William Shatner has had a lot of experience with matrimony. His first marriage to Gloria Rand ended in 1969, resulting in the couple’s three daughters, Leslie, Lisabeth, and Melanie. He then married Marcy Lafferty in 1973, divorcing more than two decades later, in 1996.
The following year, he married his third wife, fellow actor Nerine Kidd. Tragically, Kidd died in 1999, drowning in the swimming pool of their home. Shatner later revealed that she dealt with alcohol addiction and had been to rehab twice during their marriage. Speaking with The Sydney Morning Herald in 2008, Shatner revealed that his “Star Trek” co-star Leonard Nimoy called him shortly before the wedding, warning him not to get married. “He said just one sentence, ‘Bill, you do know that Nerine is an alcoholic,'” Shatner said, recalling he told Nimoy that he knew, but loved her. “Leonard didn’t speak for a minute and then he said, sadly, ‘Well, Bill, then you are in for a rough ride.'”
While an autopsy subsequently ruled out foul play, revealing high levels of sleeping pills and alcohol in Kidd’s bloodstream, Shatner was initially viewed as a suspect in his wife’s death. “Can you imagine what that was like?” he told the outlet. “The media was asking, ‘Did Shatner kill his wife?'” Shatner later honored his late wife by purchasing an LA home for people in recovery, the Nerine Shatner Friendly House.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
