How Willie Nelson's Ex-Wife Discovered His Lengthy Affair
Willie Nelson performing at the 51st Annual CMA Awards.
Willie Nelson's new four-part series, Willie Nelson & Family, is full of revelations. One of which is shedding light on his relationship history–more specifically, how his second wife, late singer Shirley Collie, found out about his affair.
In the new Paramount+ series, Nelson revealed that his ex-wife stumbled upon a peculiar piece of mail, and upon opening it, she was presented with information that left the Grammy winner, now 90, unable to explain without admitting he was having an affair.
The letter? It was a bill from a hospital in Houston, Texas, outlining the charges for the birth of a baby girl named Paula to someone named Connie Nelson.
"Shirley wanted to know who in the hell was Connie Nelson," the singer recalled. "The truth is, Connie had been my girlfriend for several years before becoming pregnant."
His daughter Lana Nelson, whom he welcomed with his first wife Martha Matthews, noted that "[Shirley] had no idea there was a Connie" before that moment in 1969, adding, "She had no idea there was a baby until she got the hospital bill. That’s how she found out about Connie. That’s how I found out about Connie."
The "On the Road Again" crooner and his second wife divorced two years later. Shortly after, in 1971, he and Connie wed. Two years after that, the couple welcomed a second daughter named Amy.
The two would remain married until 1988, but during their relationship, the country artist had an affair with makeup artist Annie D'Angelo, whom he met on the set of the 1986 film Stagecoach, co-starring Johnny Cash. Following his divorce from Connie, Willie and Annie welcomed two kids–Lukas and Micah–and tied the knot in 1991.
Over three decades later, the two remain married.
The country superstar previously told Parade that their marriage works because, "well, I now understand a lot more than I did."
"I’m not easy to live with. I’m pretty temperamental, you know," he continued, "I’ve been used to doing things my own way for so long that I’m not interested in any suggestions. There was friction with my other wives. But it seems like Annie and I did okay with each other. It takes a special person to live with me."
He still has regrets, though, as he explained in the doc: "I’ve always said there’s no such thing as a former wife. Once in your life, a wife never leaves. I regret the pain I caused Connie, and Martha and Shirley before her. I have no excuses. I’d be hard-pressed to define love. I know God’s love is pure, but worldly love is flawed love, and lots of times confused love. When it came to romance, I had a gift for complicating things…"
Next: Willie Nelson Reflects on Turning 90 and Why He Loves Being 'On the Road Again'
