Johnny Carson, the undisputed king of late-night television for over three decades, was a household name known for his charm, wit, and impeccable comedic timing. But behind the scenes, the man America welcomed into their living rooms nightly struggled with personal demons. A new biography, Carson the Magnificent, sheds light on Carson’s private battles with alcohol and the challenges that plagued his marriages.
Co-written by the late Bill Zehme and Mike Thomas, the book explores the dichotomy between Carson’s public persona and his private turmoil. “He had major problems with alcohol, especially early on, that turned him into a demon,” Thomas revealed to Fox News Digital.
A Volatile First Marriage
Carson married his first wife, Jody Wolcott, in 1949. While the couple shared three sons, their union was anything but idyllic. Alcohol fueled frequent and fiery disputes.
“There would be boozy rows aplenty — some in front of other couples — or long silent stews of resentment or recrimination,” Zehme writes in the biography. Wolcott, unafraid to provoke Carson, often flirted openly with other men, triggering his ire.
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“She would reportedly dance on tabletops at parties, taunt and ooze caustic sarcasm, and flirt recklessly enough to provoke red-hot demons within him,” the book recounts. When intoxicated, Carson’s demeanor could shift drastically. “Those demons went on a rampage… an unrecognizable hellion… it was never really him… except of course it was,” Zehme wrote.
Their marriage ended in 1963 after years of mutual infidelity and tumult.
A Pattern of Turmoil
Carson’s second wife, Joanne Copeland, also described their relationship as deeply affected by his drinking. “I was married to two different people,” Copeland shared in the book. “He became a tiger… He had a low tolerance. He had blackouts.”
She recounted how Carson would wake her at odd hours, tearing the sheets off the bed in a fit of anger. “He’d say, ‘I’m working my a– off, and you’re sleeping in bed,’” Copeland recalled. Despite his morning remorse and repeated apologies, the damage was irreparable. The couple divorced in 1972.
Carson’s third marriage to Joanna Holland followed a similar trajectory. “During that black drunk phase, I was scared,” Holland admitted. “Sometimes anything could set him off. Those were the scary times… I tried. I really tried.”
The pair divorced in 1985, marking the end of another chapter marred by alcohol-fueled strife.
A Troubled Relationship with His Mother
Thomas pointed to Carson’s strained relationship with his mother as a root cause of his difficulties with women. “She was… emotionally withholding,” Thomas explained. “She never expressed pride in him, and his relationship with her bled into his relationships with women.”
A Softer Chapter
Carson’s fourth marriage, to Alexis Maas in 1987, was notably different. By then, Carson had stepped away from The Tonight Show and the pressures of fame. “It seems like his last marriage to Alexis was the most placid,” Thomas noted. “She let Johnny be Johnny… and he was an older guy by then too.”
Friends observed a noticeable lightness in Carson during this period. However, tragedy struck in 1991 when his son, Richard Carson, died in a car accident. “Johnny lamented the fact that he was not much closer to his sons,” Thomas said. “He was married to The Tonight Show. That was his life.”
A Legacy Shaped by Struggles
Carson eventually curtailed his drinking and spent his retirement years enjoying simpler pleasures: playing poker with friends like Steve Martin, going on safaris, and cruising on his yacht.
Despite his personal struggles, Carson remains a monumental figure in television history. “Johnny Carson is the blueprint,” Thomas said. “Even for younger generations… vestiges of Johnny remain in all [his successors] to varying degrees.”
Carson passed away in 2005 at age 79 from emphysema. Yet, his legacy endures, as does the curiosity surrounding the man behind the curtain.
Explore the captivating life of Johnny Carson in Carson the Magnificent, available now. Dive deep into the untold stories of one of television’s greatest icons.