Categories: News

Don Johnson on ‘Keys’ to 25-Year Marriage with Kelley Phleger (Exclusive) ArticlePure

Don Johnson went all out to celebrate his 25th anniversary with wife Kelley Phleger.

Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE at the Los Angeles premiere of ABC’s Doctor Odyssey on Wednesday, Sept. 18, Johnson, 74, discussed his marriage to Phleger, whom he tied the knot with in April 1999.

“Oh my gosh. We had a big dinner and a big party… and I bought her bling, man,” Johnson tells PEOPLE at the Bel-Air Bay Club. “Several different blings.”

Johnson went on to reveal the key to their long-standing relationship.

“Oh, we are just so in tune with each other that there’s an unspoken like trust and kindness and respect with us. And those are the keys,” he tells PEOPLE.

Kelley Phleger and Don Johnson at the premiere of “Doctor Odyssey”.

Chad Salvador/Variety via Getty


The actor — who shares children Atherton Grace, 24, Jasper, 22, and Deacon Johnson, 18 with Phleger — previously called his partner “a saint” in an interview with Parade in May 2023.

“I was with Bob Dylan one time, and I was having relationship issues, and Bob looks up at me and goes, ‘Well, see, love is about kindness, trust and respect, isn’t it?’ And that’s the embodiment of Kelley,” the actor told the outlet.

“It’s kindness, trust and respect, and we have that with each other. We’re lovers and friends and it’s fun. She’s an amazing woman,” Johnson added.

Grace Johnson, Don Johnson and wife Kelley Phleger in L.A. on May 6, 2018.

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic


The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Johnson and Phleger are said to have been introduced by producer Jo Schuman Silver at a birthday party for then-San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown in the mid-90s, but reportedly didn’t start dating until the fall of 1997. Phleger was then spotted wearing a 5 1/2-carat diamond engagement ring in April 1998.

“Don came up to me at Willie’s birthday party and said that the minute he laid eyes on Kelley, he knew he was going to marry her,” Schuman Silver told PEOPLE in 1999. “I don’t know what she thought, but I’m sure she found him very attractive.”

The actor was previously married to actress Melanie Griffith, 67; first in 1976 before splitting the same year, and again from 1989 to 1996. The pair share daughter Dakota Johnson, 34, together.

In addition to his kids with Phleger and Griffith, Johnson also shares a son, Jesse Johnson, 41, with ex Patti D’Arbanville, 73.

Don Johnson and Kelley Phleger in L.A. in 2001.

Frederick M. Brown/Getty 


Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

The Miami Vice alum’s latest red carpet appearance comes after he spoke to PEOPLE for this week’s issue about the attention he got from women after shooting to fame playing Detective James “Sonny” Crockett on the cop show in the mid-’80s.

“I had to isolate. The [women] know where you are. We had security 24/7,” he said. “One day, I reflected on Elvis and thought, ‘Isn’t this kind of the way Elvis lived and died?’ Not that I’m comparing myself to Elvis, but in terms of him not being able to have a personal life. So I learned to manage it and vowed not to let it imprison me.”

Varshil

Recent Posts

Kiernan Shipka Says She Knew What Was Going on in ‘Mad Men’ as a Child Star ArticlePure

Mad Men star Kiernan Shipka is praising the show’s behind-the-scenes efforts to shield her from…

7 hours ago

‘Wheel of Fortune’ Contestant Goes Viral After Hilarious ‘Missolve’ ArticlePure

A Wheel of Fortune contestant has gone viral for his hilarious "missolve." On the Monday,…

15 hours ago

Tennis Channel Removes Jon Wertheim After Comment About Barbora Krej?íková ArticlePure

The Tennis Channel has benched Jon Wertheim after he made an “inappropriate comment” regarding professional…

23 hours ago

Olympian Raygun Says She’s Not Fully Retiring from Breakdancing ArticlePure

Paris Olympic competitor Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn seemingly announced earlier this month that she was done…

1 day ago

The 4 Best Flannel Sheets of 2024, Tested by PEOPLE ArticlePure

As the weather cools down, it may be time to swap out your bedding. If…

2 days ago

Christine Promises Newly-Divorced Meri It’s ‘Better on the Other Side’ ArticlePure

Meri Brown is still processing her divorce from her longtime husband Kody Brown — and…

2 days ago