Marcia Murphey became famous back in the 1960s when she got married to American singer Neil Diamond. She became his wife after his first marriage to Jayne Posner which ended in divorce. They remained together for 25 years before the marriage also ended as his first and at the time, their divorce settlement was believed to be one of the most expensive ever.
Following the demise of the marriage, Marcia has stayed away from public life for many years while her former husband got into a relationship that lasted more than a decade, after which he married another woman in 2012.
Personal Life of Marcia Murphey
The biography of Marcia Murphey is one thing that has been hidden from the public. Her date of birth and how she spent her early life are all things that neither she nor her former husband revealed to the public.
However, it is known that she later worked as a TV producer. It was around this time that she met Neil whom she ended up marrying.
Neil Diamond Was Still Married When He Met Marcia Murphey
When the paths of Neil Diamond and Marcia Murphy first crossed, the musician was still married to his first wife, Jayne Posner. More so, it seemed as though he was still married to his first wife when they started dating.
Neil and Posner got married in 1963 and they remained together until 1969 when the marriage came to an end. Before the divorce, they were blessed with two kids; Elyn Diamond and Marjorie Diamond.
Marcia Murphey And Diamond Got Married In 1969
Not too long after his first marriage crashed, Diamond walked down the aisle with Murphy. For many years, the marriage was a happy one. She became an inspiration behind one of his best songs, ‘Sweet Caroline’ which for long, many thought was a song dedicated to the then young daughter of late President John F. Kennedy.
According to reports, Marcia who was an American Civil Liberties Union volunteer together with her husband relocated to their home at Malibu beach after selling the one they were previously living in.
Neil would later credit Murphy as the one who helped him achieve so much in his career. He revealed that she helped him to be more relaxed and behind his insanity, she was the one that kept him sane.
Marica and Neil Had Two Children Together
The couple was blessed with two sons, Jesse Diamond who is a photographer, and Micah Diamond who is also a freelance commercial photographer. While Jesse was born in 1971, Micah was born on 14 February 1978.
They Divorced In 1995, After 25 Years
After 25 years of marriage, Neil and Marcia finally called it quits. Even though they had many good years, Neil revealed that the marriage also had its many issues. According to the divorce papers, they were parting ways as a result of “irreconcilable differences.”
It was later reported, however, that Neil Diamond cheated on his wife with Cowgirl Jonnie Jonckowski. The alleged affair was reportedly started after they met in the early 1990s. Jonnie, an ex-rodeo rider, revealed that she and Neil were kindred spirits who met and fell in love because they were both always on the road and lonely.
She said they were both passionate and she had no regrets that they had an affair because she was certain that his marriage was over already. As his relationship with his wife continued to deteriorate, he moved Jonnie to a house he rented in Bel-Air, Calif. Unfortunately, this relationship did not last a long time because what Jonnie wanted was a more simple life than what Neil was offering her.
The Divorce Settlement Was Believed To Be One Of The Biggest Ever
Neil revealed that he continued to feel guilty over his failed marriage to Marcia. In compensation for that, it was believed that he reached a settlement of $150 million with his wife, which was one of the most expensive divorce settlements eveer.
According to the singer, the number was just formed by someone who gave it out to the media, but it was not true. He did not reveal what the real settlement was, but he added that he told his wife that he wished it was true that he was able to give her that much money in settlement because he believed she was worth every penny.
They continued to remain as good friends even after the marriage came to an end, but Marcia has since disappeared from the public domain.
Neil Diamond Got Into Another Relationship Before He Married In 2012
After his second marriage came to an end and his relationship with his former cowgirl lover, Jonnie Jonckowski led nowhere, he later began another relationship with an Australian production assistant who was 30 years his junior, Rae Farley.
Although they remained together for 13 years, the musician said both of them knew the relationship was not going anywhere because they never had any marriage plans even though they were together for that long. In 2008, the relationship finally ended.
It was after this relationship that Neil met Katie McNeil, a woman who is 29 years younger. They got married in 2012 and still remain together. He revealed that she would be his last wife as he doesn’t see himself getting married to another wife.