How many times did William Shatner marry? All about the wives as Star Trek star addresses Tinnitus battle

William Shatner, 94, opened up about his long-time battle with tinnitus. According to a Parade report, the medical condition has been bothering him for decades now, since the time he shot Star Trek.

He was recently featured in a video, in partnership with the nonprofit organization Tinnitus Quest, to raise money for research and spread awareness about the condition.

Amid the news of the Osmosis Jones star reflecting on his health battle, many are curious about his personal life, particularly his marriages and wives.

William Shatner has been married four times so far. Presently, he is not remarried.

William Shatner reflected on his struggle with tinnitus

The Star Trek legend discussed his journey with tinnitus and how it began when he was shooting an episode for the iconic franchise.

As People cited, he described:

"My own journey with tinnitus started when I was filming a Star Trek episode called Arena, and I was too close to the special effects explosion, and the result was that I was left with permanent tinnitus."

William Shatner further continued,

"And over the years, I’ve had many ups and downs with my tinnitus, and I know from firsthand experience just how difficult it can get."

He concluded the candid video by explaining the importance of raising money for the organization and thanking viewers for watching. He added,

"The more money we can raise for Tinnitus Quest, the quicker we can find a solution to help the millions of people suffering. Thank you so much for watching, and I hope you will consider donating to Tinnitus Quest."

According to the American Tinnitus Association, patients suffering from tinnitus hear “ringing, buzzing, whooshing sound in their ears” that other people cannot hear, as People cited.

The association also added that this disease is “the perception of sound when no actual external noise is present,” as Parade reported.

William Shatner talked about tinnitus back in 2023 during a conversation with E! News, People confirmed. During the chat, he looked back on the initial days of struggling with the disease and realizing that it was affecting him.

He shared:

"I was on the beach and it’s a vivid moment, and you know how the waves go out — the wave comes in [roars] and then it goes 'ssss' [as it] goes out. All of a sudden, I kept hearing a 'ssss' even though there was another wave coming. And that’s how I discovered [I had tinnitus]."

The Airplane II: The Sequel actor also noted:

"And it started, and I went to the doctor and said, 'Will it get worse?' And he said, 'It might not.' But of course it does as you age, it gets worse."

With time, he acclimated to the persistent sound. Recalling it, he further conveyed,

"Your brain starts to assimilate the sound, like it would if you were living beside an airport. Sometimes it’s really bad, but I know it’s not going to kill me."

A look at William Shatner's wives

Despite William Shatner being one of the most iconic Hollywood celebrities, his private life has mostly remained under wraps. He has rarely spoken about his love life in the past. Let’s take a look at his past marriages.

Gloria Rand

According to a People report, William Shatner first came across Gloria Rand on the set of a television drama titled Dreams. Years ago, he recounted a rare insight into meeting his first wife while chatting with the Archive of American Television, and shared,

"I wrote a television drama, in which I cast the girl that I subsequently married and became the mother of my three children."

On August 12, 1956, the duo got married and were together for over a decade. They had three kids: Leslie, Lisabeth, and Melanie. After 13 years, they got divorced in 1969.

Nearly four decades after his divorce from Rand, Shatner talked about his first marriage in his autobiography titled Up Till Now.

Sharing about the dynamic and blaming himself for their separation, William Shatner mentioned,

"I was working so hard to support my family and resented Gloria because I was getting so little joy out of my marriage. She resented me for … for probably many reasons. So Gloria stayed home with our girls and it seemed like each week new and beautiful — and seemingly available — women showed up on the set."

Marcy Lafferty

Months after his first marriage, William Shatner met Marcy Lafferty on the set of The Andersonville Trial, Parade reported. She joined the drama team to rehearse lines with actors.

The Emmy winner looked back on meeting Marcy in his autobiography. He remembered their interaction and explained,

"During rehearsals, I'd met a lovely woman named Marcy Lafferty, a young actress George Scott had hired to run lines with the cast."

Soon, they began dating and tied the knot in October 1973.

According to People, William Shatner confessed that his partner had discussed marriage first. After she asked if William would marry her in a few years, he thought of celebrating the nuptials. Later, on October 20, 1973, they got married.

During their marriage, the duo began horse breeding and explored their passion for rearing and riding American Saddlebred show horses. In December 1996, they got divorced relatively amicably.

Nerine Kidd

William met his third wife, Nerine, on the set of Kung Fu: The Legend Continues in 1994. He came across her while directing an episode. He described the special moment of meeting her at a bar, adding that he felt “struck instantly by her beauty,” as per People.

They celebrated their wedding ceremony in Pasadena, California. During his marriage to Kidd, he read his vows, stating:

"I pledge allegiance to you, Nerine, my queen … When it is dark, and there is trouble, you need but wave that bauble and there will be light."

The Parade report confirmed that they married each other against the wishes of their loved ones. Though Nerine went to rehab and stopped drinking before their wedding, she was, shockingly, found to be drinking.

While she was sober on her special day, Shatner found that “she had hidden bottles of vodka all over the house” the morning after their marriage.

Kidd dealt with alcohol addiction, and seeing her condition, many people asked the actor not to marry her. Despite several well-wishers suggesting him not to marry his third wife, he went ahead and tied the knot on November 15, 1997.

Recalling the day, William Shatner shared with The Sydney Morning Herald in 2008 that he and Kidd got married “against the advice of my family and friends.” He said:

"You know, [Nimoy] telephoned me just before I married Nerine. He said just one sentence, 'Bill, you do know that Nerine is an alcoholic. But I absolutely worshipped her and I thought, stupidly, that I could heal her."

Though Nerine went to rehab to recover and heal from the alcohol addiction, conditions often worsened. After years of struggle with drinking, she passed away on August 9, 1999.

Her husband found her in their home’s swimming pool in California. William rescued her from the pool and called 911 at once. Though authorities reached their home for assistance, Kidd could not survive.

Elizabeth Martin

William Shatner and Elizabeth Martin first connected in the late 1990s. Elizabeth reached out to him after Kidd’s tragic demise. Martin’s penmanship caught his eye. Soon, he realized who she was, and they bonded over their shared grief of losing their partners. They also shared a mutual interest in horses.

The duo tied the knot on February 13, 2001, in Lebanon, Indiana. After staying together for around 18 years, the Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story actor filed for divorce in December 2019. Their divorce was settled the next year in March.

However, it appears William and Elizabeth are getting back together. Reports hint at the possibility of a reconciliation.