Most people remember the jawline. Or the way he looked in a priest's collar in The Thorn Birds. For decades, Richard Chamberlain was the ultimate Hollywood heartthrob, the kind of guy who got 12,000 fan letters a week. Women wanted him. Men wanted to be him. But behind the scenes of those massive hits like Shogun and Dr. Kildare, there was a reality that stayed hidden for nearly half a century.
If you’re looking for the story of Richard Chamberlain and partner, you aren’t just looking for a name. You’re looking for a story about survival in a Hollywood that doesn’t exist anymore. It’s a story about Martin Rabbett, a move to Hawaii, and a secret that was kept so well it almost became a part of the actor's DNA.
The Long Secret of Richard Chamberlain and Partner Martin Rabbett
For over 30 years, Martin Rabbett wasn't just Chamberlain's partner; he was his world. They met in the late 1970s. Martin was an actor and producer, and by 1977, they were a couple. But back then? You didn't just walk onto a red carpet with your boyfriend if you were the "King of the Miniseries."
Honestly, the risk was too high. Chamberlain has said in plenty of interviews that coming out in the '60s or '70s would have been career suicide. "I had to be very careful," he once told Fox News Digital. He spent years dodging questions about marriage and children. He’d tell reporters he was "too busy" for a wife.
Basically, he was acting even when the cameras weren't rolling.
In 1986, the two moved to Hawaii. It was a tactical retreat. They wanted a life that wasn't under the microscope of the Los Angeles paparazzi. They even had a private commitment ceremony—not a legal marriage, but a promise. They lived in a beautiful home on Maui, and for a long time, the public just saw them as "longtime friends" or "business associates." Rabbett even played Chamberlain's brother in the 1986 film Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold. Talk about hiding in plain sight.
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The 2010 Split and the Surprise Return
Around 2010, the rumor mill went into overdrive. Headlines claimed the couple had split after three decades together. Richard, then in his mid-70s, decided he wanted to move back to Los Angeles. He wanted to work again. He wanted more "action" than the quiet life in Maui provided.
Martin Rabbett stayed in Hawaii. He hated the L.A. scene.
A lot of people assumed that was the end. The "experts" said the relationship had crumbled under the weight of Richard's late-career ambitions. But relationships are rarely that simple.
"We haven't really split," Chamberlain told The Advocate back in late 2010. "The essence of our relationship has remained the same; we just don't happen to be living together."
They stayed incredibly close. They spent holidays together. They talked constantly. It wasn't a breakup in the traditional sense; it was more like a long-term evolution.
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Why the Late-Life Move Mattered
- Career Ambition: Even at 76, Richard felt he had more to give the industry.
- Autonomy: After 30 years of living a somewhat "hidden" shared life, he wanted to see what he could do on his own.
- Friendship: They transitioned from lovers to what Richard described as "closer and better friends than we ever were."
Coming Out: The 2003 Memoir That Changed Everything
It’s hard to talk about Richard Chamberlain and partner without mentioning the book Shattered Love. Before 2003, Richard was technically "outed" by a French magazine in December 1989, but he didn't confirm anything. He just kept working.
Then came the memoir. He was nearly 70 years old.
Writing that book was a spiritual experience for him. He described feeling an "angelic presence" that told him there was absolutely nothing wrong with being gay. It sounds kinda "out there," but for a man who spent 68 years terrified of the truth, it was a massive breakthrough. He finally stopped pretending.
But here’s the kicker: even after he came out, he still advised other leading men to stay in the closet. He knew the industry’s dark side. He knew that for all our talk of progress, a "romantic lead" is often a fragile thing in the eyes of the public.
The Final Chapter in Hawaii
Fast forward to the end. Richard Chamberlain passed away on March 29, 2025, at the age of 90. He died at his home in Waimānalo, Hawaii, following complications from a stroke.
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The most touching part of the story? He and Martin Rabbett had actually resumed living together in Hawaii before he died. After the years of living apart and the L.A. "sojourn," they found their way back to each other. Martin was his "only immediate survivor" listed in the major obituaries.
When the news broke, Martin released a statement that honestly sums up their entire journey: "Our beloved Richard is with the angels now... Love never dies."
What We Can Learn from Their Story
Looking back at the history of Richard Chamberlain and partner, it’s a masterclass in how to handle a public life when your private life is considered "taboo." They didn't follow the rules. They didn't have the "perfect" ending or the "perfect" marriage, but they had something that lasted over 45 years.
If you’re navigating a relationship that doesn't fit the mold, or if you’re trying to balance career goals with personal truth, there are a few actionable takeaways here:
- Definitions are flexible. A relationship doesn't have to look like a 1950s sitcom to be valid. Their "split" in 2010 wasn't a failure; it was a transition.
- Privacy is a tool. You don't owe the world every detail of your life. Chamberlain protected his career by being "circumspect," and while it was "inhibiting," it allowed him to become a legend.
- It’s never too late to be yourself. Coming out at 69 might seem late, but for Richard, it provided a freedom that made his final decades his happiest.
The story of Richard and Martin reminds us that fame is fleeting, but a genuine connection—even one that has to move between islands and across decades—is what actually sticks.
To dig deeper into this era of Hollywood history, you might want to look into the memoirs of other stars from the same period, like Rock Hudson or Tab Hunter. Their stories provide the context for why Richard Chamberlain and Martin Rabbett had to live the way they did, and why their endurance was so remarkable.