Born in September of 1929, Jacqueline Emilie Wittie was Paul Newman’s first wife, who dreamt of becoming an actress even at the times of War.
The tall gorgeous blonde crossed her path with aspiring actor, Paul Newman, in the summer of 1948 while doing stage work. Witte was just 19 and hadn’t finished college.
The 24-year-old navy veteran at the time, Newman tied the knot with late Jackie on December 27, 1949, despite a 5-year age gap.
Why Did Jackie Wittie & Paul Newman Get A Divorce?
Before Paul was a well-known actor, Wittie supported him in times of difficulty.
Their relationship turned sour, in 1954, when Witte learned about her husband’s love affair with theater performer Joanne Woodward. Paul’s ex-wife didn’t let him go easily.
However, as Paul and Joanne’s relationship became more public, Paul started disappearing from Witte’s life and finally had the courage to ask her to sign the divorce papers.
While she was dead set on making their relationship work, for the sake of her family, the couple ended up having a divorce in 1958. And, the rest is history.
Paul Newman’s First Wifes’ Whereabouts
Despite their tumultuous divorce, the couple remained civil about the whole situation, till the date of Wittie’s demise.
Jackie went out of the limelight after her divorce from Newman, however, she managed to become a full-time model. Whether she re-married again is still unknown, just like the reason for her death. She reportedly died at the age of 64, in 1993.
Get To Know Late Paul & His Six Children
Paul Newman was born on January 25, 1925, in Clevland, Ohio. Former actor, philanthropist, car race driver, navy veteran, and footballer, Newman was well-known for his prolific acting. Graduated from Yale School of Drama, Paul appeared in more than 60 films with 6 roles in Broadway plays and won three Golden Globes, an Oscar, and one Emmy award.
In 1982, former philanthropist, Newman started Newman’s Own, now a half-a-billion-dollar enterprise. Newman’s Own provides high-quality food and beverage for people and pets, and all of its profits go to Newman’s Foundation.
Newman and his first wife, Jackie Witte, had three children together. Their firstborn was Scott Newman who was born a year after their marriage. Scott died in 1978 due to a drug overdose. In the memory of his son, Newman established Drug Rehabilitation Center, in the latter year.
In 1951, Paul and Witte gave birth to their second child, Stephanie Newman who leads a quiet life away from the spotlight. Two years after Stephanie, the couple gave birth to Sasan Kendall Newman who is an award-winning television producer who provides media and production services to nonprofit enterprises.
With his life-long partner, actress Joanne Woodward, Paul had three other incredible daughters who all dabbled into the acting world. Elinor Teresa Newman (1959), being the couple’s first child, worked in the entertainment industry. She started as a child actor in the 60s and 70s. Elinor mostly known as Nell co-founded Newman’s Own Organics.
Melissa and Claire Newman, the other two daughters, were born four years apart. Both have worked in the entertainment world.
Hollywood’s Golden Couple, Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward
This is when the tale of Hollywood’s ‘golden couple’, the union of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman begins. Joanne Woodward, now 92, is an actress who got married to Paul Newman in 1958. Hollywood ‘Golden Couple’, Paul and Joanne were together for fifty years. Paul died in 2008 due to cancer, however, Joanne still lives and she has Alzheimer’s.
The six-hour HBO series ‘The Last Movie Stars’, directed by Ethan Hawkes, premiered last Thursday. The documentary is a story of America’s most honored, iconic, and popular performers of the 20th century. Not to mention, their highly admired half-century marriage. The series explores both personal as well as professional relationships between Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, their ups and downs throughout life.