Patty Hanson Is Charles Esten's Beautiful Wife He Fell in Love with More than 30 Years Ago

Patty Hanson is Charles Esten’s wife and the mother of his children. Throughout their decades-long marriage, Hanson and Esten have faced challenges and triumphs. Still, they continue to live in marital bliss.

Charles Esten became a household name after his starring role as Deacon Claybourne on "Nashville." On-screen, Esten's character falls in love with Rayna James (Connie Britton) in what appears to be an endearing romance.

Since "Nashville" premiered, fans have been wondering if Esten also has a love story similar to his character's or if he is already married.

Charles Esten's Wife, Patty Hanson, Was His College Sweetheart

Esten is happily married to his college sweetheart, Patty Hanson. The couple met in 1986 while studying at the College of William & Mary.

Initially, Hanson planned to receive her college education at Duke University, North Carolina but was not accepted. She recalled:

“Everyone else thinks I'm good enough, so forget you! So I [went] to William & Mary. Just random. But God had a plan because that's where I met [Esten]."

At that time, Hanson was in a long-term relationship, and the actor was busy with his band. However, fate played its part, and Hanson broke up with her then-boyfriend.

When she attended the band's concert, Esten changed a setlist song at the last minute and looked at her while performing.

Esten has since won Hanson's heart. After their romance began in junior year, their relationship grew stronger until culminating in marriage.

Like the couple, several celebrities also married their college sweethearts, including Tom Hanks, Mike Sorrentino, Tim Allen, and Kimberley Sustad.

Charles Esten and Patty Hanson Have Been Married for More than Three Decades

Esten and Hanson officially became husband and wife on November 2, 1991. They tied the knot at All Saint's Episcopal Church in Florida, surrounded by those dear to them.

Despite being together for decades, Esten and Hanson are still madly in love with each other. Esten believes he is lucky to have met his perfect match in his lifetime. He said:

“I look back on the fool that I was at that age, and that that moron had enough sense to be smart enough to hang on to that woman still blows my mind. I didn't make many right decisions back then. She might be the only one."

Esten and Hanson often show their love for each other on social media, posting tributes on anniversaries and celebrating each other's years of happiness together. They also honor each other on birthdays and take every opportunity to pen a sweet note on Instagram. In one of his posts, Esten called his wife his "world."

Charles Esten and His Wife Have Three Children, but They Were Once Afraid to Lose Their Daughter to Leukemia

Esten and Hanson welcomed three children, Taylor, Chase, and Addie. At two years old, Addie had to fight for her life after being diagnosed with leukemia.

Although it was a brutal reality, Esten was grateful that Addie's doctor already had a list of possible options to treat his daughter. He said:

“The reason she was able to say that was because of all the research — and all the fundraising that went into all that research — that makes that survival rate creep higher and higher every single year."

Addie has since recovered from the life-threatening disease and is living her life to the fullest. However, the harrowing experience has impacted their family's lives.

For Esten, he learned to treasure each moment spent with his loved ones. The simple activities became magical moments.

Since his daughter's cancer battle, Esten has advocated for cancer research and involved himself in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He and his wife are open about their daughter's recovery and posted about it on Instagram a few times.