Truth Behind Steve Martin’s Divorce Before Marrying Anne Stringfield

Only Murders in the Building is back with its fourth season, and fans, including us, are loving it.

The show’s popularity is partly due to its stellar cast, featuring Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin.

Martin and Meryl Streep, who plays Loretta Durkin in the Hulu show, recently drew lots of attention when they walked the red carpet holding hands at the season four premiere, sparking rumors of an off-screen romance.

However, it’s Steve Martin’s romantic history that captures particular interest. The comedy legend has been married twice.

Martin’s first marriage was to actress Victoria Tennant in 1986. British-born Tennant, now 73, is known for titles like The Handmaid’s Tale, Flowers in the Attic, and L.A. Story, which also starred Steve.

The couple divorced in 1994, and Martin has mostly remained tight-lipped about their split.

However, in his Apple TV+ documentary, STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces, Martin offered some insight. “When I married Victoria Tennant, I liked her a lot,” he said. “She was very funny, very amusing, smart, and English.”

He continued, discussing their relationship’s progression: “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.”

Currently, Martin is happily married to writer Anne Stringfield. They met in the mid-2000s when Anne was working at the New York Times as a staffer and fact-checker. Steve, guest writing a column for the publication, often had phone conversations with Anne before meeting her in person.

Steve reflected on their early days in his documentary: “I remember telling my shrink there’s this woman that sticks in my head.”

He later told People magazine, “She makes it all possible. She has one of the most important qualities a person can have—and that’s kindness.”

The couple got married in 2007 at a surprise ceremony at their LA home. Guests, including Tom Hanks and Eugene Levy, thought they were attending a party, only to witness the couple tying the knot.

In 2012, Anne and Steve welcomed their first child, a daughter named Mary. They keep Mary out of the public eye, and she has never been seen in public.

Martin spoke about seeing true love for the first time in his life: “The first time I saw true love in my life was after the baby was born. I looked over at Anne, and she was holding the baby and looking into her face, and there’s no one else on the planet.”

Discussing fatherhood in a later interview with the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), Martin said, “I think if I’d had a child earlier, I would have been a lousy father because I would have misplaced my attention on my career. I am very forthcoming with her, and it’s great. She’s giving me way more than I’m giving her.”