James Earl Jones was married twice: first to actress and singer Julienne Marie, from 1968 until their divorce in 1972, and later to actress Cecilia Hart, whom he married in 1982. Jones and Hart had a son, Flynn; Hart died in 2016.
Julienne Marie: their meeting and marriage
Jones met actress and singer Julienne Marie in 1964 while they were performing in Othello. Jones played Othello and Marie played Desdemona. They married in 1968, and the marriage ended in divorce in 1972, according to The Guardian’s obituary. The HistoryMakers’ archival finding aid also identifies the marriage as spanning 1968–72.
Cecilia Hart: meeting on Paris and family
Jones met actress Cecilia Hart while they were working on the CBS police drama Paris. The Television Academy says Jones played the title character and Hart a young detective; a New York Times obituary reproduced by Legacy dates their meeting on the series to 1979. They married in 1982 and had a son, Flynn. Hart died in 2016.
In a 2014 Washington Post interview, Jones recalled his affection for Cecilia’s father while reflecting on their marriage: “I fell in love with Colonel Hart before I knew I loved my wife.” The remark is about his future father-in-law, not a broader account of the private life of the couple.
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What is documented about Jones’ past relationships
These records establish two marriages and the key public milestones: Marie and Jones’s shared Othello production, their 1968–72 marriage, Hart and Jones’s connection through Paris, their 1982 marriage, their son, and Hart’s death in 2016. They do not provide a detailed account of the private dynamics of either marriage, or establish that these were Jones’s only significant relationships.
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