What Happened To Paul Newman's First Wife, Jackie Witte?

Paul Newman's legendary romance with Joanne Woodward is well-documented (their daughter even published a book about it), but the "The Three Faces of Eve" star was his second wife. Prior to Woodward, Newman was married to Jackie Witte, and given just how public his second marriage was, many have questioned what ever happened to her. 

Despite once wanting to become an actor and having some community theater experience, Witte never had a professional performing career of her own. In "The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man: A Memoir," a friend mused that this seemed to be a source of frustration for her, particularly as Newman's star rose. Nevertheless, after marrying Newman and having children with him, Witte settled into a more domestic role. Sadly, playing the role of dutiful wife didn't lead to a decade-spanning marriage, and Newman began having an affair with Woodward, who he'd met during a theater production a few years prior. 

Unsurprisingly, many a social media user has rolled their eyes at yet another star leaving their partner once they made it big, and though some have conceded that Woodward was undoubtedly Newman's soulmate, they've nonetheless maintained that it must have been "devastating." "How sad for her," one lamented. The fact that Witte also disappeared from public view certainly doesn't help matters, particularly when taking into account the fact that she had once dreamed of making it big herself. However, it is worth noting that she was awarded an impressive divorce settlement. As Newman revealed in "The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man: A Memoir," "I think for the first year, she was guaranteed a certain income, around $200,000. I earned $225,000 that year, so I only kept $25,000 of that." Well, at least he made good on his commitments. 

Paul Newman's divorce from Jackie Witte was fairly long and drawn-out, not helped by the fact that he changed his mind at a point and revealed in "The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man: A Memoir" that he wanted to "try and straighten out my marriage and be with my family." What's more, it seems Witte stalled the process as well. However, she ultimately agreed to sign the papers when Joanne Woodward fell pregnant with her and Newman's child. 

To his credit, Newman tried his best to avoid talking about the way his and Witte's marriage ended, out of respect for both women. As quoted in "Paul Newman: A Life," he once said of discussing the situation, "It wouldn't be fair to either Jackie or Joanne. But I was probably too immature to make a success of my first marriage." He also once said that talking about it wouldn't be helpful to anyone, "and it's simply nobody's business." Still, he certainly wasn't of the impression that everything could be swept under the rug, nor did he Newman hold back on the repercussions of the affair. He was also quoted in the book as admitting, "I'll carry it with me for the rest of my life."

Despite all the drama surrounding the divorce, it does seem as though everything worked out for the best. Newman and Woodward stayed together until his death, and though Witte might not have become an actor, she did become an English teacher. She even found love again, got married, and had another child. Guess that means all's well that ends well after all.