Life has a way of presenting unexpected twists and turns that forever alter our paths. Such was the case for Jackie Witte, the first wife of Paul Newman. Newman was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He rose to prominence following his “Somebody Up There Likes Me” performance in 1956.
People knew Newman to be the loyal and faithful husband to Joanne Woodward, his second wife. However, what is unknown to many is that his beautiful marriage to Woodward came from his betrayal of his first wife.
Here’s everything we know about Newman’s first wife.
Jackie Witte Background
Witte was born in September 1929 in the United States of America. However, her exact birthplace and birth date are unknown. Although most details about her early life remain a mystery, Jackie Witte dreamed of becoming an actress after the Second World War.
The late celebrity spouse had her education at an unnamed elementary and high school before proceeding to her education at college. While there are no details about her course of study, Jackie Witte met the man who changed the trajectory of her life in college.
How Did Jackie Witt Meet Paul Newman?
Jackie Witte and Newman met in a small town where they had taken summer stage work. They met in 1949 after the second world war. Before their paths crossed, Newman had served in the Navy and was a 24-year-old Navy veteran. However, Witte, a blonde, dark-eyed beauty with good height, was a 19-year-old college student.
After their paths crossed, Witte and the late actor had a connection. They were head over heels in love and soon realized they shared a similar interest. They were both aspiring actors. Hence, they moved together to a theatre company in Woodstock, Illinois. Despite the five-year age gap, they began dating.
When Did Jackie Witte and Paul Newman Tie the Knot?
Witte and Newman’s love story quickly progressed. The lovebirds tied the knot some months after they met on December 27, 1949. However, the news of their marriage led to speculations. People believed that they only exchanged vows because Jackie Witte was pregnant.
While Witte was pregnant, the couple faced the prospect of giving up the theater. However, coincidentally, Newman’s father died, and he was required to continue running the family business he initially gave up for his love of acting. Hence, the film director and his pregnant wife moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where they had their first child, Scott Newman, in 1950.
Did Having Children Affect Jackie Witte’s Career?
After exchanging vows, things weren’t rosy for Witte and Newman. The responsibilities that came with subsequent childbearing, alongside their budding careers, were too overwhelming for the young couple. As a result, Jackie Witte, whose career had halted since she became pregnant with her first child, decided to search for modeling gigs.
Conversely, her husband had just gotten accepted into Yale University for a master’s program in theater. With the plan that if acting didn’t work out for him, he could at least teach the subject, he went off with his wife and their son into the unknown.
She went to New York frequently in search of modeling gigs, and in no time, she became a full-time model. However, motherhood came calling again, and she fell pregnant with her second child, Susan Newman. Consequently, that was the end of the road for her burgeoning career as a model.
Witte’s husband eventually dropped out of Yale. However, he decided to try acting again. His responsibilities were growing, and he persisted in making his acting career a success.
Before he knew it, he started getting minor roles on television. Slowly, Newman’s career began to take off. He even landed a role in a Broadway play, “Picnic,” where he was also an understudy of lead actor Ralph Meeker.
How Did Jackie Witt’s Marriage to Paul Newman End?
Unfortunately for Jackie Witte, as Newman became famous, he slowly became a stranger to her. Witte was a stay-at-home mom who had given up her acting aspirations while her husband seemed fulfilled professionally. Unknown to Witte, Newman had fallen in love with Joanne Woodward, a co-cast in “Picnic.”
After following her actor husband around in two cities, Jackie Witte was stuck at home while the father of her children spent so many nights in Manhattan socializing with his mistress and their friends. Despite all her efforts to reconcile their differences, Witte never got the chance, as Woodward had become a part of Newman’s newly found life.
The couple kept managing their shaky marriage and had a third child, Stephanie Kendall, in 1954. However, Witte later discovered that Newman was expecting a child with Joanne Woodward. Eventually, Jackie Witte parted ways after her divorce from Newman in 1958.
Are There Any Jackie Witte Movies?
No, there aren’t. Witte died in 1993 with an unfulfilled desire to become an actress. However, the cause of her death remains a mystery to the public. Jackie Witte’s ex-husband, Paul Newman, also died of lung cancer at his home, in Westport, Connecticut, on September 26, 2008.
Unfortunately, Jackie Witte and Paul Newman’s first son, Scott Newman, also died from a drug overdose in November 1978. Despite the odds, Jackie Witte was a loving wife and mother. However, her marriage ended in a divorce, like Dallas Yocum’s marriage to Mike Lindell.