Steve Martin Opens Up About the Truth of His Marriage to Anne Stringfield

Steve Martin attends the
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Unlike many comedians, Steve Martin is pretty quiet about his marriage and family. Recently, Martin opened up in his new documentary on Apple TV+ called STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces. Martin first talked about his first wife, Victoria Tennant. The two wed in 1986 and divorced in 1994, which Martin said broke his heart.

He explained, “When I married Victoria Tennant, I liked her a lot. She was very funny, very amusing, smart and English. It was a relationship that just kind of defaulted into a romance. And also a part of it was I guess I should get married, which is not a good reason. There’s just no way to force it.”

Honoree Steve Martin (R) and Writer Anne Stringfield attend the 2015 AFI Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute Honoring Steve Martin at the Dolby Theatre on June 4, 2015 in Hollywood, California

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It wasn’t until years later that he met the woman who would become his second wife. Martin wrote for The New Yorker and journalist Anne Stringfield was assigned to fact-check a story that he wrote. They talked on the phone for over a year before deciding that they wanted to meet in person.

They got married in 2007 and Stringfield, being younger than Martin, wanted to have a family. He admitted that he wasn’t sure if parenthood was right for him at first, but after playing with Diane Keaton‘s kids on the set of Father of the Bride, he warmed up to the idea. He shared, “Her daughter was playing in the yard, and I thought I could see a kid out there playing in the backyard.” So, they had a daughter of their own in 2012, when Martin was 67 years old.

Actor and musician Steve Martin (L) and wife Anne Stringfield attend the presentation of "Wounded" curated by Carole Bayer Sager at LA Art House on May 6, 2009 in West Hollywood, California

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Martin and Stringfield keep their daughter private so she was not seen in the documentary but Martin shared, “The first time I saw true love in my life was after the baby was born. I looked over at Anne, and she’s holding the baby. And she’s looking into her face, and there’s no one else on the planet. My life is completely backwards. I worked very hard early on, and then have a happy marriage and a fantastic child at this age. And I love it.” So sweet!

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Hollywoods Golden Couples

February 2022

Gaze back at the classic romances of old Hollywood, both onscreen and off.

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