Beverly D'Angelo became a mother at 49 with Al Pacino and their custody battle was bitter

Beverly D'Angelo is one of Hollywood's most recognisable actresses. She is best known for her role as Ellen Griswold in the National Lampoon's Vacation franchise. Beverly D'Angelo became a mother at 49 through IVF using donor eggs. She welcomed twins Anton and Olivia with actor Al Pacino in 2001. The couple separated two years later, and what followed was a highly chaotic and intensely bitter legal battle over the children's custody.

Key takeaways

• Beverly D'Angelo conceived her twins through IVF using donor eggs.
• During the custody battle, Pacino's lawyer accused D'Angelo of using the children as leverage for more money.
• The couple settled their custody dispute and child support case privately, with no financial details made public in either agreement.
• In 2017, D'Angelo revealed she had forgiven AI Pacino, and they became friends again.

Beverly D'Angelo's profile summary

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Who is Beverly D'Angelo?

Beverly D'Angelo is an American actress, singer, and producer. She was born in Columbus, Ohio, and began her career as a singer before transitioning to acting. She is best known for her role as Ellen Griswold in the National Lampoon's Vacation film series.

She has also earned critical acclaim for her stage and television work. D'Angelo has received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the miniseries Coal Miner's Daughter. She remains one of Hollywood's most recognisable and enduring talents.

How old is Beverly D'Angelo?

Beverly D'Angelo was born on November 15, 1951. She is 74 years old as of 2026. She has continued to work steadily in film and television well into her seventies.

Beverly D'Angelo and Al Pacino's relationship

Beverly D'Angelo and Al Pacino began dating in 1997. The two were in a relationship for several years, but they never married. During their time together, they decided to start a family. Their relationship eventually ended, but not before welcoming two children together.

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In a 2017 interview with Closer Magazine, she said,

I had a fantasy that when you have kids, you do it in a family setting. After we’d known each other for three months, (Al) looked me in the eyes and said, ‘I want you to be the mother of my children.’ That’s all I had to hear.

How old was Beverly D'Angelo when she had children?

Beverly was 49 years old when she gave birth to twins in January 2001. The twins, a boy and a girl, were named Anton James and Olivia Rose. Beverly D'Angelo's kids were born when she was nearly 50 years old. At the time, she was one of the older celebrities to have given birth.

She spoke of her pregnancy, saying.

I got pregnant at 48, delivered six weeks after I was 49, and by 51, I was looking at a landscape as a single parent. When you focus on getting pregnant, you can lose the perspective that you’re creating a family and a responsibility to a child’s future.

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Did Beverly D'Angelo have her twins naturally?

Beverly D'Angelo conceived through in vitro fertilization. She used donor eggs during the process. She has spoken publicly about her experience with IVF. Her openness about the journey brought attention to fertility options available to women later in life.

Beverly D'Angelo and Al Pacino's custody battle

Beverly D'Angelo and Al Pacino separated in 2003 when the twins were two years old. Their split led to a bitter custody battle that played out in Manhattan Family Court. Both sides came out swinging publicly.

D'Angelo's spokesperson described Pacino as "a controlling, harassing man who has never changed a single diaper." Pacino's camp hit back just as hard. His lawyer, Martin Wasser, claimed that D'Angelo continued to use the kids in a way that almost made them hostages. He added that every extra hour Pacino wanted to spend with the children came with a demand for more money.

At the time, D'Angelo wanted to move back to Los Angeles but was living in Manhattan with her kids, in an apartment Pacino paid $18,000 a month for. His lawyer also noted that he paid $35,000 for four nannies and other expenses related to the children's welfare.

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The couple eventually settled their custody dispute, followed by a separate settlement on child support in May 2004 at Manhattan Family Court. No monetary details were revealed in either agreement. D'Angelo told reporters outside the courtroom,

It feels terrific. I’m very happy.

In time, both parties moved toward a more cooperative relationship. D'Angelo has spoken about reaching a place of forgiveness, and the two eventually became friends again. She reflected,

My story with Al began 27 years ago, two artists meeting, falling in love. We lived together for seven years, had two children, broke up, but continued steadily on our journey as co parents- and came to share our lives with a deeper kind of intimacy, honesty and acceptance than a ‘traditional’ relationship would have allowed (for us at least).

What ethnicity is Beverly D'Angelo?

Beverly D'Angelo is of mixed ethnic heritage. Her father, Eugene Constantino "Gene" D'Angelo, was of Italian descent, while her mother had English, Irish, Scottish, and German ancestry. Her paternal grandparents were Italian, with her grandfather born in Introdacqua, in the Abruzzo region. The award-winning actress was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, and is American by nationality.

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Beverly D'Angelo's Career

Young Beverly D'Angelo was initially drawn to art. She worked as an animator and cartoonist at Hanna-Barbera Productions before moving to Canada to pursue a career in rock music. To make ends meet, she worked as a session vocalist and sang anywhere she could, from coffeehouses to bars.

At one point, she was invited to join rockabilly legend, Ronnie Hawkins. Her acting career began when she left the Hawkins band and joined the Charlottetown Festival repertory company. In 1976, she made her Broadway debut in Rockabye Hamlet, a musical adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Her first television appearance came shortly after, when she starred in the miniseries Captains and the Kings.

Her big screen breakthrough came in 1983 with the National Lampoon's Vacation franchise. She played Ellen Griswold alongside Chevy Chase. The role became her most recognised and enduring. She reprised it across multiple sequels spanning three decades.

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She also earned critical acclaim for her portrayal of Patsy Cline in Coal Miner's Daughter in 1980, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination.

On television, she took on recurring roles in several prominent series. She appeared in Law and Order: Special Victims Unit as a defense attorney, Entourage as a talent agent, Shooter as a national security advisor, and Insatiable as a scheming beauty pageant coach.

She has continued working in recent years, appearing in Wakefield and Violent Night, demonstrating her range well into her later career.

Beverly D'Angelo's movies span a wide range of genres. She has taken on horror, comedy, drama, and independent film throughout her career. Her filmography includes over 60 titles across film and television.

Beverly D' Angelo's net worth

Beverly D'Angelo has an estimated net worth of $20 million. She has built her wealth through a career spanning over four decades, with more than 60 film credits to her name. Her most financially significant role has been Ellen Griswold in the National Lampoon's Vacation franchise.

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The veteran American actress purchased a Beverly Hills residence in 2005 for $2.35 million. The property was later listed for sale at $2.795 million in 2017. Her wealth also comes from television appearances, music, and endorsements over the years.

Is Beverly D'Angelo currently married?

No. The actress is not currently married. Beverly D'Angelo's husband was Italian duke Don Lorenzo Salviati. They married in 1981. The two had an open marriage in which they could date other people while remaining partners. Their marriage lasted over a decade before they divorced.

Who is Beverly D' Angelo's partner now?

There is no public record of Beverly D'Angelo being in a relationship at this time. She appears to be focused on her career and her role as a mother to her twins, Anton and Olivia.

How tall is Beverly D'Angelo?

The veteran actress is 5 feet 2 inches tall (157 centimetres) and weighs 134 pounds (61 kilograms). She has blue eyes and brown hair. Her body measures 37-25-37 inches at the bust, waist, and hips, respectively. She wears a size 8 (US) shoe.

What is Beverly D' Angelo doing now?

Beverly D'Angelo remains active in the entertainment industry. Her most recent projects include a guest appearance on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit in 2022. She also appeared in the film Violent Night. She had a recurring role on the 2023 series True Lies.

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Her 2025 film No Address marks her latest screen appearance. She is also set to star in an upcoming indie romance titled The Heart Brake which was set to enter production outside Nashville in 2025.

Away from the screen, she leads a quieter life based in Los Angeles. She keeps a presence on social media. She shares snapshots of family life and ongoing projects. She also makes occasional appearances at fan conventions around the United States. She has also spoken about pursuing her music career. She has said she has always harbored a desire to sing.

Did Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo get along?

Yes. D'Angelo has spoken warmly about her friendship with Chase. She has said the two became friends in the first film and maintained that friendship over the years. She credited their chemistry as the foundation of the Ellen and Clark Griswold dynamic on screen.

Beverly D'Angelo's decision to become a mother at 49 was bold. Her custody battle with Al Pacino was public and painful. Yet both parties eventually found a way to co-parent their twins. Today, Anton and Olivia are in their early twenties. D'Angelo has spoken about the experience with honesty. Motherhood, it seems, remains her greatest role.

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The Australian power couple was married for nearly two decades, from June 2006 until September 2025, before suddenly separating. Their divorce was finalised in January 2026, and they share two teenage daughters.

Source: Legit.ng