Barry Roberts, Tanya Roberts’ Ex-Husband: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Tanya Roberts

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Tanya Roberts and Barry Roberts had a non-traditional beginning to their marriage. The former Charlie’s Angel, Bond girl and “That ’70s Show” star proposed to her former husband.

Tanya Roberts died at age 65 on Sunday, January 3, 2021, TMZ reported. Her representative told the news outlet she took her dog for a walk on Christmas Eve, and collapsed when she returned home. Roberts was rushed to the hospital and placed on a ventilator, but did not recover. Her death was not related to COVID-19, TMZ reported.

Barry Roberts was a screenwriter who married Tanya Roberts in 1974. They were married for 32 years before his death at age 60.

Here’s what you need to know:


1. Tanya & Barry Roberts Met While She Was in Line to Watch a Movie

Barry and Tanya Roberts met when she was waiting in line to watch a movie before she rose to fame, according to The List. At the time, she was a model best known for working with brands like Clairol and the headache reliever Excedrin.

Tanya and Barry Roberts were married in 1974. He died in 2006. The couple did not have children.

Roberts later remarried, and was survived by her current husband, Lance O’Brien. Her longtime friend and publicist Mike Pingel told The Hollywood Reporter her death was devastating.

“I’m devastated. She was brilliant and beautiful and I feel like a light has been taken away. To say she was an angel would be at the top of the list. She was the sweetest person you’d ever meet and had a huge heart. She loved her fans, and I don’t think she realized how much she meant to them,” Pingel said.


2. Barry Roberts Was a Screenwriter & Actor Best Known for the Film ‘Legal Tender’

Barry Roberts was a screenwriter and an actor. He was best known for his work on “Legal Tender” and his appearance on “Hour Magazine.” He was the writer behind “Legal Tender,” a full-length action and thriller released in 1991. Tanya Roberts also starred in her husband’s film, playing the role of Rikki Rennick.

The IMDB movie synopsis says “a woman attempts to save the family business and the end result is murder.”

“Hour Magazine” was a daytime talk show that ran for 10 years from 1980 to 1989. Roberts appeared on Episode 1 of the show, which aired May 13, 1981, according to IMDB.

The show was an “award-winning syndicated daytime talk show hosted by Gary Collins, featuring a variety of celebrity guests, current affairs, cooking and popular culture,” according to the IMDB synopsis.


3. Tanya Roberts Left ‘That ’70s Show’ to Care for Barry in His Illness & He Died in 2006

Tanya Roberts stepped down from her role as Midge Pinciotti on “That ’70s Show” to care for her husband when he was diagnosed with encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. He suffered with the disease for four and a half years before he died, according to IMDB. Cheat Sheet reported it was her husband’s illness that led to her exit from the series. Barry Roberts died in 2006 at age 60.

Tanya Roberts was also known for her role as Stacey Sutton in the 1985 James Bond film “A View to a Kill.” She played Midge on “That ’70s Show” from 1998 to 2004, according to NBC News.

“Her role was adored by the show’s fans, but in 2004 Roberts bravely decided to bow out of the show so that she could care for her screenwriter husband who had become terminally ill,” the Daily Mail reported.


4. Barry Roberts Was Tanya Roberts’ Second Husband, Following Her First Marriage at Age 15

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Barry Roberts was Tanya Roberts’ second husband. She was first married when she was only 15 years old. At that time, Roberts dropped out of high school and got married. She and her first husband lived a nomadic lifestyle, which ended when her mother annulled the marriage, according to NNDB.

“Tanya Roberts dropped out of school and married at 15. She lived a bohemian life with her loser husband, until her mother tracked them down, took Roberts home, and had the marriage annulled,” NNDB reported.

Roberts’ publicist, Mike Pingel, wrote a post on her Facebook page at about 9 p.m. Sunday announcing her death.

“I’m very sad to have to post this,” he wrote. “Yes, Tanya passed away today. I’m heart broken. Mike Pingel.”


5. Tanya & Barry Roberts Were Married Within Just a Few Months After She Proposed to Him

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Tanya and Barry Roberts had a brief engagement. Tanya proposed to her beau, and they were married just a few months later, according to The List. She proposed to him at a subway station.

Tanya Roberts has not appeared on screen since her husband’s death. Her last on-screen appearance was in the TV series, “Barbershop,” in 2005, according to CNN.

Friends and fans wrote tributes on her Facebook page, speaking about memories with her and describing her as “gracious,” “lovely,” and “kind.”

“She’s reunited with her husband Barry Roberts in heaven,” one person wrote.

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