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11/21/2024 11:42:25 pm

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Johnny Carson's Second Wife, Joanne, Dies At 84

Talk show icon Johnny Carson's ex-wife Joanne Carson, who had been in hospice care due to declining health, died at the age of 84 in her Los Angeles home, according to Ed Rada, the executor of her estate.

Joanne Carson was born in 1931 and became Pan Am stewardess and a model before she met Johnny Carson in 1960. The latter was then the host of "Who Do You Trust?," a game show based in New York City.

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In an interview with CNN's Larry King in 2007, Joanne said that on their first date, Johnny Carson invited her to see his show because according to him, she loved comedy. After three years, in 1963, the couple got married and lived in an apartment at the United Nations Plaza.

A year later, Johnny Carson was asked to host "The Tonight Show" which he did until 1992.

In 1972, after nine years of marriage, the two separated due to Johnny Carson's frequent infidelities.

Even after the divorce, Joanne Carson continued to help preserve Johnny Carson's TV history. The latter passed away in 2005 and in 2006, Joanne discovered old 1955 films of "The Johnny Carson Show," that aired for only one season.

She then made DVD copies from these, which she released to the public.

Joanne Carson then moved back to California where she became friends with Truman Capote. Joanne Carson gave Capote a writing room in her house where he died in Aug. 1984.

In a biography published in 2013, titled "Johnny Carson," written by Johnny's longtime friend and attorney Henry Bushkin, it was mentioned that Johnny had confided in him that in the early 1970s Joanne Carson allegedly had an affair with NFL star Frank Gifford.

Johnny Carson's ex-wife later had a second marriage to Richard Rever, which only ended in divorce. Joanne who is survived by two half sisters and never had any children.

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