Johnny Carson's third wife, former model and socialite Joanna Carson née Holland, passed away earlier in July.
The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation publicized her passing with a Facebook post celebrating her work with them, writing: "Remembering ETAF's dear friends and supporters, Joanna Carson and Wallis Annenberg, who embodied our Founder, Elizabeth Taylor's spirit of love and support."
The loss has also refocused the spotlight on her whirlwind romance, marriage and divorce from the beloved talk show host, who himself passed away two decades ago in January 2005.
Take a look at the life of Joanna Carson, her marriage to Johnny, and the extended divorce case that followed…
© Getty ImagesJoanna Carson, Johnny's third wife was a prominent model and socialite before their marriage
Life before Johnny
Born Johanna Ulrich, Joanna was first married to renowned backgammon player Tim Holland. They welcomed a son named Joe while together, and were married for six years.
However, following her divorce, she pivoted to becoming one of Manhattan's highest-paid fashion models and quickly rose through the ranks of New York City's glamorous society.
© Getty ImagesJoanna had a son from a previous marriage when she met her eventual second husband
When they first met
In 1971, their love story began, when Joanna and Johnny first met at New York's chic 21 Club, and as he recalled to People, he was "flirting like a sophomore."
Their first meeting came while he was in the midst of his divorce from his second wife, Joanne Carson née Copeland (often confused with Joanna because of their similar names). Their first date involved celebrating his 46th birthday, and he then began calling her every day at 4:30 PM for a year.
© Getty ImagesJohnny and Joanna pictured here at the party when they announced their surprise wedding
A surprise wedding
Their whirlwind romance was the talk of the town, especially once Johnny moved to California for tapings of The Tonight Show and convinced Joanna and her son to move with him.
However, it took off at light speed a year later, when celebrating his talk show's 10th anniversary with a party in Beverly Hills, shocking his star-studded audience by announcing that he and Joanna had tied the knot.
"A lot of columnists have been asking why me and my gal haven't set a date for the wedding, so I think I will tell you that we were married at 1:30 this afternoon," he told them, with Joanna even conceding to People: "Johnny took everybody by surprise, even me."
© Getty ImagesThe couple devoted their time to charity, pictured here at an event for SHARE, before separating
Their split and divorce
In 1983, after 11 years of marriage, Joanna filed for a divorce. Their split was protracted and divorce proceedings went on for nearly two years.
Finally, in 1985, their separation was finalized, and it proved to be quite hefty. Per The Los Angeles Times, an 80-page settlement was drafted, with Joanna receiving a reported $20 million in assets, plus $35,000 a month in spousal support (down from her request for $220,000).
Johnny, for his part, often used his expensive divorce as fodder for comedic material on his show. He told People in 1992 after The Tonight Show came to an end: "If I had given as much to marriage as I gave to The Tonight Show, I'd probably have a hell of a marriage."
© Getty ImagesJoanna at one of her final public appearances at an event for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in 2019
Life after Carson
While Joanna was not a public figure following her divorce, she did throw herself into charity work, most closely associated with the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and the organization SHARE (Share Happily and Reap Endlessly), raising money for abused and disabled children.
She also acted as a producer for stage productions of films like American Psycho, Beetlejuice and American Buffalo. Tragically, she was preceded in death by her son, who died in 1994.
Johnny, meanwhile, married Alexis Maas in 1987, and the pair remained together until his death in 2005 at age 79.
