Late British-American actor David Soul was married five times and was a proud father of six children. His first marriage occurred when he was still a teenager, and he only found lasting love at 66. Learn more about him and his family.
David Soul, renowned for his role in “Starsky & Hutch,” passed away at the age of 80 on January 4, 2024. His wife of 13 years, Helen Snell, announced his death, describing him as a “beloved husband, father, grandfather, and brother.”
Soul’s final moments were spent in a “valiant battle for life” with his family by his side. Despite financial challenges in recent years, Soul cherished his family above all, once saying, “When I’m surrounded by my six children, I feel rich.”
Soul was born on August 28, 1943, to a family of preachers. His mother, June Johnanne, was a teacher, while his father, Dr. Richard W. Solberg, was a Lutheran minister and professor.
His grandparents were evangelists, and his brother was also a pastor. Soul’s parents, married for 64 years, lived religious lives. Hence, their son’s struggles with his marriages deeply affected them.
In 2012, he said, “My parents were together for 64 years, and I’m on my fifth marriage, so they weren’t too happy with the situation. They were very saddened by what happened to me, and I certainly am too, but it’s just what happened. If I could, I would have changed it, but I can’t. I’ve got to move on.”
From Soul’s words, it is immediately apparent he was not proud of being married five times. Discover more about all his marriages.
Soul was only 19 years old when his girlfriend, Mirriam Russeth, became pregnant with their child. He confessed, “I knew there was no alternative but to marry her, but I couldn’t tell my parents because their strong moral code meant they would have come down on me with the wrath of God.”
Fearing his religious parents’ reaction, Soul decided to elope with Mirriam, marrying her when he was 21. He asked her, “Now what do we do?”, to which they concluded, “So we ran away. That’s what we did.”
However, his first marriage, which was a quick decision, ended after just 18 months. The relationship came to a close when he discovered Mirriam with another man in a bed.
In 1968, he tied the knot with actress Karen Carlson, with whom he welcomed son Jon. However, Soul and Carlson divorced in 1977 after almost a decade together.
Soul’s third marriage was to Patti Carnel Sherman, the ex-wife of Bobby Sherman, with whom Soul co-starred in “Here Come the Brides.” He married her in 1980, but unfortunately, their marriage was fraught with issues.
In 1982, he starred as Humphrey Bogart in the NBC miniseries “Casablanca.” Despite his rise to fame from playing Hutch in “Starsky and Hutch,” his career was declining at this time.
He saw “Casablanca” as a great opportunity to revive his career, but the miniseries was struggling, and he began drinking more alcohol after shooting each day to ease the tension.
Additionally, he expressed his frustrations more vocally when he returned home at night. On October 26, 1982, Soul informed Patti he would be home for dinner at their Bel Air ranch at 6 PM. However, by 11 PM, he had not returned.
This wasn’t the first time he had been out late, but Patti, already dealing with much, wasn’t inclined to listen patiently. Their son, Brendan, named after Soul’s Irish friend and comedian Brendan Grace, was nine months old.
She also had two sons, Christopher and Tyler, from a previous marriage. Therefore, when Soul came home angry, the last thing she wanted was to pacify him.
Shortly after 11 PM, he called Patti to say he was in a meeting. Although he was truthful, Patti noticed he had been drinking and confronted him about it. However, he responded with harsh and hurtful language.
Patti realized that when Soul was verbally aggressive, physical violence often followed. She became fearful whenever she detected alcohol on him. That night, she heeded her fear and asked him not to come home. When he insisted, she warned that she would call the police.
Patti had previously endured physical abuse from Soul and wanted no repeat. She reported him to the Los Angeles police and sought protection. The police advised her to leave the house, but she couldn’t. Instead, she contacted the Bel-Air Patrol, a private security service funded by local residents.
Upon his arrival, Soul found two patrol officers awaiting him, guns drawn. They requested he not enter, but he refused. Eventually, they allowed him to enter after he promised not to harm his wife.
But once they left, Soul confronted Patti about calling them and struck her. Realizing the gravity of the situation, he decided to leave to avoid further trouble, only to be met by Los Angeles police officers outside.
They inquired if Soul had been physically abusive, to which Patti affirmed. When asked if she wanted him arrested, she agreed.
Soul was taken aback, feeling both betrayed and abandoned, despite understanding her perspective. The incident made headlines three days later, and Patti only allowed Soul to return home after he expressed remorse.
At the court hearing ten weeks later, her friends expected her to request the dismissal of charges against Soul. To their surprise, she did not.
Instead, she told the judge, “I’m absolutely certain that violence will happen again. I want my marriage to work, and I want my children to grow up in a normal family environment, but that can’t happen as long as my husband has this emotional problem.”
Patti argued that her children couldn’t have a normal childhood while Soul’s emotional issues persisted. She insisted he needed therapy, which the judge concurred with.
The judge suspended sentencing and mandated Soul to participate in a two-year “diversion” program, which included abstaining from alcohol and not harming his wife.
At the program’s conclusion, the judge would decide whether Soul had successfully completed it. If so, the complaint would be dismissed and his record cleared.
Failure to comply would result in the reinstatement of criminal proceedings. While Soul was surprised by Patti’s decision, he respected it, though he didn’t fully grasp her level of fear.
Later, he acknowledged her fear, given his past violence towards her. He admitted to struggling with anger management long before their relationship, never intending to hurt anyone.
Patti believed Soul’s violent tendencies stemmed from unresolved internal conflicts that required professional intervention. She felt her actions, though painful to Soul, would ultimately be beneficial.
Despite their efforts to resolve marital issues, Soul and Patti divorced in 1986. Soul reflected, “My third wife Patti and I had three kids. But I started drinking quite a bit. I got violent for a while. It was only one time, but we had another child after that.”
Soul felt Patti portrayed him negatively, a partial truth that deeply affected him. He lamented, “She ended up taking my kids 1,400 miles away from California, where we were, then got married to another guy.”
A year after divorcing Patti, Soul married actress Julia Nickson. They welcomed a daughter named China, who is now a singer/songwriter. Soul and Nickson divorced in 1993 but remained good friends for their daughter.
Nickson posted a throwback picture of her and China to mark Mother’s Day last year. In August 2020, she shared a throwback picture of herself and Soul from the Cannes Film Festival in 1990, which she attended with him and their daughter.
In the post’s caption, Nickson said she was not prepared for paparazzi calling their names as they entered the area. Soul shared a close bond with his only daughter.
In 2021, she wished him a happy birthday with sweet posts about him on Instagram. In one post, she shared a picture of him carrying her as a child and described him as the coolest guy she knows.
Soul had done well to rebuild his children’s trust following his history. He had six kids and six grandchildren, and the best thing he could do was to be there for them.
He said, “I make my trips back and forth, and I’m on the phone with them, trying to be there for them.” He added, “In the days when I was – as they used to call me – ‘one of the biggest stars in television,’ I got the balance wrong.”
He concluded his thoughts by saying, “The caring about what I looked like, what I sounded like, what I represented to other people was more important than being with my family.”
Soul maintained being optimistic about his frantic days of marriage, divorce, and broken marriages. However, he admitted remembering each one with sadness and said he dealt with each of his former wives in his own way.
The actor said he asked them to forgive him and revealed that at least three of his former wives are among his best friends, which was more important than the institution of marriage.
Fortunately, Soul found his lasting love later in life, when he married for the fifth time. He revealed he met Helen Snell while she was doing P.R. for “Deathtrap,” a play he toured in Britain.
They did not hit things off initially because of his aversion to P.R. However, as they evolved, he started seeing who she really was, and they eventually tied the knot on June 26, 2010.
He also revealed that meeting Snell made him become a British citizen. Soul described Helen: “And Helen, my wife today – I’m so in love with this woman. She’s the best.”
A few years before his passing, the actor confessed, “Helen is my life.” He candidly admitted, “She’s an incredible woman, a truly wonderful person. I’m a lucky guy.”
Despite having a few failed marriages, Soul found his “soulmate” in Helen, who stayed by him until his final breath. Besides, his last years were blessed with precious time with his beloved children and grandchildren.
