Actress Morgan Fairchild is mourning the death of her longtime life partner and fiancé, Mark Seiler. In social media posts announcing the sad news, the soap star and Hallmark alum said she was “devastated” to lose her companion of 36 years. Seiler, who was 73, has been by Fairchild’s side throughout her career, in which she’s starred in a variety of daytime and prime time soap operas since the 80s, as well as multiple rom-coms such as Hallmark’s “Perfect On Paper.”
In an Instagram post on July 14, 2023, Fairchild wrote, “#SadNews I’m so sorry to let you know that my life partner (36 years together) & fiancé, Mark Seiler, passed away last Friday night.”
Morgan, 73, further explained, “He’d had Parkinson’s for several years but it seems to be #LongCovid that killed him after his 3rd infection. He was a warm, brilliant & very funny man, and I am devastated. Hold your loved ones close and please consider wearing a mask. #BeKind I am Sending Love To You All💗🌷💗💔💗🌷💗💔💗🌷💗💔💗🌷”
Morgan Fairchild Says She’s ‘Still in Shock’ Over Death of Longtime Love
Fairchild, 73, was married to Jack Calmes from 1967 to 1973, according to People. She began dating Seiler, a businessman, at the height of her soap career in the 80s. Though the two were engaged, she told Closer Weekly in 2020 that she didn’t know if they’d ever marry.
“It’s definitely a long-term commitment and we’ve been together for a long time,” she said, “so we may just leave it the way it is right now. We’re both getting older.”
At the time, just a few months into the COVID pandemic, she revealed Seiler was staying in a nursing home while she was living solo in lockdown, adding that he was “such a wonderful guy” and exclaiming, “I love him so much!”
“They’re taking very good care of him there,” she told Closer Weekly. “I’m very grateful that they haven’t had any cases there (but) I’m just here.”
She wrote at the time, “#OnMyWalk to lunch with my guy! Always fun to have iced chocolate at @BluestoneLane with a nice breeze! Our masks are on the table. #BeKind #MaskUp #VaxxUp #ReachOut Sending Love To You All 💗🌷💗🎉💗🥰💗💋💗🌷💗🎉💗🥰💗💋💗🌷💗🎉💗🥰💗💋💗🌷💗🎉💗
When friend Richard Stengel expressed his condolences in response to Fairchild’s Twitter post about Seiler’s death, she replied that she was “still kinda in shock.”
“Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill tweeted, “💔 So sorry for your loss, Morgan. Sending my love & deepest condolences your way.”
Michael Levitt, executive producer of the “American Rescue Dog Show,” which ran for several years on Hallmark, commented on Instagram, “I can only imagine you were the brightest light in his life. How lucky he was to have you! Sending you so much love during this difficult time. 💜💜💜”
ABC News correspondent Deborah Roberts wrote, “So very sorry for your loss. What joy he seemed to spark! May the memories sustain you 🙏”
Morgan Fairchild Has Had a Wide-Ranging Acting Career Since the 80s
Hallmark
Fairchild became a household name in the late 70s and 80s in her various roles as an “ambitious blonde,” per her IMDb bio. In addition to theater work, Fairchild first starred on TV on “Search for Tomorrow” from 1973 to 1977, but became a household name after joining the cast of the primetime soap “Dallas” in 1978, per Soap Opera Digest. Her role of Jenna was later played by Priscilla Presley on the show.
Per IMDb, Fairchild was nominated in 1980 for a Golden Globe for Best Actress for her role as Constance Carlyle on “Flamingo Road.” She then moved on to “Paper Dolls” and “Falcon Crest,” according to and received an Emmy nomination for a guest starring role on “Murphy Brown” in 1989. In the 90s, Fairchild appeared on a wide variety of shows from “Roseanne” to “Cybill,” and starred on 183 episodes of “The City.”
In 2006, Fairchild co-starred with Bo Derek and Hallmark actor Robert Buckley on the series “Fashion House.” She also guest starred on “The Bold and the Beautiful” in 2009 and landed a recurring role on “Days of Our Lives” in 2017. Her most recent soap role has been on “General Hospital,” according to Soaps, where she last appeared in May.
When Fairchild signed up to star in Hallmark’s “Perfect On Paper” in 2014, she did so because she loved working with legendary Hallmark director Ron Oliver, who continues to direct movies for the network.
She told Smashing Interviews at the time, “I had just worked with Ron Oliver, the director, on a ‘Beethoven’ movie, a family movie. We’d really gotten on, and he wanted me in this and I think kind of expanded the part for me to do it, so it was really a labor of love because I thought that was sweet of him. He’s a wonderful director, makes the set a lot of fun, and indeed it turned out to be a lot of fun in the making.”
Liv Lane is an entertainment writer who covers the Hallmark Channel, HGTV, American Idol and The Voice for Heavy. Based in Minneapolis, she has three decades of experience as a local and national radio host, columnist and publicist, interviewing and working with a wide range of celebrities over the years, from Deepak Chopra to Lil Nas X. More about Liv Lane
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Morgan Fairchild’s Fiancé Dies: ‘I Am Devastated’