Paul Newman & Jackie Witte: The Divorce That Guilt Built Into a 50-Year Marriage
He left his first wife for Joanne Woodward — and spent 50 years making sure the second marriage justified the first divorce
Key Facts
What Happened
Paul Newman married Jackie Witte in 1949 in a small ceremony in Illinois. He was a young aspiring actor, and she was a fellow student. They had three children together: Scott (1950), Susan (1953), and Stephanie (1954). As Newman's acting career gained momentum — he moved from stage work to television to Hollywood — the marriage began to strain. By the mid-1950s, Newman had met Joanne Woodward, a talented actress who would become the love of his life.
In 1957, Newman and Witte separated, and the divorce was finalized in 1958. Newman married Woodward just weeks later. In 1950s America, divorce carried enormous social stigma, particularly when it involved leaving a wife and young children for another woman. Newman was acutely aware of this. He rarely spoke publicly about his first marriage, and when he did, it was with visible discomfort and guilt. His famous quip about fidelity to Woodward — 'Why go out for a hamburger when you have steak at home?' — was, in retrospect, as much about justifying the divorce as celebrating the marriage.
The divorce settlement details were kept private, as was typical of the era. Jackie Witte received custody of their three children and financial support. She virtually disappeared from public life, rarely granting interviews. Their son Scott struggled with drug and alcohol addiction and died in 1978 at age 28 from an accidental overdose — a tragedy that haunted Newman for the rest of his life and that he attributed in part to the disruption of the divorce on his children.
Newman and Woodward's marriage lasted 50 years, until his death in 2008 — one of the longest and most celebrated marriages in Hollywood history. But the ghost of the first marriage was always present. Newman channeled his guilt into extraordinary philanthropy (Newman's Own donated over $600 million to charity), into the founding of the Hole in the Wall Gang camps for seriously ill children (inspired partly by Scott's death), and into a fierce commitment to making his second marriage work. The case illustrates a truth about divorce that legal proceedings cannot capture: the emotional and moral weight of ending a marriage with children never fully lifts, even when the second chapter is a masterpiece.
Legal Breakdown: Divorce Stigma & Its Lasting Impact
Fault-Based Divorce in the 1950s
In 1958, every US state required fault-based grounds for divorce — adultery, cruelty, abandonment, or similar. Newman's affair with Woodward would have been legally relevant, potentially giving Jackie stronger grounds and leverage in the settlement. The requirement to prove fault made divorce proceedings inherently adversarial and morally charged. It was not until California's no-fault divorce law in 1970 that the legal system began separating the moral question of why a marriage ended from the practical question of how to divide assets and responsibilities.
Divorce Stigma and Its Legal Consequences
In the 1950s, divorce stigma was not just social — it had legal consequences. Judges in fault-based systems could and did punish the 'guilty' party with less favorable property divisions and custody arrangements. A man who left his wife for another woman could expect harsh treatment in court. This cultural and legal environment pushed many divorcing parties toward private settlements to avoid the public shame of a fault-finding trial.
The Long-Term Impact on Children of Divorce
Newman's guilt about his son Scott's struggles and death reflects a reality that research has confirmed: divorce can have long-term effects on children, particularly when it involves a parent leaving for a new partner. Scott Newman's addiction and death cannot be solely attributed to his parents' divorce, but the disruption, the loss of daily paternal presence, and the complexity of a blended family are all recognized risk factors. Modern custody arrangements emphasize maintaining strong relationships with both parents.
What This Means for Your Divorce
- →The emotional consequences of divorce — guilt, grief, impact on children — outlast the legal proceedings by decades. Prepare for the emotional journey, not just the legal one.
- →Fault-based divorce systems punished the 'guilty' party. Though most states are now no-fault, the moral dynamics of why a marriage ended still influence negotiations and courtroom sympathies.
- →Children of divorce need consistent, involved parenting from both parents. Research consistently shows that parental involvement — not the divorce itself — is the strongest predictor of children's outcomes.
- →A successful second marriage does not erase the pain of the first divorce. Acknowledge the full history honestly, especially with your children.
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This article is based on publicly available court records, news reports, and legal analysis. It is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this content.
Divorce laws vary by jurisdiction. Always consult a licensed attorney in your area before making legal decisions.