Women's Health October 17, 2025 0 Comments

Kathy Bates’ Bold Relationship Moves: The Surprising Truth Behind Her Marriage, Divorce, and Why She Chose No Kids!

Ever wonder what it’s like to carve your own lane in Hollywood without playing by the usual rules? Kathy Bates, the powerhouse behind unforgettable roles in classics like Misery, Dolores Claiborne, and Titanic, does exactly that – and then some. Now starring as the tough-as-nails lead in the hit CBS legal drama Matlock’s second season, she’s proof that being an Academy Award winner doesn’t mean fitting the cookie-cutter leading lady mold. But here’s a kicker: Kathy’s path off-screen is just as intriguing, marked by a brief marriage to fellow actor Tony Campisi and a deliberate choice to live a child-free life. Curious about how this legendary actress embraces her unconventional journey with unapologetic gusto? Dive into her story, from a long-running romance to choosing passion projects over parenthood — and discover why Kathy Bates has always marched to the beat of her own drum. LEARN MORE

With her iconic performances in films like Misery, Dolores Claiborne and Titanic and her current role as the title character in the hit CBS legal drama Matlock, now in its second season, Kathy Bates has been a powerhouse actress for decades. The Academy Award-winning performer has never been the typical leading lady, and she’s followed her own path both on and off the camera—and this intriguing nonconformity extends to her personal life.

Bates was married to fellow actor Tony Campisi from 1991 to 1997. The couple didn’t have children, and following their divorce, she never remarried. Read on to learn about her marriage and see what she’s said about being happily child-free.

Kathy Bates’ marriage to Tony Campisi

Kathy Bates met Tony Campisi, who had small roles in shows like Matlock (quite the coincidence, given that Bates would star in the show’s reboot decades later), Days of Our Lives and Law & Order, in 1977, when a group of friends set them up by giving them tickets to see the same play. They quickly began dating, and were together for 14 years before they finally married in 1991. They shared the stage when they played the titular couple in a 1989 production of the play Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, and they appeared together in the 1993 film A Home of Our Own.

Kathy Bates and Tony Campisi in 1992Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty

While Bates and Campisi were a couple for a long time before they tied the knot, the marriage didn’t last, and they divorced in 1997. When asked about the role she’s played that’s most like her in a recent interview with Deadline, Bates quipped, “Well, my ex-husband would say Misery. And there are days that I don’t disagree with that.”

Bate also told Deadline about overcoming the difficulties of divorce and finding solace in her social life, saying, “For a long time, I would come home and I would think, after having gone through a divorce, ‘Well, what do I do now?’ Over the last few years, I’ve met some wonderful friends and they really fill my life. We’ve really created a family together, and that has become my life.”

Kathy Bates and Tony Campisi in 1993Vinnie Zuffante/Getty

How Kathy Bates has embraced being child-free: ‘I didn’t want that’

Bates has kept her personal life fairly private in the 28 years since her divorce, but the actress has spoken openly about her decision to not have children. In an interview with Parade, she said, “I didn’t have kids. But my characters were kind of my kids, I guess. I never thought about [it] that way. But I certainly chose not to have children. I didn’t want that.” She continued to say her characters were “where I’ve put my love and care and passion in developing and evolving and studying and nurturing,” adding, “But I hasten to say they’re not real children. They’re make-believe children.”

Bates may not have children of her own, but she has convincingly played many mothers and grandmothers, and in an appearance on The Late Show last year, she spoke movingly about how memories of her own mom, rather than being a mom herself, inspired her performance in Matlock, telling Stephen Colbert, “Because of Matlock, I’ve been thinking so much about her, because of her being older when I was born and the relationship that Matty had with her daughter, so I think she’s been front and center in my mind.”

The fact that Kathy Bates isn’t a mother and was able to channel her own mother’s spirit for her Matlock role is proof of her range as an actress, and it’s clear that from being child-free to never remarrying to embracing chosen family, the 77-year-old star has always been committed to living life on her own terms.