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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Jane Goodall’s rueful line about doing it twice referred to her two marriages. In a 2025 account, The Independent reported that she called both husbands “extremely jealous” and “possessive,” before adding, “How I could do it twice? I don’t know.” She also said she wished her first marriage had continued because it had been a good one.
What did Jane Goodall mean by “How I could do it twice”?
Goodall was reflecting on having married twice, not making a general claim about marriage. The Independent attributed the remark to her in its 2025 account of her relationships, quoting her recollection that both husbands were jealous, even of her women friends. The published account presents the line as a rueful response to that experience.
The same report also included her affection for her first marriage: she wished it could have continued, describing it as a good one. Those comments belong together; the quip does not erase her fondness for that relationship. The Independent’s report is the source for this wording and context. The account reviewed here does not include a primary recording or transcript of the newer remark, so it is best treated as a quotation attributed by the publication.
Who were Jane Goodall’s husbands?
Hugo van Lawick
Goodall’s first husband was wildlife filmmaker Hugo van Lawick. Vogue reports that their marriage ended in divorce in 1974. In a 2023 interview with The Guardian, Goodall recalled sobbing when she accepted that the marriage was not working. She said van Lawick had his work and could not stay at their research base in Gombe, Tanzania.
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Goodall’s reflections convey both the pain of the separation and the pressures of lives shaped by demanding work. In a separate interview, she described herself as driven and said living on the Serengeti had been valuable, but not something she could continue indefinitely. These comments offer context, not a single definitive explanation for the divorce. Vogue’s interview discusses her work and family life; The Guardian’s interview records her recollection of the marriage ending.
Derek Bryceson
Goodall’s second husband was Derek Bryceson, a Tanzanian parks director. The Independent reports that he died in 1980. The sources cited here do not establish precise wedding dates or the exact duration of either marriage, so those details are not included.
Goodall’s own account of the first marriage’s end
In the 2023 Guardian interview, Goodall said: “I haven’t cried properly since 1969. TV and film might leave me misty-eyed, but the last time I truly sobbed was when I accepted my first marriage wasn’t working.” Her recollection makes clear how painful that realization was. She also linked the difficulty to van Lawick’s work and his inability to remain at Gombe, rather than naming jealousy as the sole reason the relationship ended.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A related book
Readers interested in Goodall’s own reflections may also want to know about her book Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey. Documentary press notes identify it as a source of narration excerpts; it should not be mistaken for the source of the marriage quotation.
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