Author: Freya

Long before Mary Tyler Moore became one of television’s most important stars, she was an 18-year-old young woman who married the man living next door. That man was Richard Carleton Meeker, and their relationship became the first major adult chapter of her life. Richard Carleton Meeker was the first husband of Mary Tyler Moore, the Emmy-winning actress remembered for The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Richard was nearly ten years older than Mary, worked in sales, and had served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. The couple married in August 1955 and quickly…

Imagine growing up believing your father died before you ever had the chance to know him. Then, more than 30 years later, you discover he is alive. That remarkable experience became part of the life of ABBA singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad, and the man at the center of it was Ragnar Fredriksson. Ragnar Fredriksson was a German soldier of Norwegian-German background who became the father of Anni-Frid “Frida” Lyngstad, the future ABBA superstar. He met Frida’s mother, Synni Lyngstad, in Norway during the German occupation of the country in World War II. Their relationship was brief, and Ragnar returned to Germany…

The story of Darío Sepúlveda has everything that sounds made for television: a powerful drug trafficker, a troubled marriage, a young son caught between his parents, and a shocking killing in Colombia. Yet the real story is more complicated than the version many viewers saw on Netflix. Darío Sepúlveda was the third husband of Griselda Blanco, the Colombian drug trafficker who became known as the “Godmother of Cocaine.” The couple had one son, Michael Corleone Blanco. Their relationship eventually collapsed, and Darío reportedly returned to Colombia with Michael in 1983. That same year, Darío was shot and killed in Medellín.…

Some celebrity spouses become almost as famous as the stars they marry. Others are comfortable staying almost completely outside the spotlight. Leonard Downs belongs to the second group. He has been married to Jo Marie Payton for many years, yet surprisingly little about his own life has ever become public. Jo Marie is loved by generations of television viewers. Older fans remember her as Harriette Winslow on Family Matters, while younger viewers may recognize her voice as Suga Mama from The Proud Family. Leonard entered her life after three earlier marriages and became the partner who remained beside her for…

What happens when someone marries a television star but keeps almost all of his own life away from Hollywood attention? That is a good way to understand Landrus Clark, a man best known publicly through his former marriage to actress and singer Jo Marie Payton. Landrus Clark is most closely associated with Jo Marie Payton, the actress millions of viewers remember as Harriette Winslow from Family Matters. But Landrus had his own creative and professional connections. He has a documented acting credit in the 2001 film Echos of Enlightenment, and contemporary reporting from 2000 described him as a novelist. His…

What kind of man spends more than four decades married to one of Hollywood’s most famous former child stars without trying to become a celebrity himself? Roy Thorsen managed exactly that. He was the longtime husband of Margaret O’Brien, the beloved MGM actress remembered for movies such as Meet Me in St. Louis. But Roy had an impressive story of his own. His full name was Roy Thorvald Thorsen. He graduated from West Point, served as an Air Force officer, worked his way into senior business positions, and eventually became president of a manufacturing company. After retiring, he discovered another…

What is it like to watch a small running-shoe business grow into one of the most famous companies on Earth? Penny Knight has lived that story from remarkably close range. She married Nike co-founder Phil Knight before the company became the global giant people know today, and more than five decades later, the two are still together. Penny, whose maiden name was Penelope Parks, is best known as the wife of Phil Knight, the billionaire entrepreneur who co-founded Nike with legendary track coach Bill Bowerman. But describing Penny only as “Phil Knight’s wife” misses an important part of her modern…

What happens when an original MTV star marries someone who actually spent years making the kind of music MTV was built around? That is part of what makes Jordan Tarlow such an interesting figure. Jordan Tarlow is an American musician, guitarist, producer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist best known to many people as the husband of Martha Quinn, one of MTV’s original video jockeys. But Jordan had a real music career of his own long before most people began searching his name because of Martha. He played guitar with garage-rock band The Fuzztones, worked as a producer and engineer, and years later…

Tanya Roberts became famous as a Charlie’s Angels star, a Bond girl, and later the lovable Midge Pinciotti on That ’70s Show. But behind much of that Hollywood journey was a man who preferred working away from the brightest part of the spotlight: Barry Roberts. Barry Roberts was an American screenwriter, producer, and occasional actor who became best known as the longtime husband of Tanya Roberts. The couple met in New York when Barry was studying psychology. Their love story had an unusual beginning—Tanya reportedly proposed to him in a subway station—and they remained together for more than three decades.…

Most people who come across the name Bobie Earl Ensminger are really searching deeper into the family of Jimmy Swaggart. Bobie was married to Jimmy’s younger sister, Jeannette Swaggart Ensminger, which quietly placed him inside one of Louisiana’s best-known religious families. Unlike Jimmy, Bobie did not spend decades preaching on television or building an international ministry. His life stayed much closer to ordinary family life in Louisiana. Public records identify him as Jeannette’s husband and the father of their three children, Tamela Dawn, Darvin Rodgers, and Daryle Lee Ensminger. Their family story also included painful losses. Two of Bobie’s children…