William Shatner's spouses and girlfriends through the years
William Shatner is not only a legendary actor, but also a man whose personal life has drawn much public interest. Over the decades, he has been married four times to Gloria Rand, Marcy Lafferty, Nerine Kidd, and Elizabeth Martin, and romantically linked to a few notable women. William Shatner’s spouses and girlfriends have shaped different chapters of his long life.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- William Shatner has been married four times, with each relationship marking a unique stage in his career and personal journey.
- His longest marriage was to Elizabeth Martin, which lasted nearly two decades before ending in divorce in 2020, but the two are reportedly back together.
- The actor is the father of three daughters: Leslie, Lisabeth, and Melanie, all born from his first marriage to Gloria Rand.
Profile summary
| Full name | William Alan Shatner |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 22 March 1931 |
| Age | 94 years old (as of 2025) |
| Zodiac sign | Aries |
| Place of birth | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Current residence | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sexual orientation | Straight |
| Height in feet | 5'9" |
| Height in centimetres | 175 |
| Weight in pounds | 180 |
| Weight in kilograms | 82 |
| Hair colour | Light brown |
| Eye colour | Green |
| Mother | Anne Garmaise |
| Father | Joseph Shatner |
| Siblings | 2 |
| Marital status | Divorce |
| Children | 3 |
| School | West Hill High School |
| College | McGill University |
| Profession | Actor, author, director, producer, musician, speaker |
| @williamshatner | |
| @williamshatner | |
| X (Twitter) | @WilliamShatner |
William Shatner’s spouses: love, loss, and lasting memories
William Shatner’s marriages have been both celebrated and scrutinised in the public eye. Each of his four spouses brought different experiences into his life. Together, they reflect a journey of love, challenges, and resilience.
Gloria Rand (1956–1969)
Source: UGC
William Shatner and Gloria Rand, a Canadian actress best known for her roles in On Camera and Encounter, first met on the set of Dreams, where their connection quickly blossomed into romance. The couple tied the knot on 12 August 1956, beginning a marriage that would last 13 years.
Together, they welcomed three daughters: Leslie, Lisabeth, and Melanie, before eventually parting ways in 1969. In his autobiography, Up Till Now, Shatner reflected on the breakup, attributing their divorce to the strains brought on by his growing fame and demanding work schedule. He wrote:
I was working so hard to support my family and resented Gloria because I was getting so little joy out of my marriage. She resented me for probably many reasons. So Gloria stayed home with our girls, and it seemed like each week, new and beautiful and seemingly available women showed up on the set.
William Shatner’s first wife passed away in 2017, aged 84 years.
Marcy Lafferty (1973–1996)
Source: Getty Images
William Shatner met his second wife, Marcy Lafferty, while working on The Andersonville Trial. At the time, Lafferty was a young actress brought in to help the cast rehearse lines, and the two quickly developed a strong connection.
After dating for about three years, their relationship grew serious, and she gained the approval of Shatner’s three daughters. The couple married on 20 October 1973, beginning a partnership that blended family life with shared passions.
Shatner often credited Marcy with helping him raise his daughters successfully, as she became an important part of their upbringing. Beyond their Hollywood careers, they both had a love for American Saddlebred show horses, spending much of their time breeding, rearing, and riding them together.
Marcy, the daughter of actor Perry Lafferty, embraced the entertainment lifestyle and frequently accompanied Shatner to high-profile industry events. Their marriage endured for 23 years, one of the actor’s longest relationships, before they officially divorced in 1996. In his autobiography, the actor wrote about their divorce:
The failure of our marriage certainly wasn’t her fault. Where divorce is concerned, it takes two to tangle. And I played my part. I certainly played my part. The reality of some marriages is that over time, a husband and wife grow apart. Their needs and desires changed. Marcy realised that, in fact, she once told a reporter, ‘Life took us apart, and it was time to move on.'
Nerine Kidd (1997–1999)
Source: Getty Images
William Shatner’s marriage to American model Nerine Kidd turned out to be the shortest of his four unions. The pair reportedly met in 1994 at a bar in Toronto, Canada, where Shatner was instantly taken by her charm and beauty. Despite their strong attraction, Nerine struggled with alcoholism and had attended rehabilitation programmes several times before their relationship.
Against the advice of close friends and family, Shatner went ahead with the marriage, and the two exchanged vows on 15 November 1997 in Pasadena, California. Their union was marked by both affection and challenges, as Shatner tried to support his wife through her ongoing struggles with addiction.
He said during a 2008 interview with The Sydney Morning Herald:
You know, Nimoy telephoned me just before I married Nerine. He said just one sentence, 'Bill, you do know that Nerine is an alcoholic. But I absolutely worshipped her, and I thought, stupidly, that I could heal her.
Tragedy struck on 9 August 1999 when his third wife, Nerine Shatner, passed away after he found her unconscious in the swimming pool of their home. Despite efforts to revive her, she could not be saved. Her untimely death devastated the actor, leaving a lasting emotional impact that he has openly acknowledged in interviews even years later.
He said in the aforementioned interview:
Sometimes I berate her for not having stopped drinking. Sometimes I tell her it's OK, that I am thinking about her, that she is alive in my mind. But you never get over it.
In memory of his third wife, William Shatner founded the Nerine Shatner Foundation, dedicated to supporting people battling alcohol addiction. Through this initiative, he sought to turn personal tragedy into a source of hope for others facing similar struggles.
In a 2021 interview with The Guardian, Shatner shared that many women have thanked him for the foundation’s work, but he humbly responds that it is Nerine who deserves the credit.
Elizabeth Martin (2001–2020)
Source: Getty Images
William Shatner and Elizabeth Martin, also referred to as Elizabeth Shatner, met through correspondence via handwritten letters. The actor received several letters, but Elizabeth’s was unique due to the calligraphy on the envelope, and he also recalled the name from the horse world, as she owned a stable in Montecito, California.
In a 2014 interview, he revealed why he was so attracted to Elizabeth Martin. He said:
That combination of beauty, style, intelligence, humour, and loving horses and dogs and children and loving her home and making a home for us, is quite a combination. So I've been very lucky because all that happened by accident. Love is what makes the cold universe warm.
Shatner and Elizabeth exchanged marriage vows on 13 February 2001, in Lebanon, Indiana. They were together for approximately 18 years, making it the actor’s second-longest marriage. In December 2019, Shatner filed for divorce, which was finalised in March 2020.
However, the divorce did not mark the end of their relationship, as the two have recently sparked rumours of a reunion due to their closeness. They have been spotted together on multiple occasions, including attending the Living Legends of Aviation Awards at The Beverly Hilton in California in January 2023.
In an interview with Parade, he addressed the reunion speculations, saying:
My little secret is I’m living with my former wife.
William Shatner’s girlfriends: what the public didn’t always see
Besides his four spouses, William Shatner has also been linked to several girlfriends. These relationships, though less publicised than his marriages, added more depth to his personal story.
William Shatner was briefly linked to Vera Montez, a Mexican actress known for her roles in the Caribbean (1952) and The Black Widow (1951). Their relationship reportedly took place during Shatner’s early career in the 1950s, a time when he was just beginning to establish himself in Hollywood.
Source: Getty Images
Another actress romantically associated with Shatner was Angie Dickinson, a Golden Globe–winning star best remembered for her performances in Police Woman, Rio Bravo, and Dressed to Kill. The two were said to have dated casually, though their romance did not blossom into anything long-term.
Shatner was also linked to actress Nancy Kovack, known for her roles in Jason and the Argonauts and Batman.
FAQs
- How many times has William Shatner been married? He has been married four times: Gloria Rand (1956–1969), Marcy Lafferty (1973–1996), Nerine Kidd (1997–1999), and Elizabeth Martin (2001–2020).
- How many children does William Shatner have? The actor has three children. All of them are daughters: Leslie, Lisabeth, and Melanie, from his first marriage to Gloria Rand.
- What happened to William Shatner's wife? His third wife, Nerine Kidd, passed away in 1999. She battled alcoholism and tragically drowned in the couple’s swimming pool.
- Are William Shatner and Elizabeth Martin back together? They reconciled and are back together, although they are not remarried.
- Who was William Shatner’s first wife? His first wife was Gloria Rand, a Canadian actress. They married in 1956, had three daughters, and divorced in 1969.
- Which of William Shatner’s marriages lasted the longest? His second marriage, to actress Marcy Lafferty, lasted the longest, approximately 23 years, from 1973 to 1996.
- Who are William Shatner’s ex-girlfriends? He has been romantically linked to multiple women outside his marriages, including Vera Montez, Angie Dickinson, and Nancy Kovack.
William Shatner’s past spouses have played meaningful roles in his life. From his first marriage to Gloria Rand, he became a father to three daughters. Today, he shares his life with his fourth wife, Elizabeth Martin, though the pair has not publicly confirmed whether they have officially remarried.
Legit.ng recently published an engaging article about Sharon Stone's spouses. The award-winning actress is not only celebrated for her work in Hollywood but also draws attention for her high-profile romances. She was married to Michael Greenburg and Phil Bronstein, and has also been romantically linked to Bob Wagner and David DeLuise.
Through her relationships, Sharon Stone gained valuable lessons in patience, humility, and courage. Read on to learn more about the people who shaped different chapters of the actress’ love story.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
