Neil Diamond's wife of 13 years, Katie McNeil Diamond, has revealed the secret to their happy marriage. Speaking with People at the New York premiere of Song Sung Blue – Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson's musical biopic about the Neil Diamond tribute band, Lightning & Thunder – Katie, 55, gave some rare insights. "We're best friends, and we really support each other. We lift each other up, and through thick and thin, through sickness and health, we really live it. And I think that that's the secret," the talent manager said.
© Bruce Glikas/WireImage"And it's our 14th wedding anniversary coming up in April," she noted. Asked how the couple would mark the upcoming milestone, Katie replied: "I mean, every day we try to make it special and celebrate every day."
How did Neil Diamond and Katie McNeil Diamond meet?
A power couple in the music industry, Neil, 84, first met Katie in 2007, after the latter began working with Neil's manager, Irving Azoff. Already a fan of the singer and his most iconic hits, Katie eventually began working on Neil's account, and within the course of a year, the duo had fallen for one another and began dating in secret.
© FilmMagic"Part of me said, 'Don't get involved; he's a client,'" Katie recalled to Parade in 2012. "There are a lot of complications for a lot of reasons. But our chemistry grew into something that couldn't be denied." Noting that she would frequently speak to her mother about Neil, Katie admitted: "I'd be on the phone with her saying, 'He's really wonderful—if only he were 30 years younger,' then, 'If only he were 20 years younger,' and the next would be, 'If only he were 10 years younger. …' Finally it was, 'Forget it—I'm going for it!' My mom knew before I did that I was in love."
Neil and Katie's private wedding
According to People, Neil and Katie tied the knot in April 2012, after opting for a low-key ceremony in LA. Their wedding occurred less than a year after the music star confirmed their engagement. Taking to Twitter in September 2011, Neil had told fans: "Good news coming from sunny LA/ and you're the first I want to tell/ Katie & I just got engaged/ and I hope you wish us well."
© WireImageFollowing their nuptials, Katie became a stepmother to Neil's four children. The 84-year-old shares two daughters, Marjorie and Elyn, with his first wife, Jayne Posner, whom he divorced in 1969, and he also shares two sons, Jesse and Micah, with Marcia Murphey, his second wife, whom he split from in 1994.
Reflecting on his previous marriages, Neil told Parade: "Both are spectacular women. I felt if I couldn't make something wonderful and lifelong happen with them, then maybe I wasn't capable of it," he explained. "But I'm throwing myself back in because I like being married. I don't want to end this whole fabulous journey alone. I want someone by my side who I love and who loves me. I've finally found somebody who's up to the task of being my wife, because I'm very high maintenance."
