Jill Goodacre: Why Harry Connick Jr. Wife Still Matters to the Star

You know that feeling when you see a couple that’s been together forever and they still look like they’re on their first date? That’s basically the vibe with Harry Connick Jr. and his wife, Jill Goodacre.

Honestly, in a world where celebrity marriages seem to have the shelf life of an open carton of milk, these two are a total anomaly. They’ve been married since 1994. That’s over 30 years. It’s wild.

But who is the woman who captured the heart of the New Orleans crooner back when he was just becoming a household name? Jill Goodacre isn’t just "the wife." She’s a former supermodel, a pioneer in the fashion world, and a woman who has navigated some pretty heavy health battles far away from the camera's lens.

The Model Who Changed the Catalog Game

Before the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show became a televised spectacle with glittery wings and pop stars, the brand was mostly known for its catalogs.

Jill was one of the primary faces that built that empire in the 1980s. Alongside names like Stephanie Seymour, she was one of the original "Angels" before the term even existed.

She wasn't just a face in a book, though. Jill was a phenomenon. She graced the covers of Cosmopolitan and became so recognizable that she played herself in one of the most famous episodes of Friends. Remember the one where Chandler gets stuck in an ATM vestibule during a blackout? Yeah, he was stuck with Jill Goodacre.

"I'm trapped... in an ATM vestibule... with Jill Goodacre!"

That guest spot cemented her status as a 90s icon. But while her career was exploding, a chance encounter at a hotel pool in 1990 changed everything.

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How Harry Met Jill (For Real)

Harry was in town filming Memphis Belle when he spotted Jill. He has often told the story of how he saw her walk past the pool and was basically floored. He didn't just ask for her number; he was genuinely struck.

They dated for about two years before getting engaged, and then another two years before they finally tied the knot at the St. Louis Cathedral in Harry’s hometown of New Orleans on April 16, 1994.

What’s kinda cool is that Harry even wrote a song about her early on. If you listen to his 1991 album Blue Light, Red Light, there’s a track simply titled "Jill." It’s pretty clear he was head over heels from the jump.

A Private Battle with Breast Cancer

Everything looks perfect from the outside, but life has a way of throwing curveballs. In October 2012, right in the middle of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Jill went in for a routine mammogram.

It came back clear.

However, because she has dense breast tissue, the doctors suggested a follow-up sonogram. That’s when they found it. Jill was diagnosed with Stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma.

For five years, the couple kept this entirely private. They didn't want the spotlight on her illness while she was in the thick of it. She underwent a lumpectomy, followed by radiation and a long stint on Tamoxifen, an estrogen modulator.

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Harry has been incredibly open about the fear he felt during that time. He lost his own mother to ovarian cancer when he was only 13 years old, so the diagnosis hit home in a terrifying way.

The Struggle with Recovery

Remission isn't always a "happily ever after" finish line. Jill has spoken candidly about the side effects of her treatment, specifically the weight gain from the medication.

For someone whose entire career was built on being a "perfect" physical specimen in lingerie, that shift in her body was a huge blow to her self-confidence. Harry’s response? He’s gone on record saying she will always be the most beautiful woman in the world to him, no matter what.

They finally went public with the story in 2017 once she hit the five-year remission mark. They wanted to share the reality of the journey—the "Tamoxifen tummy," the fear, and the relief—to help other women who might be going through the same thing.

Raising Three "Genetically Blessed" Daughters

The Connicks have three daughters: Georgia Tatum (born 1996), Sarah Kate (born 1997), and Charlotte (born 2002).

Instead of raising them in the chaos of Los Angeles, they opted for a quieter life in New Canaan, Connecticut. It seems to have worked out. The girls are all grown up now and pursuing their own creative paths:

• Georgia is a filmmaker and cinematographer. She actually directed the music video for Harry’s "Amazing Grace."
• Kate is a fashion designer and model who launched her own clothing line.
• Charlotte has dipped her toes into acting, appearing in Dolphin Tale with her dad.

Harry says he and Jill are "aligned in every way" when it comes to parenting. They value the same things—faith, family, and hard work.

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Why They Actually Last

So, what’s the secret?

Harry usually gives a pretty simple answer: he married his best friend. He also says he listens. That sounds like a cliché, but when you see them together, it feels real.

They don't do the whole "Hollywood drama" thing. They show up for each other, they dealt with a life-threatening illness together, and they’ve managed to keep their private life mostly private for three decades.

Jill’s mother, the legendary sculptor Glenna Goodacre (who designed the Vietnam Women’s Memorial), was a huge influence on their lives before she passed away in 2020. That sense of legacy and art seems to run deep in the family.

What You Can Learn from the Connicks

If you're looking for a takeaway from a couple that’s actually made it work, it basically boils down to a few things:

1. Advocate for your health. Jill’s cancer was missed by a mammogram. If she hadn't gotten that sonogram because of her dense breast tissue, the outcome could have been different.
2. Support is everything. Harry didn't just "stay" through the illness; he was her biggest advocate when her self-esteem took a hit from the treatment.
3. Values matter. Being "aligned" on the big stuff—how to raise kids, what to prioritize—makes the small stuff much easier to handle.

Jill Goodacre might have started as a face on a catalog, but she’s clearly the backbone of the Connick family. Whether they are hanging out in New Orleans or supporting their daughters’ latest ventures, they’re still the gold standard for celebrity longevity.

Next Steps for Your Health: If you or a loved one has dense breast tissue, talk to a doctor about supplemental screening like an ultrasound or MRI. As Jill’s story shows, a standard mammogram isn't always the full picture. You can also check out the National Breast Cancer Foundation for resources on navigating a new diagnosis or supporting a spouse through treatment.