EXCLUSIVE: Patrick Duffy, 76, Panicking Over Proposing To Longtime Girlfriend Linda Purl — 'He's Not Sure He Can Do It'
Patrick Duffy isn't getting any younger, but he's still unsure about proposing to girlfriend Linda Purl.
July 21 2025, Published 6:30 a.m. ET
Patrick Duffy is finally ready to pop the question to Linda Purl, as RadarOnline.com can reveal the former Dallas icon is tying himself in knots over the perfect proposal while worrying that the onetime Happy Days beauty will turn him down.
An insider said for all his boasting about finding love again at age 76, he's extremely timid and "frets over the smallest details."
"He decided to bite the bullet – bought the ring, and he's getting ready to propose and sweep her off her feet. But he's worried she might say no," because the 69-year-old actress, also known for her roles on The Office and Matlock, "is telling him they don't need a ring to be happy."
Taking The Plunge?
Purl insisted a ring isn't needed, but tradition still matters to Duffy.
The source added: "The way she sees it, they feel married already, so why bother with formalities and expense? It does matter to him, though. He's old-fashioned."
This summer, the senior sweethearts have been touring Ireland and meeting the locals, but sources said the proposal problem is weighing heavily on Duffy.
Purl's modern view clashes with Duffy's old-school proposal nerves.
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"He's skittish that it might jeopardize what they have. Patrick's really put himself in a pickle!" claimed the source.
The lovebirds met years ago, but his romance with the four-time divorcée blossomed when they reconnected in a Zoom group chat during the COVID pandemic following the cancer death of Duffy's wife, Carlyn Rosser, in 2017.
Added the insider: "This proposal dilemma is something he needs to deal with, and he's not sure he can do it."
