William Shatner and Elizabeth Martin divorce: Captain Kirk's 20-year journey with fourth wife
'Star Trek' legend William Shatner has decided to end his marriage with his fourth wife, Elizabeth Martin, after being together for nearly 19 years. Even though, he reportedly got to keep the bulk of his $100 million net worth after his divorce settlement and not pay any alimony.
Best known for his role as Captain Kirk on 'Star Trek', Shatner filed for divorce last December but the court documents say they had separated in February 2019. Thanks to an iron-clad pre-nuptial agreement, the actor does not have to pay any alimony. Moreover, the couple does not have any children and the divorce proceedings seem to be running smoothly.
The actor got his claim to fame with the series (Star Trek) that ran for three seasons and its big-screen adaptation but played small parts later in life. The Canadian native, starred in umpteen TV series and films, including 'TJ Hooker' (1982-1986), 'The Practice' (2004-2008), 'Boston Legal' (2004-2008) and 'Better Late Than Never' (2016 -2017). In fact, all his earnings from the 'Star Trek' days were off-limits and the negotiations were only around splitting up the money from other projects over the last two decades.
Interestingly, Shatner was spotted wearing his wedding ring even after his split. The couple's timeline from when they were together goes something like this. The two met in 2001 and began a romance. At the age of 69, Shatner's love blossomed after the tragic death of his third wife and he walked the aisle with then 42-year-old Elizabeth Martin in 2001.
A professional horse trainer, Martin was 27 years younger to Shatner and while their age difference caught many eyeballs, the two sailed smoothly for over two decades. Expressing his love for his wife, Shatner once said, “My wife Elizabeth is one of the great wives—in fact, the greatest wife I’ve known of anybody. She’s understanding. She’s loving. She’s patient. She’s her own woman. She’s beautiful. She’s passionate.”
Martin appeared in several documentaries, including a 2002 episode of 'E! True Hollywood Story', and films like 'Life Beyond Trek: William Shatner' (2004), 'Gonzo Ballet' (2009) and 'The Shatner Project' (2014), with her husband. In 'What's More', in 2004, she wrote one of his most famous songs, 'Together' for Shatner's album 'Has Been'.
Together, they also ran a charity show called 'Hollywood Charity Horse Show', which aims at helping children in need. This was not the first marriage for either of them. Shatner was first married to Gloria Rand (1956-1969), with whom he had three daughters: Leslie, 61, Lisabeth, 58, and Melanie, 55.
He then got hitched to Marcy Lafferty (1973-1996) and Nerine Kidd (1997-1999) before marrying Martin. Meanwhile, Martin's first husband was Michael Glenn Martin.
To know the history of their divorce proceedings, read this MEAWW coverage.