Sally Struthers has always been notoriously private about her love life, and for good reason. The beloved All in the Family and Gilmore Girls star has not been in a romantic relationship in decades.
Struthers, 78, opened up about her dating situation in a December 2025 interview with Woman’s World, where she revealed she has purposely stayed single for more than 40 years. “I constantly put my blinders on and got into horrible relationships,” she admitted of her past romances.
After divorcing her ex-husband, psychiatrist Bill Rader, in 1983, Struthers decided to focus on her family, friends, and career. “And I’ve never, ever missed having a love life,” she said.
She also shared that her nephew and his wife have become her family unit. “We respect and love one another, laugh and cry together—and it’s better than being married,” Struthers said.
Struthers was married to Rader from 1977 to 1983. The actress kept her marriage private during her years on All in the Family, but she was quick to correct those who confused her TV husband, Rob Reiner, for her real-life spouse. In 2024, Struthers told Page Six, “When [fans] saw me with my real life husband, they go, ‘Now where’s your husband?’ I’d say, ‘This is my husband,’” she told the outlet.
Struthers and Rader also had one daughter together, Samatha, who was born in May 1979. In a 1981 interview with People magazine, Struthers admitted she never wanted children until she married Rader. “Before I met Bill, I never wanted a baby. I was always the first one to say that it wasn’t going to make me fulfilled, that I didn’t need a carbon copy of myself,” she told the outlet. “Then you fall in love with someone, and you want to be the mother of a child that is part of that man, the result of your loving each other.”
Struthers didn’t go public with any serious relationships after Rader. But sometime before she met her husband, she dated Elvis Presley. Struthers made the surprise revelation on the Let’s Talk About That! With Larry Saperstein and Jacob Bellotti podcast in January. “I dated Elvis for a while,” Struthers said. “That was fun. He was probably the nicest man I ever met. He was so polite and so kind and soft-hearted that you just couldn’t believe anybody that was that beautiful had never caught on that they were beautiful and gotten obsessed with themselves. He was just all about kindness to everyone.”
Still single at 78, Struthers has said that she is motivated to continue working because she’s alone. “What motivates me? To pay my bills,” she told Next Avenue in 2024. “I mean, I’m not married. I don’t have a husband or a partner. I’m in charge of keeping the house. I live in a 103-year-old house, and something’s breaking down every third day, and I have to pay my bills. So even though I’m tired, I keep going. And I do believe in the adage, ‘You rest, you rust.’ … So I’m glad that this work that I have to do to pay my bills keeps me going, because I’m pretty spry.”
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This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.