Burt and Loni’s mega marriage and disastrous divorce became a celebrity cautionary lesson.
By Laura Fries, ReMIND Magazine
When Burt Reynolds married Loni Anderson at his Florida ranch in 1988, no fewer than five paparazzi helicopters circled above trying to capture footage of the wedding. Their marriage was a high-profile, power-couple mega merger. Their divorce, an epic personal and financial battle (it took 22 years for him to pay the divorce settlement), was an even bigger media melee that consumed the tabloids. Burt Reynolds’ death by cardiac arrest at 82 on Sept. 6, 2018, put the former couple back in the spotlight.
Theirs was an unlikely union. He was a famous bachelor, sex symbol and womanizer. She was a blonde bombshell TV star with a high-maintenance reputation and an eye for luxury. At the time they married, he was worth an estimated $15 million, she about $1 million.
At the wedding, Reynolds said, “I’m a very lucky man. I’m surrounded by love and dear friends, and I married my best friend today.” Anderson countered with, “I feel like Cinderella. I married Prince Charming.” Their marriage lasted six years.
As public as the courtship was, the divorce was even bigger — a media frenzy on steroids. Rumors and claims throughout the divorce ran from the benign to the ridiculous. She only cooked a few times in their whole marriage, and it was all pasta. She spent $45,000 in a half-hour. She bought everything in triplicate. She flirted with every man who came into the house to make Reynolds jealous.
He was reportedly cheating on Anderson with various women. He was abusive. He used drugs. He called her a cheater and challenged her to take truth serum. He called her a bad mother to their adopted son, Quinton.
At the time, Anderson released a statement: “I do not intend to engage in a media war. I have to consider the welfare and best interests of my little boy.”
Their divorce testimony took two days and was confrontational and very detailed. Anderson sued for half of Reynolds’ worth plus child support. She requested that he see their son only with supervision. Reynolds fought back.
The negative press around the divorce was costly in other ways. Reynolds lost endorsement deals, while Anderson’s sterling reputation was tarnished. Theirs became a celebrity cautionary tale, the kind of media mess that to this day keeps publicists up at night. Their divorce, in fact, wasn’t completed until 2015, when the last check was written.
Over the years, despite dueling biographies and more salacious stories, the couple seemed to soften the blows a bit, coming together in the interest of their son. In an interview in 2017 with the Australian news program Studio 10, Anderson said, “Time passes. We were friends first. We were together for 12 years. We have this wonderful boy. You have to let the other stuff go.”
Anderson and Quinton, whom Anderson called “our greatest collaboration,” held a private memorial in September to honor Reynolds in North Palm Beach, Fla. The service, which included friends, fellow celebrities and family members, seemed to bury the discord as well.
“Quinton and I are extremely touched by the tremendous outpouring of love and support from friends and family throughout the world,” Anderson said in a statement. “Burt was a wonderful director and actor. He was a big part of my life for 12 years and Quinton’s father for 30 years. We will miss him and his great laugh.”
Brought to you by the publishers of ReMIND magazine, a monthly magazine filled with over 95 puzzles, retro features, trivia and comics. Get ReMIND magazine at 70% off the cover price, call 1-855-322-8784 or visit remindmagazine.com. ©2018 ReMIND magazine