William Shatner Talks Possible Marriage—As He Turns 93
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William Shatner has boldly gone back to his ex-wife. The Star Trek actor, who will celebrate his 93rd birthday on March 22, 2024, recently revealed to Parade that he's reunited with his fourth spouse, horse trainer Elizabeth Martin, following their 2019 split.
“My little secret is I’m living with my former wife," he said.
It wasn't the first time Shatner hinted at a possible reconciliation. In January 2023, he referred to Martin, 65, in an interview with The Mirror, saying, "My wife … she is the zest of life. She brings the flavor."
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Elaborating in an exclusive chat with Parade, he explained, "We've in effect remarried. But we haven’t done another ceremony.” When asked if they might make their reunion official, Shatner said cryptically, “I don’t think so, for a number of reasons.” Then he added with a laugh, “The reasons we divorced were many, but none of them had to do with distaste. It had to do with more practical things that I want to avoid happening [again], so that’s what I did.”
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The TJ Hooker actor has been married four times, first to Gloria Rand, the mother of his three daughters, then to Marcy Lafferty, Nerine Kidd and Elizabeth Martin. (Kidd, who struggled with alcoholism, tragically drowned in a pool at their Hollywood Hills home in 1999.) He and Martin separated after 18 years of marriage in 2019 and finalized their divorce the following year.
Now happily back with his most recent ex, Shatner speaks highly of their relationship. “I’ve often heard about married couples being partners in life and I think that’s what Elizabeth and I have achieved," he told Parade. "I think we’re partners. We help each other with our lives.”
As if that weren't sweet enough, Shatner further opined about the idea of romance on a philosophical level. “Romance doesn’t exist in the real world. Does a tree think of another tree as romantic?" he said, alluding to its distinctly human appeal. "The concept of romance, the concept of love, the concept of magic, the concept of living life on another plane with somebody else. You’re not alone. You’re with somebody. You’re holding hands, you’re kissing, your mouths are together. The most intimate parts of you are together. You’re there together. You’re not alone.”
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Shatner is currently starring in a new documentary, William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill, a fascinating, fan-funded movie that shows every side of the actor's life, including his bouts with loneliness, which he experienced at the height of his Star Trek fame.
These days, Shatner is far from alone. He gets lots of love not only from Martin, but from his big family of daughters, their spouses and grandkids. "We eat [together] frequently. Most every week we have a day, a Sunday night, when the family gets together," he said. "Then there are birthdays." The next one, of course, being Shatner's. He'll turn 93 on March 22 (the same day William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill opens in theaters) and you can bet he'll have company to celebrate.
“The 15 people who are in my immediate family—about 10 of them are within a couple of miles of my house," he told Parade. "The other five are [only] 25, 30 miles away."
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