Larry King Wives: The Complete Marital History Explained

When people talk about Larry King, they usually focus on his trademark blue suspenders, his deep-set voice, and the tens of thousands of interviews he conducted across his historic career. Yet his personal life was just as famous for its turbulence. King married eight times to seven different women, a marital record that became as much a part of his public persona as his nightly broadcasts on CNN.

Understanding Larry King's marriages isn't just about counting rings; it's about examining how his romantic life mirrored his professional drive, his personal insecurities, and the changing social norms of America across the latter half of the twentieth century. From his early struggles as an unknown radio DJ to his status as a global media icon, his relationships offer a window into the man behind the microphone.

The Early Years and First Marriages: Freda Miller and Annette Kaye

Long before he was interviewing world leaders and Hollywood stars, Larry King was a young man hustling in the radio industry in Florida. Born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger in Brooklyn, New York, he married his high school sweetheart, Freda Miller, in 1952 when he was just nineteen years old.

The marriage was short-lived. Due to parental disapproval from both families—largely driven by their young age and financial instability—the marriage was annulled in 1953. Little public record remains of Freda Miller, as this chapter preceded King's entry into the public eye by over a decade.

His second marriage occurred in 1960 to Annette Kaye. This union lasted approximately one year. During this time, Kaye gave birth to a son, Larry Jr. However, King did not meet or have a relationship with Larry Jr. for decades, until Larry Jr. reached out to him later in life. This early period of King's life was defined by professional instability, financial hardship, and personal transitions that laid the groundwork for his future ambition.

Alene Akins: The Twice-Married Partnership

In 1961, King married Alene Akins, a former Playboy Bunny. This relationship proved to be one of the most significant of his early life, though it was hardly straightforward. They divorced in 1963.

Following his divorce from Akins, King married Mickey Sutphin in 1964. That marriage lasted four years, ending in divorce in 1968.

Shortly after his divorce from Sutphin, King gravitated back to Alene Akins. They remarried in 1969. During this second marriage to Akins, they adopted a daughter named Chaia in 1969. While King also adopted Akins's son Andy from a previous relationship, the second marriage to Akins ultimately faced the same pressures as the first. They divorced for a second time in 1972.

Despite the double divorce, both Andy and Chaia became an integral part of King's family structure in later decades, making Akins a central figure in his personal history.

Sharon Lepore and the Broadcast Breakthrough

As King's career gained national traction—moving from local Miami radio to his syndicated mutual broadcasting radio show—he met Sharon Lepore, a production assistant and former model. They married in 1976.

By this time, King was working grueling hours, building the reputation for tireless work ethic that would define his legacy. The demands of nighttime radio broadcasting, combined with the pressures of maintaining a stable household, strained the relationship. King and Lepore divorced in 1983, just as his radio show was achieving massive national syndication and laying the groundwork for his upcoming launch on CNN in 1985.

Julie Alexander: The CNN Era and High-Society Life

By 1989, Larry King Live was a global powerhouse, and King was a household name. That year, he met Julie Alexander, a businesswoman and former economics teacher, while attending a dinner party in Washington, D.C. They married in 1989 in a ceremony that attracted widespread media attention, reflecting King's new status as a major cultural figure.

The marriage began during the height of King's professional fame, but the geographic split between Washington, D.C., where his show was filmed, and other locations where Alexander pursued her career created friction. They separated in 1990 and officially divorced in 1992.

Reflecting on his marriages in later interviews, King often admitted that his total dedication to his work frequently compromised his ability to be a present, attentive partner. His relentless schedule of reading newspapers, preparing for interviews, and hosting live television left little room for domestic equilibrium.

Shawn Southwick: The Longest Partnership

King's longest and final marriage was to Shawn Southwick, a singer, actress, and television host. They married in 1997, just months after meeting. The couple had two sons, Chance and Cannon.

Spanning over two decades, their marriage endured longer than any of King's previous unions combined. However, it was not without public turbulence. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, tabloid reports frequently targeted the couple with rumors of marital strain and separation filings. In 2010, both King and Southwick filed for divorce amid intense media scrutiny, but they reconciled shortly thereafter and remained married.

In August 2019, King filed for divorce from Southwick a final time, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce proceedings were ongoing when King passed away in January 2021 at the age of 87 due to sepsis following health complications.

Examining the Motives Behind the Marriages

Media analysts, biographers, and psychologists have long debated why Larry King married so many times. King himself was remarkably candid about his romantic life, often leaning into self-deprecating humor during interviews. He frequently stated that he simply loved being in love and believed deeply in the institution of marriage, even if he struggled to sustain it.

Unlike many public figures who avoid discussing past relationships, King treated his marital history as an open book. He maintained relatively amicable relationships with several of his ex-wives, noting that animosity drained energy that was better spent elsewhere.

However, observers point to several systemic factors behind his serial marriages:

• Workaholism: King worked nearly every single day of his life, often boasting that he rarely took vacations. This level of professional immersion placed immense strain on his spouses.
• Early Insecurities: Growing up in a working-class immigrant family in Brooklyn, King's rapid ascent to wealth and fame created a personal environment of constant reinvention.
• The Pursuit of Companionship: Rather than remaining single between relationships, King moved quickly from one marriage to the next, seeking the stability of a home life to balance the chaotic world of television production.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many times was Larry King married?

Larry King was married eight times to seven different women. He married Alene Akins twice, making her both his third and fifth wife.

Did Larry King have children from his marriages?

Yes. King fathered five children across his marriages: Larry Jr. (with Annette Kaye), Andy and Chaia (with Alene Akins), and Chance and Cannon (with Shawn Southwick). Tragically, both Andy and Chaia passed away within weeks of each other in 2020.

Why did Larry King get divorced so often?

King frequently cited his overwhelming commitment to his career as the primary driver behind his divorces. His grueling schedule hosting nightly television and radio left little time for traditional domestic life.

How long was Larry King's longest marriage?

His marriage to Shawn Southwick was his longest, lasting from 1997 until his death in 2021—a span of nearly 24 years, despite temporary separation filings in 2010 and 2019.