So, you're searching for "Larry King wife Brett." Honestly, I get it. The man was married eight times to seven different women, and keeping that family tree straight is a full-time job. But here is the thing: Larry King never had a wife named Brett.
Most likely, you’re thinking of Shawn Southwick King, his final wife, or perhaps you've conflated her with the famous Brett family from Branson, or maybe even a mix-up with the many "B" names in the celebrity stratosphere. Larry’s seventh (and eighth) wife was Shawn, and their 22-year saga was the longest, messiest, and most public of all his unions.
Let’s actually look at the woman who was by his side for over two decades and why people get so twisted up about the details of his final years.
Shawn Southwick King: The Real Power Player
Shawn wasn't just a "plus-one." She was born Shawn Ora Engemann, and she came from Hollywood royalty. Her dad, Karl Engemann, managed Marie Osmond for 35 years and actually managed Larry, too. Her mother was a studio singer for Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan. Basically, she grew up in the recording booth.
Before she was ever the "Larry King wife," she was a singer and actress in her own right. You might have seen her in 80s staples like Knight Rider or The A-Team. She even hosted Hollywood Insider on the USA Network for years. She wasn't some ingenue Larry picked up at a diner; she was a seasoned industry pro who knew exactly how the spotlight worked.
Their marriage in 1997 was pure Larry King: they tied the knot in his hospital room just three days before he had surgery to clear a clogged blood vessel. Talk about high stakes.
The 2010 Meltdown and the Coaching Scandal
If you want to know why people are still fascinated by this relationship, you have to look at 2010. That was the year everything almost imploded. Reports surfaced that Shawn had an affair with one of their sons' baseball coaches, Hector Penate.
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It gets weirder. Penate eventually admitted to the affair, but he claimed it was basically "payback" because Larry was allegedly having an affair with Shawn’s sister, Shannon.
Everyone filed for divorce. Then everyone changed their minds.
They stayed together for another nine years. During that time, they founded Ora TV with billionaire Carlos Slim (named after Shawn’s middle name). They seemed like a united front, but behind the scenes, the cracks were becoming canyons.
The Divorce That Never Quite Finished
By 2019, Larry was done. He filed for divorce again, citing "irreconcilable differences." Shawn claimed she was "blindsided" and found out about the filing through a reporter’s phone call. That’s a brutal way to find out your 22-year marriage is over.
But here is the kicker: the divorce was never finalized.
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When Larry King passed away in January 2021 from complications related to COVID-19, they were still legally married. This created a massive legal headache. Because they weren't officially divorced, Shawn was still his legal widow, which gave her a huge advantage in the fight over his estate.
The Secret "Holographic" Will
Two months before he filed for divorce in 2019, Larry handwrote a "holographic" will. It was a single page, messy, and basically said: "I want 100% of my funds to be divided equally among my five children."
He didn't mention Shawn at all.
Shawn fought it, obviously. She argued that they had a "watertight" 2015 estate plan already in place and that Larry might have been under "undue influence" when he wrote that note. There was a lot of drama about whether Larry even had the mental capacity to change his will after his 2019 stroke.
The estate was initially estimated at around $2 million, but that was just the probate stuff. His real wealth—estimated by some at over $140 million—was tucked away in various trusts.
What Really Happened With the Settlement?
Eventually, the fighting stopped. In 2022, news broke that Shawn and Larry’s estate had reached a confidential settlement. We don't know the exact dollar amount, but as the legal wife in a community-property state like California, she likely walked away with a significant portion of what was left.
Why the Name "Brett" Pops Up
If you're still wondering where "Brett" came from, it’s a classic case of SEO drift or memory overlap. There is a "Brett Family" famous for musical performances in Missouri, and because Shawn is a singer from a famous musical family (The Engemanns), the names often get lumped together in search algorithms. There's no secret wife named Brett—just a very complicated life with a woman named Shawn.
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Actionable Lessons from the King Estate Mess
Watching the fallout of Larry King's final marriage is like a masterclass in what not to do with your legacy. If you want to avoid your family duking it out on Page Six, keep these points in mind:
- Update your documents immediately: If you file for divorce, you need to update your will and your power of attorney the same day. Larry waited, and it cost his heirs millions in legal fees.
- Handwritten notes are risky: While "holographic" wills are legal in California, they are incredibly easy to challenge. Always use a formal attorney to witness and notarize changes.
- Trusts beat Wills: Most of Larry's money stayed out of the news because it was in trusts. Public probate is for the small stuff; the real wealth stays private if you set it up correctly.
- Understand "Community Property": If you live in a state like California, your spouse is generally entitled to 50% of what you earned during the marriage, regardless of what your will says.
The saga of Larry King and Shawn Southwick (definitely not Brett) is finally over, but it serves as a permanent reminder that even the most famous "King of Talk" couldn't talk his way out of a messy estate plan.