Who is Kelley Phleger? All about Don Johnson's wife of more than 25 years
Obviously, she’s a saint...It’s kindness, trust and respect, and we have that with each other. We’re lovers and friends and it’s fun. She’s an amazing woman.
This is how Don Johnson described his wife, Kelley Phleger to Parade in May 2023. Kelley Phleger is a socialite and a kindergarten teacher. She is popularly identified as Don Johnson's wife and mother to his kids.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Key takeaways
- Profile summary
- Kelley Phleger biography
- How old is Kelley Phleger?
- Kelley Phleger's parents
- How tall is Kelley Phleger?
- Education and career
- Kelley Phleger the heiress' net worth
- How did Don Johnson meet his current wife?
- Don Johnson and Kelley Phleger's children
- Who are Don Johnson's ex wives?
- Did Kelley Phleger and Gavin Newsom date?
- What is the age difference between Don Johnson and his wife?
- What does Kelley Phleger do?
Key takeaways
- Kelley Phleger married Don Johnson in 1999.
- Phleger and Johnson have three children; two sons and one daughter.
- Kelley Phleger is a teacher.
- Don Johnson has been married five times to four women.
Profile summary
| Full name | Kelley Phleger |
| Gender | Female |
| Famous as | Don Johnson's wife |
| Date of birth | 22 June 1969 |
| Age | 56 years old as of 2025 |
| Zodiac sign | Cancer |
| Place of birth | San Francisco, California, USA |
| Current Residence | Wichita, Kansas, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian |
| Education | UC Berkely |
| Career | Teacher and socialite |
| Marital status | Married |
| Spouse | Don Johnson |
| Children | 3 |
| Height | 5 feet 7 inches |
| Hair colour | Dark brown |
| @kelley.johnson |
Kelley Phleger biography
Phleger is the wife of the Miami Vice actor Don Johnson. The couple has been married for over two decades since 1999. Unlike her husband, Kelley is not in show business. She is a teacher and prefers keeping a low profile.
How old is Kelley Phleger?
As of 2025, Kelley Phleger is 56 years old. She was born and raised in San Francisco, California, USA, on 22 June 1969.
Kelley Phleger's parents
She is the daughter of Jean Phleger and Atherton Macondray Phleger. Kelley's father passed away in 1988. He was a lawyer and a Wells Fargo board member.
Kelley's grandfather, Herman Phleger, was a U.S. delegate to the United Nations and the founder of the law firm Brobeck, Phleger, and Harrison.
Source: Original
How tall is Kelley Phleger?
Kelley Phleger's height is about 6 feet or 183 centimeters. She is taller than her husband who is around 5' 11" or 178 centimeters.
Education and career
Kelley Phleger went to Urban High School in San Francisco. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkley. After graduating, she worked as a Montessori nursery school teacher in California.
Kelley Phleger the heiress' net worth
There are no verifiable sources on Kelly's net worth. People call Kelly Phleger a heiress because of her famous and successful family. Her grandfather Herman owned over 1,300 acres in Phlegler Estate before it was handed over to the National Park Service.
The Phlegler family completed the plan to turn the estate into public grounds after the death of Herman and his wife, Mary Elena.
The family was paid $21 million for the estate, which was well below the property's value. According to Kelley's grandfather's wish, he wanted the land used by the public.
How did Don Johnson meet his current wife?
Don Johnson met Kelley Phleger at San Francisco's mayor's birthday party. The mayor's name was Willie Brown. Don was shooting the Nash Bridges series as a San Francisco cop.
Don and Kelley were introduced by producer Jo Schuman Silver. Schuman told PEOPLE in 1999,
Don came up to me at Willie's birthday party and said that the minute he laid eyes on Kelley, he knew he was going to marry her. I don't know what she thought, but I'm sure she found him very attractive.
Don Johnson and Kelley Phleger's wedding
Source: Getty Images
Don Johnson and Kelley Phleger got married on 29 April 1999. Ann and Gordon Getty prepared a surprise wedding for the duo in their Pacific Heights mansion.
The guests were taken aback when the black-tie event they were invited turned into a marriage ceremony. Ann decorated her home with silk and hand-painted butterflies. She said,
It was beautiful. It was in a courtyard area here at the Getty estate and rose petals were allowed to fall over the wedding party.
Actor Robert Wagner was Don's best man, and Mayor Willie Brown presided over the civil ceremony.
Don Johnson recently paid tribute to his wife on their 25th wedding anniversary. The actor spoke to PEOPLE in September 2024 and revealed the secret to his long-lasting marriage:
Oh, we are just so in tune with each other that there's an unspoken like trust and kindness and respect with us. And those are the keys.
In 2023, the actor spoke to Parade and said Kelley was the personification of kindness and trust,
I was with Bob Dylan one time, and I was having relationship issues, and Bob looks up at me and goes, “Well, see, love is about kindness, trust and respect, isn’t it?” And that’s the embodiment of Kelley.
Don Johnson and Kelley Phleger's children
Kelley Phleger and her spouse have two sons and a daughter. Grace Atherton was born on 28 December 1999 while their second son Jasper Breckenridge was born on 6 June 2002. Their youngest child, Deacon was born on 29 April 2006.
The couple co-owns a $14.9 million ranch in Hillsborough Township, Colorado, where the family resides.
Who are Don Johnson's ex wives?
The actor has been married five times to four women. Three of Don's marriages were very short with two ending within days. His first two wives are not publicly known but are said to have been a dancer and a wealthy "bimbo."
He also lived with Pamela Des Barres in the early 1970s, before meeting Tippi Hedren's daughter, Melanie Griffith, who was 14 years old then. Tippi acted with Don in the Harrad Experiment film.
Source: Instagram
Don and Melanie moved in together in a Laurel Canyon rented apartment when she turned 15. They got married in January 1976 when she was 18 years old, and divorced in November the same year.
Their reunion bore them a daughter, the actress Dakota Johnson on 4 October 1989. The couple remarried but split for good in 1996.
In 1980, Johnson dated Sally Adams, actress Nicollette Sheridan's mother. He met the ex-Warhol model, Patti D'Arbanville, and lived with her from 1981 to 1985. They got a son named Jesse Wayne Johnson on 7th December 1982 but never got married.
The actor was in a relationship with other women, but he finally decided to settle on Kelley Phleger in 1999.
Source: Instagram
Did Kelley Phleger and Gavin Newsom date?
Yes, Kelley dated the current California Governor Gavin Newsom for three years, before breaking up in 1997.
What is the age difference between Don Johnson and his wife?
There is a 20-year age difference between Don Johnson and his wife Kelley Phleger. Johnson was born in 1949 and is 76 years old as of 2025 while Phleger was born in 1969 and will turn 56 in June 2025.
What does Kelley Phleger do?
Kelley Phleger is a kindergarten teacher. She began her career as a Montessori nursery school teacher.
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Source: Briefly News
Ruth Gitonga (Lifestyle writer) Ruth Gitonga has a background experience in Mass Communication for over six years. She graduated from the University of Nairobi with a degree in Mass Communication in December 2014. In 2023, Ruth finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She has worked for Briefly.co.za for five years now. She specializes in topics like lifestyle, entertainment, travel, technology, and sports. Email: gitongaruth14@gmail.com.
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