Whoopi Goldberg first rose to fame as Celie in the 1985 movie, The Color Purple, and her career has skyrocketed since then as she has starred in films including Sister Act, Sister Act 2, and The Lion King. While Whoopi has had quite an illustrious career, she’s also had many relationships throughout her life including three marriages – all of which ended in divorce. While Whoopi has only had three marriages, she has been in relationships with others, most notably, Ted Danson from 1992 to 1994 and Frank Langella from 1996 to 2001.
Despite being married three times, Whoopi revealed in a 2016 interview with the New York Times, that she’s only been in love once. She also explained that she’s “not interested” in marriage. “I’m much happier on my own. I can spend as much time with somebody as I want to spend, but I’m not looking to be with somebody forever or live with someone. I don’t want somebody in my house,” Whoopi admitted.
Find out everything you need to know about her three marriages, below.
1. Alvin Martin
Whoopi married Alvin Martin in 1973 when she was just 18 years old. In 1973, shortly after getting married, Whoopi and Alvin gave birth to their daughter, Alex Martin, Whoopi’s only child. The couple divorced in 1979 after being married for six years.
While Alex is Whoopi’s only child, Alex gave birth to three of her own children with her husband, Bernard Dean, making Whoopi a grandmother.
2. David Claessen
David Claessen, a Dutch cinematographer, was Whoopi’s second husband, whom she married seven years after her divorce from Alvin. David and Whoopi got married in 1986 and were together for two years, where they were publicly pictured at movie premieres. The couple got divorced in 1988.
3. Lyle Trachtenberg
Lyle Trachtenberg was Whoopi’s third and final husband. Lyle and Whoopi got married in 1994, six years after her divorce from David. Unfortunately, Whoopi and Lyle’s marriage only lasted a year as they divorced in 1995.