Larry King was the king of the interview, but when it came to his own life, the script was a bit more chaotic. You probably knew him for the suspenders and that gravelly voice that grilled everyone from Frank Sinatra to Vladimir Putin. But away from the CNN cameras, Larry was basically a professional at walking down the aisle. He married eight times. To seven different women.
It’s a lot to keep track of, honestly. Some people think it was just a Hollywood trope, but for Larry, it was more about a genuine, almost compulsive need for companionship. He once famously told Anderson Cooper that he didn't really regret it because he "loved being in love." Kinda sweet, kinda wild, right?
If you’re trying to piece together the timeline of the larry king wives in order, it's not just a list of names—it’s a map of a very long, very loud American life.
The Early Years: High School Sweets and Short Bursts
Larry started early. Like, really early.
1. Freda Miller (1952–1953)
Larry was only 18 when he married his high school sweetheart, Freda Miller. It was 1952. Think about that—the Korean War was still going on. They were kids. Predictably, their parents were not having it. The marriage was reportedly annulled just a year later because the families stepped in. It was a blink-and-you-miss-it situation that set a bit of a pattern for the decades to follow.
2. Annette Kaye (1961)
There’s a big gap after Freda, but once 1961 hit, things accelerated. Larry married Annette Kaye, but the marriage lasted less than a year. It was brief, but it was significant for one major reason: Annette gave birth to Larry’s first son, Larry King Jr. Crazy enough, Larry didn’t actually meet his son until the boy was in his thirties.
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The Playboy Era and the Double Marriage
The 60s were a busy time for Larry's heart. This is where the "eight marriages, seven wives" math starts to make sense because he actually married one woman twice.
3. Alene Akins (1961–1963)
Shortly after the split with Annette, Larry married Alene Akins, a former Playboy Bunny. This wasn't just a quick fling; during this first stint, Larry adopted Alene's son, Andy. They divorced in 1963, but as you’ll see, they weren't quite done with each other.
4. Mary Francis "Mickey" Sutphin (1964–1967)
Enter Mickey Sutphin. They married in 1964 and had a daughter named Kelly. The marriage lasted about three years. Mickey eventually divorced Larry in 1967, which cleared the runway for one of the most interesting chapters in his romantic history: the sequel.
5. Alene Akins (Round Two: 1968–1971)
Yep, he went back. Larry and Alene remarried in 1968. During this second go-around, they had a daughter named Chaia. It lasted longer than the first time, but by 1971, they called it quits for good. Larry always spoke quite fondly of Alene later in life, calling her a "grand lady" when she passed away in 2017.
The Production Years and Business Moves
As Larry’s career began to skyrocket—moving from local radio to national fame—his personal life didn't exactly settle down, but the marriages started to last a little longer.
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6. Sharon Lepore (1976–1983)
Sharon was a production assistant and a former math teacher. They were together for seven years, which, by Larry King standards at the time, was a marathon. They didn't have any children together, and they eventually divorced in 1983.
7. Julie Alexander (1989–1992)
After a solid six-year break (the longest he’d gone since he was a teenager), Larry met businesswoman Julie Alexander at a charity auction in 1989. Legend has it he proposed on the very first date. Talk about moving fast. They married in late '89, separated by 1990, and finalized the divorce in 1992. Julie later hinted that Larry’s work-life balance—or lack thereof—was a major factor. Larry himself admitted his career always came first.
The Final Act: Shawn Southwick King
Then came Shawn. If you remember Larry in the 2000s, you remember Shawn.
8. Shawn Southwick (1997–2021)
This was the big one. Shawn was a singer and actress, and they married in a hospital room in 1997, just before Larry underwent heart surgery. She was 26 years younger than him, but they stayed together for over two decades. They had two sons, Chance and Cannon.
But it wasn't exactly a fairytale ending. The marriage was notoriously rocky, involving rehab stints, rumors of infidelity on both sides, and a very public divorce filing in 2010 that they eventually retracted. They filed again in 2019, and the legal battle was still technically ongoing when Larry passed away in early 2021. Because it was never finalized, Shawn remained his legal wife at the time of his death.
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Why did he do it so many times?
Honestly, Larry was a serial monogamist. He wasn't a "player" in the traditional sense; he just really liked the institution of marriage. He once said, "I don't even think I spent the night over at anyone's house" without being married to them. He was old-school in a very specific, slightly chaotic way.
He also struggled with the "boredom" of domesticity versus the "thrill" of the chase. In his own words, he was a "great boyfriend" but not necessarily a "great husband."
What we can learn from the King timeline
Looking at the larry king wives in order gives us a few real-world takeaways, especially when it comes to blended families and estate planning:
- Update your Will: Larry’s death led to a massive legal headache because of a handwritten "holographic" will that conflicted with his previous documents. If you have multiple ex-spouses, your paperwork needs to be airtight.
- The "First Date" Trap: Proposing on a first date (like he did with Julie) makes for a great story but a tough marriage. Most experts suggest waiting at least two years before making a permanent commitment.
- Career vs. Home: Larry admitted his career was his first love. If you’re not willing to prioritize your partner over your "suspender-wearing" equivalent of a job, the marriage is likely to hit a wall.
If you’re managing a complicated family structure yourself, the best move is to consult a transition specialist or a family law attorney to ensure your assets—and your peace of mind—are protected. Larry King’s life was an open book, but his legal ending was a bit of a mess. Don't let yours be the same.
Check out your own estate plan this week—especially if you've recently gone through a major life change like a marriage or divorce. It’s the one thing Larry probably should have spent more time on.