The iconic actor Don Johnson, who was the driving force behind the hit television show “Miami Vice,” was always known for his wild lifestyle. Now that he is 73 years old, he celebrates the occasion in a much more relaxed manner with his wife of 23 years, Kelley Phleger. He has completely reinvented himself ever since they first met.
Before he met his wife, he had a difficult time coping with life. He went out drinking and partying as much as he could, and he was prone to filling his life with material excess by shopping for luxury goods. Nothing about it made him content or joyful. After he married his third wife, who brought him lasting contentment, he took the decision to change his life for the better.
When he first met Phleger, she was working as a professor at a Montessori institution. When he saw her for the first time at a birthday party for the mayor of San Francisco at the time, he realized that he had no choice but to introduce himself to her. He used all of his efforts to get her attention, and when he did finally talk to her, they hit it off extremely well. Their relationship was fruitful.
Even though he had money and celebrity as a result of his portrayal as Sonny Crockett, he described himself as being “very miserable.”
Johnson is now maintaining his hectic schedule by acting in a variety of various projects, such as HBO’s “Watchmen” and the just-released picture “Knives Out.” Even though he will be 73 years old, the actor has no plans to slow down in his career, and since he has given up all of his vices, he is confident that he will be able to continue working for many more years.
There were darker times in Johnson’s life than there are now. Throughout his childhood, he was subjected to physical and verbal abuse at the hands of his rage-filled father, and he grew up with very little financial stability. Then, when he was 12 years old, the star of “Django Unchained,” his parents made the decision to divorce. As the eldest child, he was left to care for his younger siblings.
His new bride was the impetus for him to leave his previous life behind, and the happy couple went on to have three children together.
Johnson, who was only 16 at the time, decided he had had enough of his fractured family dynamic and moved out. He remarked that it was a difficult experience, and he had to support himself through high school on his own. He did say that he believes being forced to fend for himself at such a young age gave him tremendous character and helped form his personality.
When he was an adult, his life was not significantly improved. Even though he had money and celebrity as a result of his portrayal as Sonny Crockett, he described himself as being “very miserable.” Johnson tied the knot five times, including twice with the same woman, and he was romantically involved with a number of well-known women. Additionally, he was a father to a total of five children and struggled with substance misuse.
Before he met Phleger, he used to spend his time drinking and investing in luxury stuff in the vain assumption that these things would save him from being “completely miserable.” His investments included boats, multiple cars, a plane, and a ranch. Additionally, he was becoming weary of his lifestyle, which was having a negative impact on his health. He was worried that he wouldn’t make it to 30 because he was gaining a lot of weight.
However, in 1999 Johnson discovered a justification for abandoning his previous lifestyle and all of his vices. Soon after he started seeing Phleger, he realized he was in love with her, and they eventually got married. He gave up smoking and drinking, sold his superfluous cars, and began taking better care of his health as a result of these changes. The actor from “From Dusk Till Dawn” offered the following commentary:
“I had one of those rare moments of clarity and asked this woman to marry me, but I still have my doubts about whether or not she’s under some sort of spell. I implore you, therefore, to refrain from snapping your fingers because only God knows what will take place if and when she regains consciousness.”
His new bride was the impetus for him to leave his previous life behind, and the happy couple went on to have three children together. Johnson began devoting more time to his family and made the decision to spend more quality time with his two eldest children in order to make up for lost ground. He has decided to spend the rest of his life leading a “holy” existence with the people he cares about the most. He made the following comment about outliving his rebellious youth:
“I’m relieved to say that I made it through unscathed. The majority of people do not do this.”
Johnson is now content with Phleger, after having four previous marriages end in divorce and leading a lifestyle that definitely would have brought about his demise. He has come to the conclusion that spending time with his family is what offers him the most happiness, and as a result, he has evolved into an attentive and devoted parent to his five children.
