Joanna Carson, the model who became Johnny Carson’s third wife during the height of The Tonight Show’s cultural dominance, has passed away.
While her death last month wasn’t publicly announced at the time, Extra was first to report that her funeral was held last week. On July 30, the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation publicly acknowledged her passing in a Facebook post that also honored philanthropist Wallis Annenberg. “Remembering ETAF’s dear friends and supporters, Joanna Carson and Wallis Annenberg, who embodied our Founder, Elizabeth Taylor’s spirit of love and support,” the post read.
Joanna and Johnny met in 1971 at Manhattan’s storied 21 Club. She was a glamorous fashion model; he was the reigning king of late night. Their first date is said to have doubled as his 46th birthday celebration—and from then on, he reportedly called her every day at 4:30 p.m. for a year.
They married in 1972, just as Johnny finalized his divorce from second wife Joanne Copeland. The nuptials were a surprise, announced during a celebration of Tonight Show’s 10th anniversary.
The marriage lasted over a decade before Joanna filed for divorce. Their 1985 settlement—reportedly totaling $20 million in cash and prime real estate—would become a recurring topic in Carson’s monologues, but LateNighter contributor (and author of the forthcoming book Love Johnny) Mark Malkoff recalled, personally she was much more than punchline to Carson.
“Joanna Carson was a strong, intelligent woman who pushed Johnny out of his comfort zone in the best way,” Malkoff said. “It was Joanna who helped get Johnny’s drinking under control, and her son Timmy (later called Joe) provided Johnny the opportunity to finally be a good father.”
“She was President of the children’s charity SHARE and on the board of the Santa Monica rape treatment center at UCLA,” he added. “Though he joked about their divorce on the air, Johnny admired her greatly, and they stayed in touch after their marriage ended.”
