You probably know Woody Harrelson as the hemp-loving, twinkie-hunting, Oscar-nominated powerhouse who’s been a Hollywood fixture for decades. But long before he was Haymitch in The Hunger Games or Detective Marty Hart in True Detective, he was just a young guy on Cheers making a very impulsive decision in Mexico. In 1985, Woody Harrelson married Nancy Simon. If that last name sounds familiar, it should. She’s the daughter of legendary playwright Neil Simon, the man behind The Odd Couple and Barefoot in the Park.
The thing is, this wasn’t exactly a grand romance destined for the history books. Honestly, it was a joke. Or at least, it was supposed to be.
The Tijuana Wedding That Wouldn’t Quit
Most people think of marriage as a lifelong commitment or, at the very least, a multi-year mistake. For Woody Harrelson and Nancy Simon, the plan was much shorter: roughly twenty-four hours. They headed down to Tijuana, Mexico, in 1985 with a very specific, slightly chaotic goal. They wanted to get married just to see what it was like and then get an annulment the very next day.
It’s the kind of thing you do when you’re young, famous-adjacent, and perhaps had one too many margaritas.
But the universe has a funny sense of humor. When the couple showed up at the storefront marriage and divorce parlor the next morning to undo their nuptials, the place was closed. It was a Sunday, or a holiday—the details vary depending on who’s telling the story—but the result was the same. They couldn't get the paperwork filed.
They left Mexico still legally husband and wife.
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What was supposed to be a one-day prank turned into a ten-month legal reality. They didn’t actually end up finalizing the divorce until 1986. While they weren't exactly living a domestic life of bliss during those ten months, the names Woody Harrelson and Nancy Simon remained linked on a legal document much longer than either of them ever intended.
Who is Nancy Simon?
While Woody was becoming a household name on Cheers, Nancy was carving out her own path. Being the daughter of Neil Simon and his first wife, dancer Joan Baim, meant she grew up in the heart of the New York theater scene. She wasn’t just a "celebrity daughter," though. She worked in the industry herself, serving as an assistant to the director on her father’s play Little Me in the early '80s and eventually finding her footing as a writer and director.
Unlike Woody, who has spent his entire life in the glaring spotlight of the paparazzi, Nancy has mostly kept things low-key. After the divorce from Harrelson was finalized in 1986, she moved on with her life. She eventually married David Florimbi, an artist, and has stayed relatively private compared to her first "accidental" husband.
A Different Kind of Hollywood Family
It’s wild to think about the dinner table conversations that could have happened if they’d stayed together. Imagine Woody Harrelson, the guy who once climbed the Golden Gate Bridge to protest logging, sitting down for brisket with Neil Simon.
It was a clash of worlds:
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- The Texas-born, rebellious actor with a father who was a convicted hitman.
- The New York royalty, daughter of the most successful playwright in American history.
Actually, it makes total sense why they thought a one-day marriage was a good bit of performance art.
Why Woody Harrelson and Nancy Simon Still Get Googled
You might wonder why we're still talking about a blip of a relationship from forty years ago. It’s because the story perfectly captures the "Classic Woody" persona. He’s always been a bit of a wildcard. Even back then, he wasn't interested in the traditional Hollywood script.
He’s been very open in later years about his views on monogamy. For a long time, he just didn't think it was natural. He famously told Parade magazine that he was "incapable of long-term relationships" until he met his current wife, Laura Louie.
The Nancy Simon chapter is the ultimate evidence of that old mindset. It was a marriage built on a lark, a testament to a time in his life when he was just "with whoever would have me," as he's put it.
What Happened Next?
Woody eventually found his match in Laura Louie, whom he met in 1987 when she started working as his personal assistant. They didn't actually get married until 2008, despite being together for decades and having three daughters. It took him a long time to get back to the altar after the Tijuana incident.
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As for the legalities, the divorce from Nancy Simon was amicable. There were no messy court battles or tabloid wars over assets. How could there be? They never meant to stay married in the first place.
If you're looking for lessons in the Woody Harrelson and Nancy Simon saga, it's probably this:
- Check the operating hours of any "divorce parlor" before you sign the papers.
- Life rarely follows the "joke" you have planned for it.
- Sometimes the most interesting parts of a celebrity's biography are the ones they tried to erase within twenty-four hours.
If you’re digging into Woody’s past, don't stop here. Look into his father’s history if you want to see where that rebellious streak really comes from, or check out his work with Yoganics, the organic food company he started with Laura. The Nancy Simon era was just the prologue to a much more complex life story.
Next Steps for You:
If you're curious about how this era influenced his early career, go back and watch the 1985-1986 seasons of Cheers. You can see the exact moment Woody Boyd became a star while Woody Harrelson was technically, accidentally, a married man. You can also look up Nancy Simon's directorial work to see how she stepped out of her father's massive shadow.