Lynda Carter Sacrificed Her Career to Raise Beloved Kids Who Later Followed in Their Dad's Footsteps

Actress Lynda Carter suffered through her first marriage leading to her drinking problems. However, she found redemption with her second husband, Robert Altman, with whom she successfully raised two kids who followed in their parents' footsteps.

Actress Lynda Carter remains forever immortalized in history books for playing comic book hero Wonder Woman in the similarly titled series. While fans already loved her, they adored her more when she hung onto a moving helicopter, without safety equipment, to prevent two villains from making an airborne getaway.

During the four-year show, Carter gained fame as a worldwide star who could overturn automobiles with a simple flick of her perfectly manicured fingernail and repel bullets. However, while she took the world by storm with her prowess on the big silver screen, she was living through hell behind closed doors.

Her marriage to her first husband, Ron Samuels, was nothing to write home about. Reflecting on the union that lasted six years between 1977 and 1982, the former beauty queen credits the marriage's failure to her young age and lack of wisdom. She muses:

"He was a lot older, and I was just stupid."

She realizes her mistake was marrying the first person to propose to her. Now she remembers those moments as life lessons. She calls her first union an unfortunate chapter in her life that led to her drinking habits. The duo eventually divorced in 1982.

MEETING HER KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR

For someone whose first marriage had failed terribly, Carter did not realize she would become a role model for many girls looking for soulmates. Her nearly four-decade marriage to attorney and businessman Robert Altman was ideal to many fans.

The lovebirds met at a dinner hosted by Maybelline while she was still in the process of divorcing Samuels. Carter was the face of the cosmetics company, while Altman was the lawyer representing their parent company.

Altman recognized Carter as a good-looking actress and did not want to get mixed up with actresses during dinner. After dinner, he planned to go to his hotel room and watch football on the TV.

On the other hand, Carter thought lawyers were dull and initially paid Altman no mind. However, there was an immediate attraction, and the two hit it off. They were so interested in each other that it seemed rude to the rest of the people at their table. Carter recalls:

"I was not prepared to meet anyone new. I was going to do it on my own."

Their meeting hatched a whirlwind romance, and they were already talking on the phone three days after the first meeting. Carter later admitted that she had fallen head over heels for Altman by then.

A year later, the lawyer proposed to the actress at the French Riviera, and the two walked down the aisle six months after the proposal. Altman always supported his wife, calling her a non-quitter and praising her solid beliefs and commitments to her family and life.

Initially, Carter lived in California but moved to Washington, D.C, after marrying Altman. The couple then welcomed two children, James Altman and Jessica Carter Altman.

At the time of getting married, Carter was still battling alcoholism. She thought she was secretive, but her husband had always known. Luckily, he stood by her and asked her to stop for his and their children's sake. She sought treatment at a rehab facility near their home and has been sober since.

STEPPING OUT OF THE SPOTLIGHT

After Carter and Altman welcomed their babies, Carter, despite her thriving career, stepped out of the spotlight to allow her children a normal upbringing. Her decision ensured she spent plenty of time with her children as opposed to if she had still taken on huge roles.

As a result, she developed a strong bond with her kids, and they often accompanied her to red carpet events. One such event was the premiere of the superhero film "Wonder Woman" 2017 reboot, where she hit the red carpet with her husband and children.

Even with a career spanning decades, Carter says motherhood has been her most fulfilling role yet. In a throwback post made on her Instagram in 2018, the actress reminisced over her journey, writing:

"Turns out my greatest adventure of all was becoming a mom. And I have loved every minute of it. From my family to all the wonderful mothers out there, happy Mother's Day!!"

WHERE ARE THE ACTRESS' KIDS TODAY

Born in January 1988 and October 1990, respectively, James and Jessica are now all grown, and they have followed in their father's footsteps. James studied law and is a practicing attorney working at his father's corporation, ZeniMax Media, as Director of Publishing Operations.

On the other hand, Jessica, primarily influenced by her dad, is also a lawyer. She shared that she's worked with the famed law firm Gibson & Crutcher in their Washington offices, where she practiced litigation and did appellate work.

However, she has since had a career change. With her fantastic voice, she started a career as a singer-songwriter like her mother. Whether singing in the shower, writing, or performing, she realized that her passion lay in the performing arts and went for it. She also launched her first Extended Play (EP) in 2020.

ALTMAN PASSES ON

Altman and Carter's family has remained close over the years, tackling life's hurdles together. It was thus devastating for the actress when Altman passed on in February 2021 from myelofibrosis, a rare blood cancer.

Speaking on the Tamron Hall show, she forgot her grief for a minute and paid condolences to those who had lost their loved ones to the Coronavirus. She then added that the grieving process had been tumultuous for her and her children. She shared, as People reports:

"I cry probably three times a day, in the morning and various times when I think of him."

Carter shared how lost she felt without him, saying she would spend the next chapter of her life discovering herself. She is, however, grateful that her children are by her side as they grieve their beloved.

She continued, "So, for me, I feel that I need to pick myself off and dust myself off and put one foot in front of the other and be as courageous as I can be even when I don't feel like it to get past the grief."