Alisande Ullman is best known as the second wife of actor Leslie Nielsen. She married him in 1958, raised two daughters with him, and divorced him in the early 1970s. Unlike many spouses connected to Hollywood stars, she stayed out of the public eye before, during, and after the marriage. This article lays out the confirmed facts about her life, her marriage to Nielsen, and what happened afterward, based on consistent biographical records of Nielsen’s personal history.
Who Was Alisande Ullman?
Alisande Ullman was a private individual with no acting or entertainment career of her own. She is known publicly only through her marriage to Leslie Nielsen, the Canadian-American actor famous for Airplane! and The Naked Gun series. She never gave interviews about their relationship and did not appear in media coverage related to Nielsen’s career.
Because she avoided public life, detailed information about her early years, education, and family background is limited. What is documented comes from biographical records tied to Nielsen’s own life story, including accounts published around the time of his death in 2010.
Alisande Ullman and Leslie Nielsen’s Marriage
Timeline of Their Relationship
Nielsen married Alisande Ullman on September 10, 1958. At the time, he was still building his acting career as a television drama actor, years before the comedic roles that would make him famous. He had spent the mid-1950s working steadily in TV anthology series and small film parts, establishing himself as a reliable dramatic actor rather than the deadpan comedian audiences would later know.
The marriage lasted roughly 15 years, ending in divorce around 1973. Ullman’s role during this period was as a private partner and mother, not a public figure alongside him, which is consistent with how little press attention actors’ spouses received before those actors became major stars.
Was She His First or Second Wife?
Alisande Ullman was Leslie Nielsen’s second wife, not his first. His first marriage was to Monica Boyar, a nightclub singer he married in 1950. That marriage ended in divorce in 1956. Nielsen married Ullman two years later, in 1958.
This detail matters because a lot of content about Ullman online incorrectly calls her Nielsen’s first wife. The accurate record, confirmed across multiple biographical sources on Nielsen’s marital history, places her as wife number two of four.
Their Children: Maura and Thea Nielsen
Alisande Ullman and Leslie Nielsen had two daughters together:
- Maura Nielsen Kaplan
- Thea Nielsen Disney
These are the only two children Nielsen had across all four of his marriages. Both daughters were born during his marriage to Ullman, making this union the one that built his family.
Why Did Alisande Ullman and Leslie Nielsen Divorce?
The exact reasons behind the divorce were never made public. Neither Ullman nor Nielsen gave a detailed account of what led to the split, and no interviews or statements addressing the breakup have surfaced in any biographical record.
This kind of silence is typical for the era. In the early 1970s, entertainment media rarely covered the personal lives of supporting actors the way it covers celebrities today, and Nielsen had not yet reached the level of fame that would later put his private life under scrutiny. What is documented is the outcome: after about 15 years of marriage, the couple divorced in the early 1970s, with most reliable sources placing the date in 1973. Both appear to have maintained a working relationship afterward for the sake of raising their daughters, though no public record details that arrangement.
Life After the Divorce
After the marriage ended, Alisande Ullman stepped back from any connection to Nielsen’s public career. She did not give interviews about the marriage and did not appear in media tied to Nielsen’s later fame in comedy films.
No verified information exists about her life after the mid-1970s, including whether she remarried or her current whereabouts. This isn’t a gap in reporting so much as a reflection of who she was: a spouse from Nielsen’s pre-fame years who never sought public attention and was never a subject of entertainment coverage in her own right.
Leslie Nielsen’s Four Marriages at a Glance
Leslie Nielsen was married four times. Here is how Alisande Ullman’s marriage fits into that full history:
| Order | Wife | Years Married | Children |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Monica Boyar | 1950–1956 | None |
| 2nd | Alisande Ullman | 1958–1973 | Maura Nielsen Kaplan, Thea Nielsen Disney |
| 3rd | Brooks Oliver | 1981–1983 | None |
| 4th | Barbaree Earl | 2001–2010 (his death) | None |
This table shows that Ullman’s marriage was the only one of the four that produced children, and it was also his second-longest marriage after his final one to Barbaree Earl.
Conclusion
Alisande Ullman’s place in Leslie Nielsen’s life is clear even though most details about her remain private. She was his second wife, married to him for about 15 years, and the mother of his only two children, Maura and Thea. Beyond that marriage, she chose to stay out of public life entirely, leaving behind a short but factual record: a marriage in 1958, two daughters, a divorce in the early 1970s, and little else documented since.
FAQs
Was Alisande Ullman Leslie Nielsen’s first wife?
No. She was his second wife. His first wife was Monica Boyar, whom he married in 1950 and divorced in 1956.
How long were Alisande Ullman and Leslie Nielsen married?
They were married for approximately 15 years, from September 10, 1958, until their divorce around 1973.
How many children did Alisande Ullman have with Leslie Nielsen?
Two daughters: Maura Nielsen Kaplan and Thea Nielsen Disney.
Why did Alisande Ullman and Leslie Nielsen divorce?
The specific reasons were never publicly disclosed, which is common for spouses of actors who had not yet become famous in the early 1970s.
Is Alisande Ullman still alive, and did she remarry?
There is no publicly verified record confirming her current status or a remarriage. She has remained entirely out of public life since her divorce.
Was Alisande Ullman involved in the entertainment industry?
No. She was a private individual with no documented acting or entertainment career.
Where can I read more about Alisande Ullman’s biography?
The most reliable details about her life come from biographical accounts of Leslie Nielsen’s marriages, since she left no independent public record of her own.