Who Is Norman Lear's Wife? All About Lyn Lear

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Norman Lear and his wife Lyn Lear have over three decades of marriage under their belt.

The pair met in 1984 through mutual friends. At the time, the legendary sitcom producer had briefly reunited with his second wife, Frances Lear, after separating the previous year. However, the reunion didn't last long.

Norman and Lyn got married in 1987 and have been together ever since. They went on to have three children and work together on a number of environmental and political causes that they are both passionate about.

"My wife is her own individual, and I fell in love with that," Norman once told PEOPLE. "She is a sterling human being. I love that she loves me."

So, who is Norman Lear's wife? Here's everything to know about Lyn Lear.

She's a filmmaker

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Like her husband, Lyn is a talented filmmaker. While Norman is celebrated for his contributions to comedy, Lyn focuses on documentary filmmaking.

Through her production company, Lyn Lear Productions, she has created a number of documentaries about various cultural issues, including climate change, politics and mental health.

She was nominated for an Emmy

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In 2020, Norman made history as the oldest person to be nominated for an Emmy at the age of 98. That same year, Lyn was also nominated.

She was nominated in the category of outstanding documentary or nonfiction special for The Great Hack, a Netflix documentary she executive produced.

She has a PhD in Psychology

Prior to her career as a producer, Lyn studied psychology. She now holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology, according to her bio on her production company's website, and in fact, she was working on the degree when she met Norman.

In the PBS documentary Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You, Lyn explained that they connected over her dissertation. "We definitely shared the whole understanding about religion and fundamentalism in America," she said.

She and Norman have been married for 35 years

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Lyn has been married to Norman for over 30 years. She is his third wife. The famed producer was previously married to Charlotte Rosen from 1943 to 1956 and Frances Lear from 1956 to 1985.

Norman and Lyn first met in 1984 at a dinner party hosted by him and his second wife, Frances, and Lyn was actually on a blind date with one of Norman's friends that evening. Lyn, who was working on her PhD at the time, later reached out to him for help on her thesis.

"We had lunch a couple of weeks later," Norman said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, "and over time we fell in love."

He added that by then, his marriage to Frances was already over, saying that their reunion only "lasted for about a month."

She and Norman have three children together

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Norman and Lyn tied the knot in 1987. The following year, they welcomed their first child together, son Benjamin Davis Lear. In 1994, they welcomed two more kids, twin daughters Madeline Rose and Brianna Elizabeth Lear.

Norman also has three children from his previous two marriages. He and his first wife had one child together, Ellen Lear, in 1947, and he had two daughters with Frances: Kate Lear and Maggie Lear, born in 1957 and 1959, respectively.

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Norman shared that Kate and Maggie weren't "eager to meet the woman that replaced [their] mother" at first, adding, "but they love me. I have great daughters, terrific daughters."

Norman also has four grandchildren: Daniel, Noah, Griffin and Zoe.

She supports his work ethic

Despite turning 100 in July 2022, Norman has no plans to stop working.

In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Lyn noted that although she would love for him to slow down, she's accepted that it's "just not possible," adding, "he's not the retiring type."

Along with being supportive of his continued work ethic, Lyn has had to learn to live with his legacy.

"Being married to someone well-known, there's an adjusting that goes on," she told Entertainment Weekly. "You have that whole 'Who am I in this relationship? I've done a lot too' "

She's a dedicated environmentalist

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Lyn is very passionate about environmental and political issues. In 1987, she and Norman co-founded the Environmental Media Association with Cindy Horn. The EMA works to promote environmental causes in the entertainment industry.

In 2016, Lyn was honored by UCLA's Institute of the Environment and Sustainability for her contributions to sustainability, according to the bio on her production company's website.

They founded a nonprofit together

The multi-hyphenate is also a dedicated philanthropist, as is her husband.

In 1997, she and Norman founded The Lear Family Foundation to support nonprofit organizations across the country. It has partnered with a number of organizations, including Hollywood Health and Society, Rainforest Alliance, Planned Parenthood and The Rape Foundation.

She and Norman prioritize spending quality time together

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The pair can contribute their long-lasting relationship to communication and making time for each other. While speaking to PBS for the Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You documentary, Lyn shared that she and Norman try to "have breakfast together as much as possible."

She added that although they "have very different worlds," they come together to discuss their day as often as they can.

"We always have dinner together at night and we talk about a lot of things at night," she said. "We make appointments to talk about things as well ... And when we drive to places, we talk in the car. We talk as much as we can."