Johnny Carson was one of the most legendary talk show hosts in U.S. history, and many fans will remember his troubled marriage to wife Joanna Carson.
She was his third wife, and their divorce was “fodder” for his show and jokes. It also cost him millions of dollars.
According to Extra TV, Joanna Carson died in July 2025. Her death did not receive news attention until August.
Johnny Carson’s Wife Was Remembered in a Tribute
The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation remembered Carson in a tribute on July 30.
“Remembering ETAF’s dear friends and supporters, Joanna Carson and Wallis Annenberg, who embodied our Founder, Elizabeth Taylor’s spirit of love and support,” the Facebook statement read.
Johnny Carson also had an ex-wife named Joanne Carson. Joanne Carson died in 2015.
Carson was married two other times during his life.
Johnny Carson “died in 2005 at his Los Angeles home, survived by his fourth wife, Alexis, and sons Christopher and Cory from his first marriage, to Joan ‘Jody’ Wolcott,” according to the Kennedy Center.”
Carson married Alexis in 1987.
Carson spoke openly about his difficulties with marriage, although he made the last marriage work.
“If I had given as much to marriage as I gave to The Tonight Show, I’d probably have a hell of a marriage,” he once said to People.
Joanna Carson Was Married to Johnny Carson for 10 Years
Joanna Carson arrives at a cocktail reception benefiting The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation at the Mark Zunino Atelier on November 07, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.
Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
Joanna Carson had demanded $220,000 a month in the divorce settlement and received $35,000, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Altogether, Joanna Carson received about “$20 million in cash and valuable property in the 1985 settlement” when the couple divorced, according to Extra TV.
They married in 1972 and separated 10 years later, according to the newspaper.
Hola! listed the divorce as one of the 30 most expensive celebrity divorces in U.S. history.
According to People, the former Joanna Holland was a model, and her marriage to Carson was strained by The Tonight Show’s move to Los Angeles because of her affinity for New York.
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Legendary Talk Show Host’s Former Wife Dies first appeared on Men’s Journal on Aug 5, 2025