EXCLUSIVE: Inside Patrick Stewart's 'Star Trek' Marriage Disaster — and How Late Actor's Alleged Affair With Co-Star Tore Apart His 25-Year Marriage
Patrick Stewart's alleged affair while working on 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' ended his first marriage.
Oct. 30 2026, Published 3:20 p.m. ET
Patrick Stewart shot to international superstardom as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation, but his meteoric rise to fame came at a devastating personal price in the collapse of his decades-long marriage to his first wife, Sheila Falconer, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The beloved actor died on Wednesday, October 28, after a brief battle with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia, but he had been haunted by the personal cost of Star Trek superstardom, admitting the iconic role robbed him of precious time with his then-wife and young children.
Patrick Stewart Admitted to Missing 'Huge Amounts of Time' With His Then-Wife and Kids
Stewart's busy acting career kept him from being a hands-on husband and father.
Stewart landed the role of a lifetime when he first stepped into Picard's shoes in 1987, commanding the USS Enterprise for seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation before reprising his iconic role in films and television over an astonishing 36-year span.
The acting icon married Falconer in 1966, and they went on to welcome son Daniel the following year. The former couple added to their family with the arrival of daughter Sophie in 1972.
"When I got married and I had children, I missed huge amounts of time," Stewart confessed about the demands of his career.
He admitted, "I would see my kids on Sundays if I was lucky. It was hard on my kids."
Patrick Stewart 'Didn't Act Like a Man Who Was Married'
Sources on the set of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' claimed Stewart didn't try to hide his alleged affair with Jennifer Hetrick.
Being in Los Angeles and filming the role of Picard ultimately doomed Stewart's marriage to London-based Falconer when it was revealed he allegedly fell for actress Jennifer Hetrick, who starred on the legal drama L.A. Law from 1989 through 1991.
Their romance led to Stewart and Falconer separating after 24 years of marriage and divorcing in 1991.
"Everyone on the set knows that they're practically living together," a show insider claimed at the time of Stewart's marriage falling apart amid his romance with Hettrick.
The spy claimed, "They're together all the time and have been very open about the romance. He sure doesn’t act like a man who’s married."
Patrick Stewart's Ex-Wife Initially 'Didn't Believe' He Was Having an Affair
Stewart and then-wife Sheila Falconer split after he was caught leaving his alleged lover's home in L.A.
A reporter caught Stewart making an early-morning exit from Hetrick's Los Angeles apartment following an alleged overnight tryst, stepping outside at 6:50 a.m. to grab the newspaper while wearing a woman's purple bathrobe.
Meanwhile, his unsuspecting wife was 6,000 miles away in London. When confronted with claims her husband was openly carrying on with another woman, she reportedly brushed off the bombshell allegations, declaring: "You're being silly. I don't believe it!"
Just three days later, Stewart and Falconer announced their separation.
Patrick Stewart Found Lasting Love With Third Wife Sunny Ozell
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Stewart wed Sunny Ozell in 2013, five years after meeting in a Brooklyn pizza joint.
Stewart and Hetrick continued their romance for two years following his divorce, reportedly even getting engaged at one point, but their love affair ultimately fizzled before they ever made it down the aisle.
The X-Men star later found love with Star Trek: The Next Generation producer Wendy Neuss, tying the knot in 2000. But his second shot at marital bliss also ended in heartbreak when the couple split just three years later.
Stewart finally struck gold with his third shot at marriage after a chance encounter with pizza waitress Sunny Ozell in 2008. The Logan star fell for his future bride at the Brooklyn restaurant where she was waiting tables while he was commanding the stage in a production of Macbeth at the nearby Brooklyn Academy of Music.
The couple wed in 2013, and his 47-year-old wife was by his side when he passed away 13 years later.
"We announce with great sorrow the passing of Sir Patrick Stewart yesterday at his home in Los Angeles, in the loving care of his beloved wife Sunny, following a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia," his spokesperson said when revealing the heartbreaking news.
