Steve Martin's storied love life: from Hollywood romances to his two private marriages


The Only Murders in the Building actor, who celebrates his 80th birthday today, has been in a few high-profile relationships, and we're taking a look on his big day


Actor Steve Martin attends the 2015 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Graydon Carter at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 22, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California© Getty Images
Ahad SanwariSenior Writer - New York
August 14, 2025
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Steve Martin's career can be broken down into several different eras, from his early stand-up days to ruling the '80s box office to his TV resurgence on Only Murders in the Building. But so can his love life!

The celebrated comedian and actor, who turned 80 on August 14, may be one of the most public figures in Hollywood at this point in his career, but he's famously kept private about his romances.

However, over the decades, he's been in a few high-profile relationships, a few of which have greatly influenced his career as well. Take a walk down memory lane as we look at some of the actor's most prominent romances…

© Getty Images

Eve Babitz, '70s Hollywood "it girl"

Eve Babitz

In 1971, at the start of his comedic career, when he was still a relatively unknown stand-up making his rise, Steve began dating author, model and Hollywood "it girl" Eve Babitz. While their romance was brief, it was Eve who influenced the actor to begin wearing his signature white suit during his shows. 

"There was this great French photographer, Henri Lartigue. He took pictures of Paris in the 20s. All his people wore white. I showed his photographs to Steve. 'You've got to look like this,' I said," she told Vanity Fair.

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Bernadette Peters, the star's longtime love and frequent co-star

Bernadette Peters

In 1977, Steve met Broadway legend Bernadette Peters through his agent, and the started dating. The pair co-starred together in The Jerk (1979) and Pennies From Heaven (1981) before breaking up in 1982.

While neither commented on what ended their relationship, they've spoken highly of each other since. Steve told Rolling Stone in 1982: "I liked her because she was independent. I respected her for it, and I knew it wasn't going to be, you know, 'Oh, Steve, what are we going to do no? Where're you going?' She was in show business, we could talk."

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Steve and Mary Tyler Moore were briefly linked together

Karen Carpenter & Mary Tyler Moore

In the mid-1970s, the Father of the Bride star was linked to both Karen Carpenter and Mary Tyler Moore, although neither relationship was ever confirmed or spoken about.

Steve and Karen were both guests on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1977 and were pictured together often that year, while Steve and Mary collaborated on a Saturday Night Live sketch together in 1976.

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Anne Heche, the star's girlfriend from 1994-97

Anne Heche

Between 1994-97, Steve dated actress Anne Heche, who was 24 years his junior after she made a brief appearance in his 1994 film A Simple Twist of Fate. They broke things off after three years, and she went on to date Ellen DeGeneres.

The late star opened up about his breakup in her posthumous memoir Call Me Anne, alluding to the fact that she had developed feelings for Ellen in the late stages of her relationship with Steve, and she couldn't see her future as "Mrs. Martin."

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English actress Victoria Tennant, his first wife

Victoria Tennant

1986 was when Steve first walked down the aisle with English actress Victoria Tennant, his co-star in All of Me (1984) and L.A. Story (1991). The pair met in 1982, when Victoria was coming off of a relationship with journalist Matthew Chapman. They were married for eight years, divorcing in 1994. 

In his documentary STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces, he said of their marriage: "When I married Victoria Tennant, I liked her a lot. She was very funny, very amusing, smart and English. It was a relationship that just kind of defaulted into a romance. And also, a part of it was, 'I guess I should get married', which is not a good reason. There's just no way to force it."

© Getty Images

Steve's now-wife Anne Stringfield

Anne Stringfield

In the mid-2000s, Steve met Anne Stringfield, a writer who formerly worked for The New Yorker and Vogue. While she was 27 years his junior, the pair quickly fell in love over a phone conversation when she called him to fact check an article. After three years of dating, they tied the knot in 2007, with Bob Kerrey as the officiant and Lorne Michaels as best man.

In December 2012, the notoriously private couple became parents when they welcomed their daughter Mary Martin, now 12. Speaking with AARP Magazine, he described his life now with his wife and daughter as "very, very happy. I mean, it's actually the perfect shape of a life."

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