Paul Michael Glaser Was Left with Sick Son after His Wife & Child Died - Spiritual Journey Helped Him Overcome It

• Paul Michael Glaser is best known for his role in the television show, "Starsky & Hutch."
• His first wife, Elizabeth Glaser, and daughter, Ariel Glaser, died from AIDS caused by blood transfusion during childbirth.
• Paul's only son Jake Glaser was born with HIV but has since survived the ordeal, unlike his mother and older sister. The family patriarch remarried and had another daughter.

Paul Michael Glaser is a veteran actor who gained international recognition in the 1970s for portraying the role of Detective Dave Starsky in the drama series, "Starsky & Hutch."

Paul starred alongside actor David Soul who played Kenneth Hutch in the television show that aired for four seasons from 1975 to 1979.

In 1980, he wed his first wife, Elizabeth Glaser, whom he met in 1974 while pulling up his car next to hers on Little Santa Monica Boulevard. The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Ariel, in August 1981. However, that period turned into a dramatic event for the family.

While giving birth, Elizabeth hemorrhaged. This was two months after the first cases of AIDS were reported in the US. Subsequently, she needed a blood transfusion and contracted HIV as a result.

The mother of two learned about the infection four years later when her daughter fell sick and tested positive for HIV in 1986. Her brother Jake, born in October 1984, was also found HIV positive.

Sadly, Ariel died from AIDS in 1988 at the age of 7, and several years later, in 1994, her mother passed away at 47. Paul candidly talked about losing his wife and daughter in an August 2013 interview:

"My life has been very cathartic for me. I'm not bitter or angry. I experienced all those things. It's just how I relate to them now. […] I experience it still daily. It's how I choose to live with it."

The director revealed that he sometimes communicates with Elizabeth and Ariel when he feels their presence but explained it's one-way communication:

"I have conversations with them occasionally. It's usually 'I love you. How are you?' It's not a question of a literal response like words."

How Paul Dealt with the Loss of His Wife & Child – His Son Jake Survived

In a recent interview, Paul spoke frankly about overcoming his devastating loss. When asked whether being spiritual played a role in dealing with grief, he answered:

"Yes. […] In my life, the most visible dramatic event was my family's journey with HIV/AIDS and the exposure to that much helplessness and that much loss. It brought me to a place where I had to choose whether I was going to be a victim or whether I was going to see it as an opportunity to grow — to grow my heart and my capacity for love."

Paul further explained that after every few months, he gets busy with a program called The Power of Awareness, which he shares with others. He stated that if one gets to understand their fear, they would be able to avoid feeling helpless.

Although Paul's only son Jake was also infected, he survived and is now 38 years old. In November 2021, the Los Angeles native recalled coming home to find his famous father sitting alone.

Jake instantly knew that his HIV/Aids activist mother had died at that point and revealed during the interview how he reacted to the circumstances:

"I sat down next to him, and we both cried."

Jake was born with HIV before the first treatment for the virus became available and has spent his entire life defying the odds. He was only three years old when his sister died.

Jake admitted that he had "survivor's guilt" throughout his younger years and felt resentment toward his mom and older sister, thinking they abandoned him. He blamed himself for being unable to save them.

However, he has since pulled himself together by carrying on his late mother's legacy via the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF). She launched the organization in 1988 alongside friends and with the help of her husband, who funded research to help stop the spread of the disease.

Paul Remarried & Had Another Child — His Second Marriage Ended in Divorce

Several years after "Starsky & Hutch" and losing his wife and child, Paul wed for the second time to film producer Tracy Barone. The pair married in 1996 and welcomed their daughter Zoe a year later in 1997. However, they divorced in 2007 after eleven years of marriage.

When asked why their union failed in a 2013 interview, Paul refused to comment on their split and said it is "water under the bridge."

At the time, he was reportedly seeing much of his daughter Zoe and gave an update on how his middle child Jake was doing. "Jake's doing well. […] His health's good," said the proud father.

As for him, Paul revealed he wanted to continue acting and direct more often. He added he had written and self-published a book called "Chrsystallia and the Source of Light" and was busy with the second one.

The showbiz star was 70 years old during that period and kept fit by playing golf. Paul said he did not feel his age and merely perceived it as a number. He was born in March 1943 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is now 80 years old.

Paul has spent much of his time behind the camera as a director and a writer but has occasionally returned to acting. He also began a new chapter in his life by becoming a digital artist and painter.

The "Something's Gotta Give" star is a grandfather who enjoys spending time with his loved ones. In February 2021, he posted a photo of him and younger members of his family with their eyes fixated on the phone while smiling.

Paul captioned the Instagram post, "Sharing art with the next generation is everything," adding he was passing along inspiration, craft, and stories to them.

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