Joanna Carson, Third Wife of Johnny Carson, Dead at 93 — What We Know About Her Cause of Death
Joanna Carson got an incredible divorce settlement.
Published Aug. 5 2025, 10:55 a.m. ET
In February 1978, The New Yorker did a profile on Johnny Carson that promised to take readers into the world of The Tonight Show host. It begins with a dinner party to honor the late Fred de Cordova, a producer on the talk show since 1970. Johnny Carson arrived late, sans his third wife, Joanna Carson.
She appears later on in the piece when it's revealed that Johnny announced his marriage to her on Sept. 30, 1972, at a 10th anniversary party for The Tonight Show. The couple had secretly wed hours earlier. She was an Italian model and was 41 to his 47. We don't learn much more about Joanna. They divorced in 1985, which is when Joanna became a fashion icon and philanthropist. Forty years later, she died at the age of 93. Here's what we know about her cause of death.
Joanna Carson's cause of death has not been revealed.
Joanna Carson's cause of death has yet to be revealed. It was first reported by Extra, which cited social media posts from friends. According to these posts, she died in July 2025 and had a private funeral. News of her death was confirmed by the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in a Facebook post from July 30. "Remembering ETAF's dear friends and supporters, Joanna Carson and Wallis Annenberg," it said, "who embodied our Founder, Elizabeth Taylor's spirit of love and support."
Joanna Carson got a lot of money following her divorce from Johnny Carson.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Joanna got a pretty good settlement when she and Johnny divorced in 1985. She initially requested $220,000 a month in spousal support, but walked away with a decent $35,000 a month for 64 months. When they initially separated in November 1982, Johnny was paying Joanna $44,600 a month, but she claimed her expenses were "several times that." In a Facebook post from her longtime friend Matt Rich, he says she ultimately got $30 million in cash.
Beyond the monthly check, Joanna also got their Bel-Air house, their Hotel Pierre, 5th Avenue, and 62nd Street apartments in New York City, and their Rolls-Royce, a Mercedes-Benz, and an economy car. The couple split stocks, bank accounts, and proceeds from the sale of their membership in the Bel-Air Country Club. Of the 100 gold Krugerrands the couple owned, Joanna got 75. Joanna also snagged the Pablo Picasso “Homme et Femme" painting. Johnny joked about this divorce settlement for years.