Tim Matheson and Jennifer Leak.Photo:Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty; CBS via Getty
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty; CBS via Getty
Tim Mathesonis paying tribute to his late ex-wife and formerYours, Mine and OurscostarJennifer Leak.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Jennifer Leak’s passing,” theWest Wingstar shared onFacebookWednesday. “She wasn’t just my screen sister in ‘Yours, Mine and Ours,’ but also my beloved first wife.”
TheVirgin Riveractor continued, “Jennifer was a remarkable woman, strong, lovely, and incredibly talented. My deepest condolences go out to her husband of 47 years, James D’Auria and their multitude of friends.”
The East Hampton Starreported that Leak died on March 18 at her home in Jupiter, Florida. She was 76.
Before her death, she was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological disease that affects balance, vision and speech.
Matheson and Leak, who played step-siblings in the 1960s film, wed in 1968 but later divorced in 1971. Leak then married D’Auria in April 1977.
The ‘Yours, Mine and Ours’ cast in 1968.Screen Archives/Getty
Screen Archives/Getty
She later established her name in the soap world, appearing in daytime programs likeThe Young and the RestlessandGuiding Light. The soap “became her favorite medium and what she loved performing in most,” according to what D’Auria shared withThe East Hampton Star.
Jennifer Leak for ‘The Young and the Restless’ in January 1974.CBS via Getty
CBS via Getty
D’Auria described his wife to the outlet as “a shy and private person, never desiring to be the center of attention or having the need for an audience.” But when she was on camera, “she became electric.”
The couple split their time between New York City and the Hamptons but settled in the latter in 2001. They relocated to Florida in 2017.
source: people.com
