Janet Surtees' biography and love life: All about James Arness' spouse

Janet Surtees' biography and love life: All about James Arness' spouse

Janet Surtees is arguably best known for being the celebrity wife of late American actor James Arness; one of the iconic actors to rise to prominence during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Even though he has since passed, many fans are still curious about the late actor's wife and what she is up to these days. Here is everything we know about her.

Janet Surtees’ obituary
The couple posed in the garden of their Brentwood, California home in 1995. Photo: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

The couple initially met during a chance encounter, while Janet was working at a clothing store, which he enviably visited while filming the popular 50s Wild Western show called Gunsmoke. Here is a summary of Janet Surtees’ biography before we go into more details about their relationship and her life.

Profile summary and bio

Full nameJanet Surtees Arness
Date of birth15 February, 1947
Age75 years of age (2023)
Zodiac signAquarius
Romantic orientationHeterosexual
Current nationalityAmerican
Marital statusWidowed (married to James Arness 1978–2011)
EthnicityCaucasian
GenderFemale
Weight55 kg (most commonly reported)
Hair colourBlonde
Eye colourBlue
ChildrenOne son named Craig
ProfessionFormer retail worker
Native languageEnglish
Net worth$1 million

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Janet Surtees’ Wikipedia and other sources do not have any available information regarding her family background, education or current residence, as she shies away from the public eye. But, there are a few widely reported facts about her life and marriage to James.

How long was James Arness married to Janet?

The couple were happily married for 33 years until his passing in 2011.

Is James Arness’ wife still alive?

It is believed she is still alive but stays under the radar.

Did James Arness’ wife appear on Gunsmoke?

As mentioned earlier, the pair met on the show, but it is not confirmed if she was a part of the final official footage or was merely working behind the scenes.

was James Arness ever married
The actor and his wife attended a signing of his new book ‘James Arness: An Autobiography’ at the Gene Autry Museum on 3 November 2001 in Los Angeles. Photo: David Keeler
Source: Getty Images

Did James Arness have children?

Janet Surtees’ child from a previous relationship, Craig, became part of the family unit shortly after the duo got together and James adopted him. The late actor also had children from a previous marriage with Virginia Chapman, Jenny Lee Arness and Rolf Aurness.

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Janet met a tragic end when she died from drug abuse on 12 May 1975, with reports that it was a suicide. The couple were not believed to have any biological children together.

What caused James Arness' death?

The late actor died at his Brentwood home in Los Angeles from natural causes, with no other information available surrounding the matter.

What was James Arness' net worth?

It is reported that he had a net worth of $8 million at the time of his passing.

Who did James Arness marry?
He played the role of Marshal Matt Dillon in 1973. Photo: CBS Photo Archive
Source: Getty Images

When was Janet Surtees born?

She was born on 15 February 1947.

Janet Surtees’ age

The private figure is 75 years of age at the time of writing and will turn 76 on 15 February 2023.

Janet Surtees’ height

Her height has never been confirmed.

Many things about Janet Surtees' life remain shrouded in mystery, with minimal information available. But, most reports state her alive and well in an undisclosed location, away from the public eye.

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Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Justine De Lange avatar

Justine De Lange (Lifestyle writer) Justine De Lange has over 6 years of experience in lifestyle, corporate and freelance writing. She started at Now Media for their lifestyle publication 'Let's Go', then joined 'travSIM' and 'Metavaro'. She now writes for Briefly News as a content writer, working with beats such as studies, services, business tips, and celebrity biographies (joined in 2022). In 2023, Justine finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can contact her directly via JustinedeLange14@gmail.com.