it would be best for us to part ways."
Paul Hogan And Noelene Edwards
A self-proclaimed flirt, Paul Hogan met his first wife, Noelene Edwards, while at a swimming pool where he was a lifeguard. As Hogan said during an interview with People, "I was a massive flirt, I liked her, and she liked me, and we got married." That first wedding was in 1958.
The Crocodile Dundee actor and Noelene Edwards actually had a long first marriage but eventually divorced in 1981. A year later, they rekindled their romance and remarried. But, as fate would have it, the two wound up in what is considered one of Australia's ugliest celebrity divorces in 1989.
Rosemary Clooney And José Ferrer
"Mambo Italiano" singer Rosemary Clooney was no stranger to A-list stars vying for her attention. But, as it turned out, she only had eyes for one man at the time, Academy Award-winning actor José Ferrer. The two were married for the first time in 1953.
After a few years as husband and wife, the pop singer and actor parted ways, divorcing in 1961. They tried marriage a second time in 1964, ultimately divorcing yet again. According to their son, Gabriel, "There was intense love, but living together was too hard." The two went their separate ways in 1967.
Judge Judy And Jerry Sheindlin
While opposites might attract, in the case of Judy and Jerry Sheindlin, they couldn't be more similar. Meeting in a bar, the then-prosecutor and then-defense attorney hit it off. Maybe it was an attraction, maybe it was the fact that both were about to become reality stars with law degrees, but the two wound up marrying in 1977.
Unfortunately, stress led to their 1990 divorce, mostly because Judy was going through a hard time. Even so, they didn't stay away from each other for too long. They re-married in 1991 and have been together ever since.
Neil Simon And Diane Lander
Playwright Neil Simon met his third and, technically, fourth wife in a very mundane way. Simon first laid eyes on Diane Lander when she was working in a Neiman Marcus store in Beverly Hills, handing out perfume samples at the counter. The two had a whirlwind romance, marrying and divorcing within a year of one another 1987-1988.
But that wouldn't be the last time the writer and actress would try their hand at being husband and wife. A few years after their 1988 divorce, in 1990, they found themselves walking back down the aisle. Eight years later they divorced...again.
Jacki Weaver And Derryn Hinch
Two-time Academy Award-winning actress Jacki Weaver was famously married a whopping five times. But one man was lucky enough to call himself husband twice, broadcaster Derryn Hinch. The two were first wed in 1983. But their marriage didn't last, and they ended up divorcing in 1996.
A failed marriage doesn't mean the two didn't love each other, though—actually quite the opposite. Weaver and Hinch reconnected and remarried a year after their divorce, in 1997. Soon after saying "I do," they realized they're better off just being friends, divorcing for the second time in 1998.
Fred Berry And Franchesska Berry
Known for his character Freddie "Rerun" Stubb on the sitcom What's Happening, Fred Berry was no stranger to life in the spotlight. Which is a good thing, considering he was a high-profile actor who wound up marrying six times in his life. Two of those wives just happen to be the same person, though, Franchesska Berry.
A co-star on What's Happening, Berry and Berry married for the first time in 1976, divorcing the very same year. A little way down the line, in 1978, they decided to give marriage another try. It didn't work. They divorced for the second time in 1980.
Jane Wyman And Fred Karger
Academy Award-winning actress Jane Wyman went through three marriages before walking down the aisle and saying "I do" to Hollywood music director and composer Fred Karger on November 1, 1952. Two years, an interlocutory divorce decree, and finalization later, the two divorced in 1955.
But they decided to try again, remarrying a few years later in 1961. They should have stayed divorced since they wound up in a second settlement case in 1965 after Wyman supposed walked out on Karger. After their second and final divorce, Wyman decided never to remarry.
Mel Ferrer And Frances Pilchard
Actor Mel Ferrer married five times in his life. Two out of those five times being with actress turned sculptor Frances Pilchard. The two wed in 1937 but soon changed the tune of their happy marriage, divorcing two years later in 1939. But this wasn't the last time they called each other husband and wife.
The two remarried in 1944. This go around lasted a bit longer, with two children being born during their time together. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to last, and Ferrer and Pilchard wound up in a second divorce in 1953.
