Johnny Carson and Joanna Holland divorced after 12 years, 3 months of marriage. The settlement was reportedly an estimated $20M. See the full timeline.
Figures are reported estimates. Last updated Oct 2026.
The Tonight Show king's third divorce, reported at about $20 million.
Johnny Carson was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show for 30 years and the most influential figure in late-night American television. Joanna Holland was a fashion model who met him in the late 1960s and married him in 1972, when he was in his forties. It was his third marriage. Carson had three sons from his first marriage to Jody Wolcott. He and Holland had no children together, and the marriage played out against the backdrop of his dominance of late-night television.
Carson's wealth came from his salary as host of The Tonight Show, which he led from 1962 to 1992, and from his production company, Carson Productions, which also produced other shows. In the 1970s he moved the show from New York to Burbank, California. His pay was among the highest on television, and he invested in real estate and radio stations.
The couple married in 1972, and relations deteriorated in the early 1980s. They separated in 1983, and the divorce was finalized in 1985 after about 12 or 13 years of marriage. Carson married Alexis Maas in 1987, and the marriage lasted until his death in 2005.
Reports at the time put the settlement at about $20 million, a substantial sum in the 1980s, but the details were not made public. Holland was said to have received cash and property. The size of the sum was among the highest ever for a television star at that time.
Carson's income was high and was earned in the years of the marriage, and California's community property law meant that Holland was entitled to a share. Carson's three earlier divorces had also made him wary of such costs, and he reportedly joked about them on air.
Carson's career continued until his retirement in 1992, and he remained one of the highest-paid performers in television. His wealth was largely unaffected, and he was able to continue to invest in his businesses. In later life he supported charitable causes.
In its time the Carson settlement was among the largest in entertainment, and it belongs with the Spielberg and Irving case as a landmark of the 1980s. Compared with the later settlements, it was small, but it set a benchmark for how much a star's divorce could cost.
Carson made fun of his own divorces in his monologues, joking that he paid heavily for them. He retired from The Tonight Show in May 1992, in front of a huge television audience. The $20 million figure is a media estimate.
Joanna Holland's reported settlement was about $20 million.
They married in 1972 and divorced in 1985, a marriage of roughly 13 years.
No prenuptial agreement was reported.
Reported assets include: Malibu property, NBC earnings, investments.
Carson's income was high and was earned in the years of the marriage, and California's community property law meant that Holland was entitled to a share. Carson's three earlier divorces had also made him wary of such costs, and he reportedly joked about them on air.
* Settlement terms were not publicly disclosed. This figure is an estimate.