Inside the love lives of ‘The Brady Bunch’ cast: From on-screen family to real-life romances

In the 70s, ‘The Brady Bunch’ wasn’t just a TV show. It was, for a lot of people, the definition of what a family looked like on TV. When it premiered in 1969, families tuned in to watch the Bradys, six kids, two parents, and the world’s most patient housekeeper, figure out how to live together, fight, make up, and laugh along the way. Sherwood Schwartz, the show’s creator, didn’t just dream up a sitcom; he built a little universe where chaos, kindness, and everyday messiness felt normal.

You probably know the names of the cast by heart: Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, Ann B. Davis, Maureen McCormick, Eve Plumb, Susan Olsen, Barry Williams, Christopher Knight, and Mike Lookinland. They became icons of that picture-perfect family life, even though their real stories were a lot more interesting than what happened in the Brady living room.

Behind the scenes, their lives were complicated, emotional, and, well, human. Per People, some found lasting love. Some went through heartbreak, divorce, or just chose to go it alone. There were long marriages, quick breakups, quiet companionships, and a lot of stories that never made it to the screen.

Here’s a closer look inside the love lives of ‘The Brady Bunch’ cast.

Maureen McCormick played Marcia Brady, the oldest Brady daughter: the one everyone remembers. After the show ended, Maureen struggled. She dealt with addiction, depression, and the weight of growing up in the spotlight. But then she met Michael Cummings, and things changed. They got married in 1985, had a daughter named Natalie in 1989, and, against all the odds, have stuck together for over forty years. As far as Brady marriages go, that’s a record.

Maureen didn’t just disappear after the Bradys. She showed up on ‘The Love Boat’, ‘Fantasy Island’, and even reality shows like ‘Celebrity Fit Club’. More recently, she’s been on ‘The Masked Singer’ and ‘Dancing with the Stars’. And back in the day, she and Barry Williams, yep, Greg Brady himself, had a little teenage romance. Turns out, the Bradys were a lot closer off-set than fans ever realized.

Barry Williams had his own adventures. He played Greg, the oldest Brady brother, and his love life has been way less stable than what you saw on TV. He’s been married three times: first to Diane Martin in 1990, then to Eila Mary Matt in 1993. They had a son, Brandon, in 2003, before splitting up in 2005. He’s also got a daughter, Samantha, born in 2012, from a relationship with Elizabeth Kennedy. His relationship with Kennedy fizzled out one year after Samantha's birth, and he married Tina Mahina in 2017.

Barry has talked about dating Maureen back when they were both teenagers, calling it an “on-again, off-again” thing. Apparently, a lot of the Brady kids ended up dating each other at some point. Growing up together in the spotlight does that, I guess. Barry’s kept busy with guest roles on shows like ‘That Girl’ and ‘Mission: Impossible’, plus reality TV appearances. In 2023, he was on ‘Dancing with the Stars’, where he gave a sweet tribute to Florence Henderson, his TV mom.

Eve Plumb, who played Jan (the middle Brady daughter, always in Marcia’s shadow), took a different path. She married Rick Mansfield in 1979, but that was over in less than two years. Then she met Ken Pace, a business and tech consultant, and they’ve been married since 1995. Eve lives in Laguna Beach these days and even helps out on the city’s Design Review Board. She’s popped up in guest spots on shows like ‘That '70s Show’ and ‘Army Wives’, and she had a recurring part on ‘Fudge’.

People still remember Christopher Knight as Peter Brady, the middle kid on ‘The Brady Bunch’. His personal life has seen a few twists and turns. He first married Julie Schulman in 1989, but that ended in 1992. Three years later, he married Toni Erickson, but they split up in 2000. Knight kept busy with acting; he popped up on ‘Joe’s World’ and joined ‘The Surreal Life’ from 2003 to 2005. That’s actually where he met Adrianne Curry, who’d just won America’s Next Top Model. Sparks flew, and they got married in 2006. Their relationship even became a reality show, ‘My Fair Brady’. That marriage ended in 2011. In 2016, Knight married Cara Kokenes.

Susan Olsen, who played the youngest Brady, Cindy, had her own ups and downs. She married Steve Ventimiglia in 1988, but they split in 1990. In 1995, she married Mitch Markwell, and they had a son, Michael, in 1997. Olsen and Markwell eventually divorced in 2004. These days, Susan stays connected to Brady fans by hosting ‘The Real Brady Bros’ podcast, where she shares memories and behind-the-scenes stories from the show.

Mike Lookinland, Bobby Brady on the show, likes to keep things quiet. He married his high school sweetheart, Kelly Wermuth, on May 1, 1987, and they have two sons: Scott, born in 1990 (who played a younger Bobby in the TV movie Growing Up Brady), and Joe, born in 1993. Mike has mostly worked behind the camera, taking on jobs like production assistant and camera operator.

Florence Henderson will always be Carol Brady to most people. She married Ira Bernstein in 1956, and together they had four kids before divorcing in 1985. In 1987, she married Dr. John George Kappas, a hypnotherapist, and they stayed together until he passed away in 2002. Florence didn’t just stick to acting; she appeared on reality shows like ‘The Surreal Life’ and ‘Dancing with the Stars’, and even hosted a few cooking shows like ‘Good Food, Good Deeds’ and ‘Who’s Cooking with Florence Henderson’. She passed away in 2016 at 82.

Robert Reed played Mike Brady, the dad everyone wished they had. He married Marilyn Rosenberg in 1954, and they had a daughter, Karen, before splitting up in 1959. Reed’s career included an Emmy-nominated role in Roots and a part on the medical drama Nurse. He passed away in 1992 at 59. At first, people thought colon cancer was the only cause, but it later came out that he was HIV-positive. Reed kept his sexuality private all his life, but after he passed away, his castmates shared that they’d always known he was gay. In 2024, Maureen McCormick honored him for Pride Month, posting a photo and writing, “This #PrideMonth and always I think of you Bob. Love and miss you.”

Ann B. Davis, who played Alice, the housekeeper, lived life on her own terms. She never married, choosing instead to focus on faith, community, and personal happiness. She won two Emmys for her work on The Bob Cummings Show and stayed true to herself in an industry that often put romance front and center. Ann passed away in 2014 at 88, remembered for her independence and the warmth she brought to the Brady family.