James Arness, the late actor, was the father of three children. Arness, who is well known for playing Marshal Matt Dillon in the CBS television series Gunsmoke for 20 years, first adopted Virginia Chapman’s son, Craig.
He and Chapman eventually produced two biological children, Jenny Lee and Rolf.
James Arness’s Two Children Died at a Young Age
Unfortunately, two of his three children died young, even before his death in June 2011. James Arness in an antique photograph.
Jenny Lee, the actor’s daughter, was the first to leave the family, having been born on May 23, 1950. In May 1975, she allegedly overdosed on sleeping pills and committed suicide.
Arness’s second child died a few years later. Craig, his adopted son, died in December 2004 at the age of 58. He had been receiving treatment for lung and anemia issues, according to reports. Craig had made a name for himself as a photographer for magazines.
In 1976, he was sent to National Geographic for the first time. He spent the next ten years of his life traveling the globe and authoring seven National Geographic pieces and books.
His work was even awarded Best Photograph and Best Photo of the Year by the National Press Photographers Association’s Magazine Pictorial Division. He was also married to Daphne and the father of two children, Holly and Brian.
Arness’s son Rolf, who became a world surfing champion in 1970, is his only surviving child. With his father’s encouragement, he began surfing at an early age.
He now lives in Los Angeles and volunteers at a mental health clinic in Santa Monica on a regular basis.
The Wife of James Arness died of a drug overdose
Arness’s first wife, Chapman, died of a heroin overdose in 1977, two years after their daughter. She was discovered dead in her seaside house, according to the coroner’s office. At the time of her death, she was 56 years old.
In 1956, James Arness and his wife Virginia Chapman were married. According to another story from The OCR, she was emotionally unstable and had tried suicide twice before, in 1959 and 1960.
After these occurrences, Arness divorced her in 1963, ending their 15-year marriage. In 1948, they tied the knot. Arness was awarded legal custody of their children following their divorce. With them, he had a quiet family life.
After the divorce, he said, “The kids don’t really have any part of my television life.” “Fortunately, show business doesn’t interfere with our family’s existence very often.”
James Arness was in two relationships at the same time. Arness afterwards fell in love with Thordis Brand. After his divorce with Chapman, he met her four years later and dated her for six years.
They did not, however, marry or have children as a result of their romance. After his breakup from Brand, the Gunsmoke star married the next woman he met. Janet Surtees was his second wife, with whom he remained married until his death.
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