- - Who Was Rob Reiner’s First Wife, Penny Marshall? All About the Trailblazing Actress and Director

Caroline BlairDecember 16, 2025 at 2:46 AM

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Rob Reiner and Penny Marshall, circa 1970 in New York. -

Rob Reiner was married to Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981

Although Reiner and Marshall grew up across the street from each other, they didn't meet until auditioning for the same sitcom

Marshall died in 2018, while Reiner was killed in his Los Angeles home on Dec. 14, 2025

Before Rob Reiner married his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, the late director was married to Penny Marshall.

Reiner and Marshall grew up together in the Bronx but weren't familiar with each other until years later. They married in April 1971 and worked together on several movies and television shows — including Laverne & Shirley and More Than Friends.

Reiner adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner, whom she had with her first husband, Michael Henry. Reiner and Marshall ended their relationship in 1981 but remained close friends, co-parenting Tracy.

Marshall died on Dec. 17, 2018. She was 75 years old. Shortly after learning of his ex-wife's death, Reiner shared on social media that he was "so sad" to hear of her passing and remembered her fondly.

Reiner went on to marry Michele in 1989, and they had three children together. However, their son, Nick, was taken into custody in connection with Reiner and Michele's deaths after the couple were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Dec. 14, 2025.

So, who was Rob Reiner's first wife? Here's everything to know about the late Penny Marshall.

Marshall was a prominent director and Golden Globe-nominated actress

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Rob Reiner and Penny Marshall.

Marshall was born and raised in the Bronx before moving to L.A. to pursue a career in acting and directing. She joined her older brother, the late famed director Garry Marshall, in L.A. and worked with him on several projects that shot her to fame.

She scored her first role in the comedy How Sweet It Is! in 1968 and later appeared in The Odd Couple, which Garry produced. In 1975, Marshall had her breakout role when she played Laverne DeFazio in the hit sitcom Happy Days.

Marshall and her on-screen roommate Shirley Feeney (played by the late Cindy Williams) became so beloved that they launched their own spinoff series, Laverne & Shirley. The sitcom followed the two Milwaukee brewery workers and their hilarious hijinks over an eight-year run.

Laverne & Shirley became one of the most popular sitcoms in TV history, and Marshall was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards.

By the time the series wrapped in 1983, Marshall was looking to transition to behind the camera. She made her directorial debut with the 1986 movie Jumpin’ Jack Flash.

“For me it was just something to do,” Marshall said in 1996, referring to her pivot from acting to directing. “If I failed, I had my excuse: I was an actress, not a director.”

In 1988, she directed the Tom Hanks blockbuster film Big and became the first woman to direct a movie that grossed more than $100 million at the box office. Four years later, she grossed more than $130 million at the box office with the 1992 movie, A League of Their Own.

She continued directing and producing movies for years, and her other projects include Renaissance Man, The Preacher’s Wife, Riding in Cars With Boys, Cinderella Man, Bewitched and Awakenings — which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.

She was childhood neighbors with Reiner

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Penny Marshall during an interview with guest host Rob Reiner on July 11, 1977 on The Tonight Show..

Before Marshall or Reiner became Hollywood legends, they grew up across the street from each other in the Bronx. Although they were neighbors, they never met before their film careers,

“We grew up across the street in the Bronx but didn’t know each other,” she told PEOPLE in 2012. “I loved him dearly.”

She added in her 2014 memoir, My Mother Was Nuts, “It was a very wide street."

Marshall and Reiner married in 1971, and he adopted her daughter

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Penny Marshall and her daughter Tracy.

Marshall and Reiner met and began dating after they auditioned to play an on-screen couple in the sitcom All in the Family. Although Marshall lost the part to Sally Struthers, she hit it off with Reiner.

The couple married on April 10, 1971. Shortly after tying the knot, Reiner adopted Marshall's daughter, Tracy. Marshall had Tracy with her first husband, Michael, whom she was married to before her Hollywood career from 1963 to 1966.

Tracy followed in her parents' footsteps and acted in several films, including When Harry Met Sally (which her father directed), her mother's film A League of Their Own and Apollo 13.

During Marshall and Reiner's 10-year marriage, they worked on several projects together. In 1978, they starred together in the comedy More Than Friends, and they co-hosted Saturday Night Live in 1975.

They divorced in 1981 but remained on good terms

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Rob Reiner and Penny Marshall appear on 'The Odd Couple'.

After 10 years of marriage, Reiner and Marshall divorced in 1981. Marshall has reflected on the divorce over the years and told The Hollywood Reporter in 2012 that she and Reiner remained on good terms.

“It’s still sad that Rob and I didn’t work it out, but he’s happily married with three kids — my grandson went to school with his kids, two of his boys," she told the publication.

Marshall later told Vulture that she "always thought" they'd get back together when she and Reiner were older, but they had both moved on.

"We stayed together longer because of pride," she said in 2012. "We always thought we would get back together when we were much older. But he’s got a wife and family now. His grandkids went to school with my kids. We still get along."

Marshall died on Dec. 17, 2018

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Rob Reiner and Penny Marshall attend the Emmy Awards on May 6, 1972 in Hollywood, California.

Marshall died on Dec. 17, 2018, at 75 years old. She died of heart failure from diabetes in her home in L.A. Prior to her diabetes diagnosis, she was also in remission from brain and lung cancer.

"Our family is heartbroken over the passing of Penny Marshall,” her family shared in a statement at the time. “Penny was a girl from the Bronx, who came out West, put a cursive ‘L’ on her sweater and transformed herself into a Hollywood success story. We hope her life continues to inspire others to spend time with family, work hard and make all of their dreams come true."

Shortly after learning about his ex-wife's death, Reiner reflected on their time together and expressed his sadness. He initially wrote on X, "So sad about Penny," before sharing a second message.

“I loved Penny,” he wrote in a since-deleted post. “I grew up with her. She was born with a great gift. She was born with a funnybone and the instinct of how to use it. I was very lucky to have lived with her and her funnybone. I will miss her.”

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”