Patrick Clancy’s new wife recalled her loved ones’ “worried” reactions when she began dating the grieving ex-husband of a woman who was infamous for killing their three young children.
Rachel Danis, an infertility specialist who tied the knot with Patrick Clancy in April, opened up about their love story while sitting beside her husband during his first interview with “60 Minutes” after Lindsay Clancy’s triple murder trial ended with a hung jury earlier this month.
When asked by CBS correspondent Ross Douthat how Danis’ inner circle initially responded to the news of their relationship, she hesitated while replying: “Everyone paused – um, understandably so.”
Patrick Clancy’s new wife reveals loved ones’ reaction to dating news. 60 Minutes
A photo of Lindsay Clancy and her family is shown during a trial.
“I say everyone, I had told like a couple of close friends, and I think family members were picking up on it because they would ask what I’m doing that weekend or that evening and I would mention Pat. So people were catching on and I think people were worried,” Danis explained.
However, when asked how she quashed family members’ concerns, she told them of her happiness in the relationship.
“I would say and still say, for the first time, Sundays felt like Saturdays. So I didn’t have a reason to stop,” Danis recalled about the early days spent with Patrick Clancy after the pair first met while running in Central Park in January 2024.
“Life just got a lot calmer for me. And while I did have hesitations, you know, Pat was saying he wants the same things that I do,” she added.
Patrick Clancy moved to New York City seeking “anonymity” just months after returning to his home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, on Jan. 24, 2023, to find that his then-wife, Lindsay Clancy, had fatally strangled their three young children – Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and 8-month-old Callan – and thrown herself out of a window in a botched suicide bid.
The dad has famously supported Lindsay Clancy since the harrowing episode, and testified during her trial about how she spiraled after the birth of their third child and sought help from doctors, but worsened as she was prescribed a cocktail of psychiatric medications.
Only one holdout juror, Michael Desronvil, refused to find her not guilty by reason of insanity. The other 11 jurors sided with the defense’s claims that she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis. The judge ultimately declared a mistrial on Sept. 4.
When asked about what he thinks “justice” should look like in a case like Lindsay Clancy’s, where mental illness is at the center, Patrick Clancy once again acknowledged his ex-wife’s “suffering” during the exclusive sit-down, which aired on Sunday.
“I think we can find a compassionate way to deal with these tragedies – and that doesn’t mean no accountability. It just means that we recognize the suffering and the stigma and we try to find a way to prevent this from happening in the future,” the dad replied.
“That’s always how I’ve looked at it.”
Danis and Patrick Clancy also revealed during the interview that they’re starting a family and are excited to tell their future child about their slain siblings, with Douthat later confirming on “CBS Mornings” that Danis is already pregnant.