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The curious marriage of entertainer John Davidson

Today on a local NPR radio station, there was a panel discussing 'finding love' in your later years. They mentioned a lot of people aren't interested in wanting to fall in love after a certain age (mid-70s), and are content living alone or just having a 'companion' in their later years, after a divorce or death of a spouse. Many stay in a marriage they are unhappy with after 70, rather than even get a divorce (but they live like companions, not a married couple). Which brings us to John Davidson...

One of the panelists said she is very good friends with John Davidson (the actor / entertainer / TV game show host from the 60s - 90s) as he's been her 'summer neighbor' on Cape Cod for a while. She said Davidson, now 83, was in his second marriage of 40 years (his first ended in divorce), living a quiet life in northern MA / Cape Cod when he got a call that his younger brother died in Scotland back in early 2023. He hadn't been out to Scotland to see his brother in years, and knew since the last time he had seen him, he had gotten remarried to a younger Scottish woman. JD never met her before, but talked occasionally when he would call his brother on a regular basis. When his brother died, the sister-in-law called JD and asked him to come out there to attend the funeral, and help 'settle' some family matters - so JD went out there alone (without his wife or kids), and ended up staying for over a month.

When he returned home, he told his wife he had fallen in love - with his widowed sister-in-law in Scotland. He and his wife had been living as 'companions' for some time, and they didn't want to go through a divorce, in the past. These days, for the past two years, he spends part of his time in MA with his family of 40+ years, and part of his time in Scotland with his new girlfriend of two years, and everyone seems satisfied with the situation. She said he's pretty open about it in public. I think whatever makes one happy - especially late in life - is 'the secret of life' (as Streisand now says).

As a side note, I 'Googled' Davidson, and not much comes up about him or his current situation. According to Wiki, he's been married for over forty years (as she said), lives in NH (she said northern MA - close enough), yet no mention about him having a younger brother (sounds like he's an only child) or a romance in Scotland with his sister-in-law. But I don't doubt his neighbor's story.

by Anonymousreply 17August 11, 2025 9:51 PM

They're not married.

by Anonymousreply 1August 3, 2025 12:43 AM

I know a woman who has lived a similar life. She’s married to a man who is asexual. He’s also a narcissist who doesn’t realize there’s a world around him.

She found a lover. She actually basically moved 500 miles away to live with him. She returns to be with her husband every few months.

Very odd. Have no idea why they don’t just get divorced

by Anonymousreply 2August 3, 2025 2:01 AM

The world of the heterosexual is a sick and boring life.

by Anonymousreply 3August 3, 2025 2:32 AM

My one aunt and uncle have lived like that for decades. He refuses to divorce her because she'll get half his money so they both live in the same house but have totally separate lives. Over the years theyve both had other lovers .Who knows why they stay married,money aside.

by Anonymousreply 4August 3, 2025 2:45 AM

R4 I knew an older couple like that for many years (they are both dead now). When the wife (a customer of mine) was explaining their situation to me (she was in her early 80s at the time) she said they thought of divorce since they hit their fifties and their children were grown and out of the house. However, when they sat down with their bookkeeper for the business empire they owned, they realized their finances were such a tangled web it would take decades for divorce lawyers to break everything apart. And it wouldn't have been financially advantageous for them and their business entity come tax time if they divorced and were single people.

SO they still lived together in the same house (mansion) lived apart in their daily lives, and kept their finances intact.

by Anonymousreply 5August 3, 2025 3:04 AM

R1 Oh ? Do tell...

by Anonymousreply 6August 3, 2025 3:10 AM

That’s Incredible!

by Anonymousreply 7August 11, 2025 8:49 PM

A couple I know were married in the 80s: she a divorcee and he a bachelor (in their 40s then). She died a year ago, he has taken up with a friend of hers. A while back he made an off-the-cuff comment that had me immediately realized "He's NOT straight!" In their 80s, does her friend really expect a lot sexually? Or is being part of a couple enough?

by Anonymousreply 8August 11, 2025 8:57 PM

John Davidson's first wife was Jackie, of the mid-60's Jackie and Gayle singing duo (formerly of the New Christy Minstrels). Jackie and Gayle were offer filler on teen music shows like Shindig (which I watched avidly).

by Anonymousreply 9August 11, 2025 8:59 PM

R9: I recall the New Christy Minstrels!

by Anonymousreply 10August 11, 2025 9:06 PM

Living in SIN! At least he's not a homosexual.

by Anonymousreply 11August 11, 2025 9:22 PM

John Davidson is an interesting man. He's always had a wholesome reputation, but he posed nude for Cosmopolitan.

by Anonymousreply 12August 11, 2025 9:25 PM

John Davidson is also an out atheist!

Which is sorta surprising...he seemed like a goody two shoes Christian type but, nope!

by Anonymousreply 13August 11, 2025 9:26 PM

R13, Yes, that's very brave of him. He was the headliner at the Beverly Hills Supper Club on May 28, 1977, where165 died in a fire.

by Anonymousreply 14August 11, 2025 9:35 PM

Were they trying to get away from his supper show?

by Anonymousreply 15August 11, 2025 9:37 PM

How many of you have attended or streamed his summer show from NH?

Offsite Link
by Anonymousreply 16August 11, 2025 9:45 PM

I’ve an enormous poster of his Cosmopolitan centerfold. I should endeavor to have it autographed while it’s an option.

by Anonymousreply 17August 11, 2025 9:51 PM
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