Peter Jennings’ spouses and girlfriends: A personal romantic timeline
Peter Jennings’ spouses included Valerie Godsoe, Anouchka Malouf, Kati Marton, and Kayce Freed. He also had a few private relationships between these marriages, though not much was publicly shared.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- The late television journalist was married four times in his life.
- Peter's longest marriage was to Kati Marton, a journalist and author, with whom he had two children.
- His final marriage, to Kayce Freed, lasted until his death in 2005.
- While he was reportedly linked to several high-profile women, Jennings largely kept his personal relationships private.
Profile summary
| Full name | Peter Charles Archibald Ewart Jennings |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 29 July 1938 |
| Date of death | 7 August 2005 |
| Age at the time of death | 67 |
| Place of birth | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian-American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Hair colour | Brown |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| Father | Charles Jennings |
| Mother | Elizabeth Jennings |
| Siblings | Sarah |
| Marital status (at death) | Married |
| Wife (at death) | Kayce Freed |
| Children | Elizabeth and Christopher |
| College | Trinity College School, Lisgar Collegiate Institute |
| University | Carleton University, University of Ottawa |
| Profession | Television journalist |
Peter Jennings’ spouses: His life beyond the newsroom
Peter Jennings, the legendary Canadian-American news anchor of ABC World News Tonight, had a romantic life marked by several high-profile relationships. He was married four times, including to the Canadian broadcaster Valerie Bartlett and writer Kati Marton.
His marriages often drew public attention, especially given his demanding career and international fame. Find more details about his marital history below.
1. Valerie Godsoe (1963–970)
Valerie Godsoe was Peter Jennings’ first wife. They got married on 21 September 1963, when Jennings was still in the early stages of his journalism career. Their marriage lasted seven years, ending in divorce in 1970.
However, not much is publicly known about their relationship or the reasons for their separation, as both maintained a relatively private personal life during that time. Valerie and Peter had no children together.
2. Anoushka Malauf (197–1979)
Anoushka Malouf, a Lebanese-born photographer and artist, was Peter Jennings’ second wife. They tied the knot in 1973, during the early years of Jennings’s rise in American broadcast journalism.
The couple lived in Beirut, where Jennings had ABC’s bureau. As per The Independent, Peter and Annie travelled together on most of his assignments out of Beirut. The couple's marriage lasted six years, ending in 1979, and they had no children together.
3. Kati Marton (1979–1993)
Source: Getty Images
Peter Jennings’ third wife, Kati Marton, is a Hungarian-American author, journalist, and human rights advocate, best known for her time as a foreign correspondent for ABC News and National Public Radio. She was born on 3 February 1949 in Budapest, Hungary, making her 76 years old as of 2025.
Kati Marton and Peter first met in the late 1970s while working at ABC News, and soon began dating. At the time, Marton was a foreign correspondent and Jennings was a well-known broadcaster. They exchanged their wedding vows in September 1979 and had two children, Elizabeth and Christopher, before divorcing in 1993.
Marton later reflected on her time with Jennings as both meaningful and complex, especially in her memoir Paris: A Love Story. The journalist said:
It was a passionate and tormented love story that lasted 15 years and produced two children.
Speaking candidly about him, she wrote:
Nobody had delusions about who Peter was—the good and the bad. There’s no one who thought this man was a paragon of perfection just because he happened to be the brilliant broadcaster that he was.
4. Kayce Freed (1997–2005)
Source: Getty Images
Kayce Freed Jennings is executive vice president and co-founder of The Documentary Group, an independent production company. She was Peter Jennings’ fourth and final wife, and they were married from 6 December 1997 until he died in 2005.
When Peter Jennings was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2005, Kayce remained by his side, caring for him throughout his illness. After his passing, she helped preserve his legacy and became involved in education and public service projects, including work with the Paley Centre for Media and the Coalition for the Homeless.
Peter Jennings’ girlfriend history
Alongside his marriages, Jennings was also linked to a few notable women throughout his life. He was romantically linked to singer and actress Barbra Streisand between 1994 and 1998, and also had a relationship with Palestinian scholar and political figure Hanan Ashrawi.
In addition, he was reportedly involved in a brief encounter with adult entertainer Honeysuckle Divine in 1969.
FAQs
- Who was Peter Jennings? He was a Canadian-American television journalist, widely recognised for serving as the sole anchor of ABC World News Tonight from 1983 until his death.
- Where is Peter Jennings from? The late journalist was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- How old was Peter Jennings at the time of his death? Peter Jennings was 67 years old when he died. He passed away on 7 August 2005, after a battle with lung cancer.
- Who are Peter Jennings' parents? His parents are Charles Jennings and Elizabeth Jennings.
- Who were Peter Jennings' wives? The media personality was married four times in his life. His wives were Valerie Godsoe, Anoushka Malouf, Kati Marton, and Kayce Freed.
- Who did Peter Jennings date? Peter dated Hanan Ashrawi and Catherine “Kiki” de Montaigne during different periods of his life.
- Who was Peter Jennings's first wife? The legendary TV journalist's first wife was Valerie Godsoe. They were married in 1963 and divorced in 1970.
- What was Peter Jennings's cause of death? The media personality died of lung cancer.
Peter Jennings’ spouses played significant roles throughout the different phases of his life and career. From Valerie Godsoe to Kayce Freed, each marriage marked a new chapter. He shared two children with Kati Marton and also had notable relationships with Hanan Ashrawi and Catherine “Kiki” de Montaigne.
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Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
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