Was Shelley Duvall Ever Married? Her Life Partner, Dan Gilroy, Announced Her Death

Shelley isn't the only famous partner Dan Gilroy's ever had.

Elissa Noblitt - Author
By

Jul. 11 2024, Published 12:05 p.m. ET

Shelley Duvall Dan Gilroy
Source: Getty images

Award-winning actress Shelley Duvall, best known for portraying Olive Oyl opposite Robin Williams in Popeye and Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, has died at the age of 75. Following a tumultuous career that ended abruptly with Shelley leaving the spotlight altogether, the beloved star had mostly kept to herself in the years leading up to her death, leaving many fans to wonder about her and express concern for her mental health.

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Shelley's death, which was said to be from complications due to diabetes, was announced to the Hollywood Reporter by her longtime partner, Dan Gilroy. Now that his name has been thrust into the spotlight, many fans want to know more. Was Shelley ever married? And what was her relationship with Dan like?

Here's what we know.

Shelley Duvall
Source: Getty Images
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Was Shelley Duvall ever married?

Before the peak of her career, in 1970, Shelley Duvall actually did get married to an artist named Bernard Sampson. However, when Shelley's career began to take off, the two could no longer make it work, resulting in a divorce in 1974. According to a magazine article published before their breakup, the two were "inseperable."

Following her divorce, Shelley never married again but engaged in a few relationships here and there, including with musician Paul Simon. The couple lived together for several years, according to a now-archived article from People in 1981. This ended, however, when Paul broke things off with Shelley to date fellow actress Carrie Fisher, who was a friend of Shelley's at the time.

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Who is Shelley's life partner, Dan Gilroy?

Shelley met longtime partner Dan Gilroy on the set of the Disney show Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme, a show which Shelley both produced and starred in. The pair began their relationship in 1989 and remained together until Shelley's death.

Dan is a musician and former founding member of popular band The Breakfast Club, which, yes, used to include Madonna.

In fact, Shelley isn't the only famous partner Dan's ever had. In 1979, 10 years before he began his partnership with Shelley, Dan became romantically involved with Madonna, who he met at a party. During their relationship, Dan, Madonna, and Dan's brother Ed formed The Breakfast Club. The trio performed local gigs for a while before Madonna left to pursue other ventures.

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