William Zabka has been a beloved 80s icon since his debut film role as Johnny Lawrence in the popular film The Karate Kid in 1984. Since his breakout as the rival in the cult classic movie, he’s reprised the role both in the sequel and the Cobra Kai TV series. Not only that, he’s also gone on to star in a wide variety of popular shows and movies, as well as dabbling in the director’s chair himself.
Despite being a popular actor, William, 56, has mostly kept his personal life private. Even though he often doesn’t divulge many details, he has been married to his wife Stacie for over a decade, and the pair seem to have a happy family. Find out more about William and Stacie’s relationship here!
William and Stacie got married in 2008
While it’s unclear when William and Stacie first got together, their wedding was held in 2008, nearly 25 years after the first Karate Kid movie hit theaters! Given how private the couple keep their relationship, it’s no surprise that they had an intimate ceremony and didn’t release many details about where or when exactly it was held, according to Fansided.
They have two kids
Even though William and Stacie keep their personal life and professional lives separate, the Cobra Kai star has opened up about parenting his two sons. William described himself as a “camp counselor-type guy” in a January 2021 interview with People. “One thing I’ve learned about having the responsibility of being a father is that you think it’s going to take your time, but it feeds you,” he said.
While they keep their two kids private, William has occasionally posted about bonding with his kids on social media, like when he posted an adorable photo of him holding his sons for Father’s Day in 2015. He shared some shots of him and one of his boys surfing together on Instagram back in August 2018.
Stacie has accompanied William to a number of events
Even though they mostly keep their work and life separated, it’s clear that Stacie is super supportive of her husband! She’s been seen as his date at a bunch of red carpet events over the years, posing for photos with him at events such as the Tribeca Film Fest and the 2010 premiere of the Karate Kid reboot, per Legit.
Who else has William dated?
As William has kept his personal life out of the spotlight, it should come as no surprise that he’s been pretty quiet on past relationships also, but there have been rumors that he was linked to his Karate Kid co-star Elisabeth Shue, likely due to their onscreen chemistry. Despite the rumors, the pair have never confirmed if they were ever romantically involved, per Heavy. While nothing on the dating front, William has said that the two have kept in touch a bit, and he revealed that when she did return to the series in Cobra Kai, he said that they got along great in a January 2021 USA Today interview. “In between doing these scenes we’re talking about our real lives and our real kids,” he said.
Even though they haven’t spoken about whether or not they ever dated, William and Elisabeth have weighed in on the connection between Johnny and Ali Mills, after her appearance in Season 3. “They were great friends, and that’ll be there forever,” he told USA Today. Similarly, Elisabeth revealed that it was nice to get to act alongside her former co-star. “In [Cobra Kai], we talked and communicated and acted together, and I loved that. So that was really surprising and wonderful to almost start a new relationship really,” she told Entertainment Weekly.
While William reflected on how their relationship has changed, Elisabeth revealed she would’ve liked to see their characters get more romantic, although she’s glad Johnny stayed true to Carmen. “I would have been up for a kiss. Are you kidding me? I’m bummed!” she quipped to EW. “I think it was in deference to wanting Johnny to feel that he could go back to his relationship [with Carmen], which meant so much to him, without feeling that he had anything to feel conflicted about. I’m sure that was the reason”