This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.All About Michelle Pfeiffer’s Husband of Over 30 Years, David E. Kelley

Harper's Bazaar StaffFri, March 13, 2026 at 5:50 PM UTC

0

Meet Michelle Pfeiffer’s Husband, David E. KelleyJohn Nacion - Getty Images

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

Michelle Pfeiffer and her husband, David E. Kelley, are the ultimate low-key Hollywood power couple. The pair met on a blind date in 1993 and have now been married for more than 30 years.

Despite both working in the entertainment industry, they’ve largely kept their relationship separate from their professional lives and out of the spotlight. Pfeiffer is best known for her performances in films like Scarface and Batman Returns, while Kelley maintains a more behind-the-scenes presence as an Emmy-winning television writer and producer who has worked on a long list of acclaimed series (including at least one that you’ve definitely binge-watched).

So who exactly is Michelle Pfeiffer’s husband, David E. Kelley? Here’s everything to know about the former attorney-turned-television powerhouse who has been by Pfeiffer’s side for decades.

He attended Princeton and Boston University.

Raised in Belmont, Massachusetts, Kelley is the son of U.S. Ice Hockey Hall of Fame star Jack Kelley and, non-surprisingly, grew up playing hockey. He attended Princeton University, where he captained the men’s ice hockey team and earned a degree in political science, graduating in 1979.

After Princeton, he attended Boston University School of Law, where he received a Juris Doctor. He then began his career at a Boston law firm, which would inspire his pivot to television writing.

He’s an attorney-turned-television writer.

While working as an attorney, Kelley wrote the screenplay for a legal thriller, which helped him catch the attention of Steven Bochco, a writer on L.A. Law. The connection helped Kelley get his foot in the door in Hollywood, as soon, he was invited to write an episode of the series, and his original screenplay eventually became the 1987 film From the Hip.

Kelley later reflected on his pivot from law to writing in a 2014 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “I had an idea that I thought would make for a good movie, but didn’t know anybody in L.A., so I went about writing the film—which would become From the Hip—on my own,” he recalled. “At some point I thought, ‘Okay, I’m going to have to show it to somebody.’ It ended up getting optioned by a client of the law firm where I worked, but I was quickly educated that having a script optioned doesn’t mean it will get made! I was encouraged not to give up the day job, and I didn’t.”

He went on to write and produce some of the most acclaimed television series of the past few decades, including Ally McBeal, Boston Legal, The Practice, Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers, Anatomy of a Scandal, and many more.

He’s in the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

Jason LaVeris - Getty Images

In 2014, Kelley was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame for his prolific television writing career. To date, he’s earned 30 Emmy nominations and won 11 Emmy Awards. His wins include awards for his work on Big Little Lies, Ally McBeal, The Practice, Picket Fences, and L.A. Law.

Advertisement

He and Michelle met on a blind date in 1993.

Ron Galella, Ltd. - Getty Images

Kelley and Pfeiffer met on a blind date in January 1993. During an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, Pfeiffer shared how she accidentally made the date awkward by turning it into a group date, and then trying to set Kelley up with her sister instead.

“We were in this restaurant, and there were eight of us, and somehow [David] ended up sitting across from my sister, and I ended up sitting across from his best friend,” Pfeiffer recalled.

Pfeiffer laughed recalling that the two didn’t speak during the awkward group date and that Kelley left early to go to another party, as she was initially anxious about the setup.

Kypros - Getty Images

But two days after the failed group date, Kelley called Pfeiffer, and the two managed to work it out. Less than a year later, on November 13, 1993, the couple married.

In November 2025, Pfeiffer posted a sweet photo on Instagram of the two of them holding hands in honor of their 32nd wedding anniversary.

They share two children.

David and Michelle with their two children in 2007.Kevin Winter - Getty Images

Before she and Kelley began dating, Pfeiffer was already in the process of adopting a baby. In March 1993—just two months after the couple first met—Pfeiffer officially adopted her daughter, Claudia Rose. After the pair married in November 1993, Kelley also legally adopted Claudia.

The following year, in August 1994, Pfeiffer and Kelley welcomed a son, John Henry.

In a 2007 interview with Good Housekeeping, Pfeiffer reflected on how the beginning of their relationship coincided with the adoption of her daughter. “The adoption process was already in motion when he and I met. So we had this child with us right away…But I really got to see him in a situation that certainly would separate the boys from the men. Obviously, he really rose to the occasion.”

She added, “We both got to see each other as parents before we progressed in our relationship together, and in a strange way, it took the pressure off us, as a couple... I mean, it’s a real testament to the kind of person he is, but also to the fact that sometimes the traditional way of doing things isn’t always the best way.”

You Might Also Like

Grace Jones’s Career in Photos

Michelle Pfeiffer’s Style Evolution Through the Years

Goldie Hawn’s Style Evolution Through the Years

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”