Joanna Carson, Johnny Carson’s third wife, has died at the age of 93.
The announcement of her passing was made in July, followed by a small, private funeral last week.
Joanna was married to Johnny from 1972 until their divorce in 1985.
Her death was confirmed via a heartfelt social media post from the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation last Wednesday.
They remembered Joanna, saying, “Remember Etuff’s dear friends and supporters, Joanna Carson and Wallis Annenberg.”
Joanna was among New York City’s top-paid fashion models during her time. She met Johnny in 1971 at a restaurant in the city.
The couple ended their marriage after a decade, finalizing their divorce in 1985 with a settlement of $20 million.
Notably, Joanna was single after her own marriage to Tim Holland ended in 1966. They had a son together, who unfortunately passed away in 1994.
In a 1978 article, Johnny publicly announced his marriage to Joanna, celebrating it alongside the 10th anniversary of “The Tonight Show.”
They separated in 1982, leading to their divorce in 1985, which saw Joanna awarded properties including a house in Bel Air and several New York City apartments.
During their divorce proceedings, Joanna requested $220,000 monthly from Johnny, but was eventually granted a monthly payment of $35,000.
Before marrying Joanna, Johnny had been married to Joanne “Jody” Morrill Walcott from 1949 to 1963, and they had three sons together: Chris, Rick, and Corey. Rick tragically died in a car accident in 1991 at 39.
Johnny’s last marriage was with Alexis Mars in 1987, lasting until his death in January 2005 at the age of 79.
Joanna’s passing follows the recent loss of Johnny’s son, Christopher Carson, who died earlier this year at the age of 74. His death was acknowledged by a family friend, but details on the cause remain unclear.
