Who Were Richard Belzer’s Wives? Does He Have Kids?

NBC’s Law & Order: SVU fans are devastated to hear that Richard Belzer died on Feb. 19, 2023. The stand-up comic-turned-actor had several notable roles, and he’ll certainly be missed. Richard Belzer’s wife, Harlee McBride, survives him. Here’s more about McBride, his two other marriages, and whether he had kids.

‘Law & Order: SVU’ star Richard Belzer had 3 wives in his lifetime

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Richard Belzer died in his home in Southwest France. “He had lots of health issues, and his last words were, ‘F*** you, motherf***er,’” his longtime friend, writer Bill Scheft, said. Belzer was 78 at the time of his death.

“Richard Belzer’s Detective John Munch is one of television’s iconic characters,” Law & Order creator Wolf told Variety. “I first worked with Richard on the Law & Order/Homicide crossover and loved the character so much, I told Tom [Fontana] that I wanted to make him one of the original characters on SVU. The rest is history. Richard brought humor and joy into all our lives, was the consummate professional and we will all miss him very much.”

The actor found fame late in his career compared to many of his colleagues. But he managed to find love multiple times. Richard Belzer’s first wife was Gail Susan Ross. According to Opoyi, the couple married in 1966, when Belzer was 22. Ross and Belzer separated in 1972. Four years later, in 1976, Belzer married Dalia Danoch, a boutique manager. Their marriage didn’t last, either, and they divorced after two years.

Belzer married one final time in 1985. He met Harlee McBride in 1981 when she was just 31 years old. After four years of dating, the couple tied the knot in a small ceremony.

Who was Richard Belzer’s 3rd wife, Harlee McBride?

Richard Belzer stayed with his third wife, Harlee McBride, until he died in 2023. Opoyi reports McBride was divorced with two kids when they first met, but that didn’t deter Belzer. They met in Los Angeles after a friend set them up.

McBride was born on Nov. 20, 1948, in Los Angeles. She worked as an actor and producer and appeared in ads. Four years before meeting Belzer, she posed for Playboy for an article on sex in movies. IMDb reports most moviegoers know McBride for her work in Homicide: Life on the Street (1993), Young Lady Chatterley (1977), and Young Lady Chatterley II (1985).

McBride’s two kids were with Garth Benton, an actor known for his work in 13 Frightened Girls (1963), Raiders from Beneath the Sea (1964), and Channing (1963).

Did he have any kids?

Richard Belzer reportedly didn’t have any kids of his own, though he was the step-father to McBride’s two children, Jessica Erin Benton and Shannon Bree Benton. It’s unclear if he wanted children, as he had a complicated relationship with his own family. The Hollywood Reporter notes his mother died of breast cancer, and his father and brother died by suicide. Belzer saved his father after the first suicide attempt, but his father attempted suicide and succeeded a year later.

Thus far, it doesn’t look like Harlee McBride or her two children have made any public statements regarding Belzer’s death.

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