Meet the four-time divorcee, Sam Elliott’s Wife, Katharine Ross

Hollywood marriages are often the opposite of what the industry portrays in movies, lasting and sure. Sam Elliott’s wife, Katharine Ross, knows this enough as she experienced much breakable matrimony until her fifth husband. 

Katharine’s multiple marriages have been the occasional subject of her life. However, the “A Star is Born” actor remained unfazed. It was his first marriage, and it looks like “the legacy” of their love is a lasting romantic tale built on friendship. 

Let’s look deeper into the life of Katharine Ross, the “Fatal Beauty” that hooked Sam Elliott to a lifetime of happiness:

Katharine Ross and her childhood

Katharine Ross turned 81 in 2021 and the beauty of her youth remains in the details of smile lines. She was born on January 29, 1940, in the Hollywood part of LA, California. 

She’s the daughter of Indiana native, Katherine Mullen (1909–1993) to Dudley Tying Ross. Her father’s navy career rendered their family a nomadic life as they lived from Virginia, Palo, Alto, and finally in Walnut Creek.

Ross attended Diablo Valley College where she was first introduced to film. Later in life, she found herself in San Francisco, with a small apartment and a budding acting career as an understudy.

Her stay in the Actor’s Workshop Productions led her to audition for many roles. However, her main takeaway here is her college sweetheart, Joel Fabiana, her first husband.

During their marriage, she was also pursuing television roles. 

Katharine Ross and her acting career

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Ross’s natural unique beauty made her stand out among other upcoming artists during her time. Soon enough, she appeared on her TV debut in Sam Benedict (1962. It was quickly followed by her appearances in Civil War-era Shenandoah (1965), Games (1967), and The Graduate (1967). 

Her role as Elaine in the Mike Nichols classic earned Ross a Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.

Along the way, Ross starred in films with forgettable roles. Even so, she came out a winner when she starred in the 1978 movie, “The Legacy.” This role led her to her onscreen partner that would later be her real-life husband, Sam Elliott. 

Katharine Ross and her four divorces

Unlike how Ross’s beauty handed her a lifetime’s worth of career, her marriages weren’t as lasting. 

Before she’s able to spend 36 years and counting with her current husband, she was married to a fellow actor, Joel Fabiani. Their marriage stretched from 1960 to 1962. After two years, she met and married John Marion in 1994. They divorced in 1997.

Her third marriage happened when she was peaking at her career. As she starred in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), she also found her third husband, Conrad L. Hall. They tied the knot in 1969 and got divorced four years later.

In 1975, she met Gaetano Lisi while filming The Stepford Wives (1975). He would later become her fourth husband. Yet, they called it off four years later.

Katharine Ross and her 36 years of marriage with Sam Elliott

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Five years later after her fourth divorce, she married her fifth husband, Sam Elliott. She is his first try at marriage, and evidently, he’s enjoying his beginner’s luck. 

A year after she walked down the aisle, Ross gave birth to their only child, Cleo Rose, on September 17, 1984, in Malibu, California.

Sam Eliott and Katharine Ross’ daughter grew up to be a multi-talented musician. She also does occasional modeling. 

Even after almost four decades of marriage, their love remains sweeter than any love story on the silver screen. Their public appearances together still make fans swoon over their successfully lasting union.

Katharine Ross and her “violent” only child

In March 2011, a media frenzy surrounded Ross and her child. The award-winning actress claimed that Cleo stabbed her using a scissor. 

At that time, her daughter was 12 years old. The young Ross was a violent teen at that moment, that her mom had to obtain a restraining order from her.

Cleo reportedly murmured that she wants to kill her mom as she eventually stabbed the Oscar nominee’s hand about six times.

Although the unforgettable incident was a tragic memory of the duo, they showed that they’re over it in their recent public appearances together.

In fact, they were together during the red carpet event of Sundance Film Festival in 2017. Ross and Eliott starred in the film “The Hero” and their child was there to support them. 

Katharine Ross Net Worth and latest works

With almost 60 years in the limelight, Katharine Ross’ net worth is around $5,000,000 as per multiple sources. She owes her financial success to her first few major roles in The Graduate, The Stepford Wives, and Voyage of the Damned.

Aside from being an actress, she’s also a screenwriter and children’s book author. She wrote children’s stories like “The story of the Pilgrims,” “Twinkle, Twinkle,” and “Little Bug.”

Despite her multiple divorces, Katharine Ross proves that she’s a woman of her own for her well-established career. 

At 81, her youthful glory days have clearly passed. However, being Sam Eliott’s wife for almost half of her life is a win in itself. “The Graduate” star evidently found genuine love amidst the flashy gold and Hollywood Stardom.

Have you watched any Katharine Ross movies? Comment your favorite one below!