Joanna Carson, once one of Manhattanâs top fashion models and the third wife of legendary TV host Johnny Carson, has passed away. Her death, first noted in July through private posts by friends on social media, remained quiet until the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation more widely acknowledged it on July 30.
(Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)âRemembering ETAFâs dear friends and supporters, Joanna Carson and Wallis Annenberg, who embodied our Founder, Elizabeth Taylorâs spirit of love and support,â the organization wrote in a heartfelt tribute, as reported by People.
A Glamorous Romance That Began in Manhattan
(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)Johnny Carson met Joanna in 1971 at the 21 Club in New York. Reflecting on their early spark, the âTonight Showâ host once told People he was âflirting like a sophomore.â
At the time, Joanna was among the highest-paid models in Manhattan. Their first date was a celebration of Johnnyâs 46th birthday. After that, he reportedly called her every day at 4:30 p.m. for an entire year.
They wed in 1972, the same year Johnny finalized his divorce from his second wife, Joanne Copeland.
Johnny Carson Secretly Announced Marriage on âTonight Showâ
(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)In true Carson fashion, the late-night legend surprised his staff and fans by announcing his marriage to Joanna during a celebration of his 10th anniversary on âThe Tonight Showâ on Sept. 30, 1972.
Copeland, portrayed by Molly Ringwald in FXâs 2024 series “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans,” died in 2015. Johnny had previously been married to his first wife, Joan âJodyâ Morrill Wolcott, from 1949 to 1963.
âShe Had a Wonderfully Sensitive Approach to Menâ
(Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)Joannaâs influence on Johnny wasnât lost on their inner circle. Actress-turned-socialite Ruta Lee once told People in 1983, âJoannaâs very accomplished at being a woman. I admire her femininityâher accommodation to men.â
âItâs as if she made a study of how Josephine handled Napoleon,â Lee added. âI donât mean sheâs manipulative. She just has a wonderfully sensitive approach to men.â
The couple eventually divorced in 1985. Two years later, Johnny married Alexis Maas, with whom he remained until his death in 2005 at age 79.
Joanna had been married once before, to Tim Holland, with whom she had a son. Tragically, her son passed away in 1994.
She remained largely out of the public eye after her divorce from Carson, but her quiet support of charitable causes like the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation left a lasting mark.
The post Johnny Carson’s Third Wife Passes Away & Tributes Pour In appeared first on EntertainmentNow.