Patrick Duffy Can't Stop Glowing About His Relationship With Linda Purl
Patrick Duffy was dealt a serious blow in 2017 when, after over four decades of marriage, his wife Carlyn Rosser died of cancer. Two years after her death, the "Dallas" actor revealed that he had not moved on. "I feel close to her all the time [but] what I miss most is her touch," he told Closer Weekly in 2019 during a candid interview. "I still consider myself a married man," Duffy added. The seasoned television star admitted that he felt blindsided by his wife's death, but took a Zen-like approach to mortality. "You reach a certain age and you realize the road ahead is much shorter than the road behind," Duffy said.
Coping with the loss of his wife was understandably difficult for Duffy. "He's grateful for the years they had together, but wishes they had more," a source told Closer Weekly in 2019. Although he openly mourned Rosser, the "Step By Step" star did not fall victim to despair. "Patrick allows himself to be sad, but he doesn't allow himself to wallow in it," the insider added.
In 2020, Duffy reconnected with an old friend, fellow actor Linda Purl, and the two struck up a romance. "I never thought for a minute this would happen again," he told People at the time. The actor told the outlet he believed his deceased wife would have given him her blessing "to be happy." Duffy has gushed over Purl whenever he speaks about their relationship which began in an unlikely circumstance.
How lockdown brought them closer
Patrick Duffy can thank the COVID-19 pandemic for his blossoming relationship with Linda Purl. During lockdown in 2020, the pair reconnected in a group text, which then led to FaceTime chats, and eventually to lengthy Zoom calls every night. "We didn't sit in the same room for almost four months, but we spoke to each other everyday," Duffy said while appearing alongside Purl on "This Morning" on January 26 (via the Daily Mail). Purl acknowledged that quarantine played a large part in their romance. "I don't think it would have happened otherwise because in our normal lives pre-pandemic, we wouldn't have had three hours to Zoom, but we did," she said. The "Knots Landing" actor described Purl as "the most beautiful thing in the world" on the morning talk show. "I wasn't looking for [love] but it found me ... I'm in an incredibly happy relationship," he added.
Their relationship was tested when the pair were cast as a couple for a Lifetime movie that was filmed in Vancouver, and they were forced to quarantine together. "It was a time to really get to know one another with no outside influences to encumber you," Duffy told Closer Weekly in 2021. The actor fawned over his romantic partner and co-star. "I am stunned every time that I realize this amazing woman loves me. It's just like, wow!" he exclaimed.
Meanwhile, Purl never misses an opportunity to post an adorable snap with Duffy on her Instagram page, which is littered with photos of her beau.