William Shatner is 94 years old, and honestly, the man still moves like he’s got a galaxy to save. But if you think his life is all about starships and spoken-word poetry, you’ve missed the real drama. It’s the women. Specifically, the four women who’ve carried the title of William Shatner spouse over the last seven decades. It’s a messy, beautiful, and sometimes tragic roadmap of a man who admits he wasn't always great at being a husband.
Right now, if you check the legal records, Shatner is technically single. He divorced his fourth wife, Elizabeth Martin, back in 2020. But here's the twist: they're basically back together. He calls her the "zest of life." They live together. They show up on red carpets. At 94, Shatner seems to have realized that a legal document matters a lot less than having someone to share a quiet dinner with in North Hollywood.
The First Starship: Gloria Rand (1956–1969)
Before he was Captain Kirk, he was just Bill, a struggling Canadian actor. He met Gloria Rand on the set of a TV play he wrote called Dreams. Talk about manifesting. They were married within four months.
Things were good, for a while. They had three daughters—Leslie, Lisabeth, and Melanie. But then Star Trek happened. While Shatner was becoming a global icon, Gloria was home with the kids. Shatner has been pretty blunt in his autobiography, Up Till Now, admitting the marriage became "lopsided." He was working crazy hours, surrounded by beautiful guest stars, and Gloria was feeling more like a roommate than a partner. By 1969, just as the show was ending, so was the marriage.
The Longest Run: Marcy Lafferty (1973–1996)
You’ve gotta give Marcy Lafferty credit. She stayed in the game for 23 years. She was the daughter of a big-shot CBS executive, Perry Lafferty, and she and Shatner shared a massive obsession: horses.
This wasn't just a hobby. It was their lifestyle. They bred American Saddlebreds and traveled the horse show circuit. Marcy even appeared in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and T.J. Hooker. But long marriages in Hollywood have a way of fraying. When they split in 1996, the divorce settlement was... unique. Marcy reportedly walked away with horse semen from some of Shatner’s prize stallions. Seriously. It’s a detail that sounds like a joke, but in the world of high-end horse breeding, that's real currency.
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The Tragedy of Nerine Kidd (1997–1999)
This is the chapter that breaks your heart. Nerine was a model and actress, and Shatner was head-over-heels. His best friend Leonard Nimoy—yeah, Spock himself—actually warned Shatner not to marry her. Nimoy was in recovery himself and saw the signs of Nerine’s severe alcoholism.
Shatner married her anyway. He thought he could save her.
It didn't work. In August 1999, Shatner came home and found Nerine at the bottom of their swimming pool. She had drowned, with high levels of alcohol and Valium in her system. The grief nearly broke him. He eventually founded the Nerine Shatner Foundation to help women struggling with addiction, turning that personal hell into something helpful for others.
Elizabeth Martin: The Reunion Nobody Expected
In 2001, Shatner married Elizabeth Martin, a horse trainer and photographer. They seemed like a perfect match—both shared that deep love for the equestrian world that had defined so much of Shatner's life.
The Divorce and the "Un-Divorce"
They were married for 18 years before the wheels fell off. Shatner filed for divorce in 2019, and it was finalized in 2020. Because of a rock-solid prenup, the $100 million fortune stayed mostly with Shatner, though Elizabeth got a couple of horses and a multi-million dollar payout.
But then, 2021 rolled around. They were spotted together on his 90th birthday. Then came the red carpets. By 2024, Shatner was telling Parade they were living together again.
- Current Status: They are functionally a couple.
- Legal Status: Still divorced, though rumors of a "recommitment ceremony" have been swirling since late 2025.
- The Connection: They share custody of several horses and a deep, long-term history.
Why the William Shatner Spouse Search Matters
People look this up because they want to know if the guy who went to space for real in 2021 has someone to come home to. It turns out, he does.
What's fascinating is the shift in Shatner’s perspective. He used to talk about being "bad at marriage." He used to prioritize the career, the fame, the "star" power. Now? He talks about companionship. He talks about Elizabeth as his "rock." It’s a reminder that even at 94, you can still figure out what matters.
If you’re keeping track of his legacy, don't just look at the IMDb page. Look at the fact that he's managed to reconcile with his fourth wife and maintain a tight-knit relationship with his three daughters. That’s a lot harder to pull off than a successful warp jump.
What to do next:
If you're interested in the more personal side of Shatner's life, check out his 2023 documentary You Can Call Me Bill. It gets into his thoughts on mortality and his connection to the natural world, which really explains why his relationship with Elizabeth (a fellow nature lover) works so well today. Or, if you're a horse person, look into the Nerine Shatner Foundation—it’s the most meaningful thing he’s done outside of acting.