What Happened To Paul Anka’s First Wife?

Paul Anka's first wife, Anne De Zogheb, was a former top model who appeared on the cover of many fashion magazines in the late 1950s. The couple met in 1960 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and got married in 1963. They had five daughters together and were married for nearly four decades before divorcing in 2000.

Although Paul Anka still claimed to love Anne, he felt there was nothing more to their marriage after raising their daughters to adulthood, and he wanted to live life anew. The divorce was amicable, and Paul admitted to being in close contact with his ex-wife after the separation. Anne De Zogheb passed away on March 29, 2017.

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Paul had married Anne De Zogheb as his first wife in 1963 and the couple got divorced in 2000.

Answered from Eric Cousineau

In the late 1950s through the 1960s, Paul Anka was one of the biggest teen idol pop stars in the world. He charted hit after hit like “Diana”, “Lonely Boy”, “Put Your Head on My Shoulder”, and “You Are My Destiny”. His swooning love songs endeared him to fans around the globe, who bought a staggering 15 million records. But while Anka's music career was soaring, his personal life was a tumultuous rollercoaster, especially his first marriage to Anne de Zogheb. T

heir relationship spanned nearly four decades before collapsing under the weight of bitterness and mistrust. This article will delve into Anka's lengthy romance with Anne – from their controversial early days, to raising their family, Anne's shocking affair, and their tempestuous divorce that cost Paul millions.

Table of Contents

• Paul Anka's Rise to Fame and Meeting Anne
• Early Romance and Controversial Marriage
• Family Life and Paul's Peak Celebrity
• Troubles and Anne's Damaging Affair
• The Messy Multi-Million Dollar Divorce Settlement
• Post-Divorce Relationships and Reflections
• Conclusion

Paul Anka's Rise to Fame and Meeting Anne

Paul Anka skyrocketed to stardom as a teenager in the late 1950s, pioneering the pop star archetype that continues today. He honed his singing and songwriting chops as a youth in Canada before hitting it big in 1957 with the single “Diana” when he was just 16 years old. This doo-wop ode about unrequited love for an older girl shot to #1 on the U.S. Billboard charts, selling over 9 million copies.

Paul followed up this breakout hit with a string of other chart-toppers like “You Are My Destiny” and “Lonely Boy”. He became a heartthrob sensation, touring the country and making TV appearances to hordes of screaming young fans. Just a few years later in the early 1960s, the 21-year-old crooner met his future wife Anne de Zogheb in Paris. Anne was a 16-year-old model and dancer, and was instantly enamored with Paul. Despite being five years her senior, they began a fast and furious courtship.

Early Romance and Controversial Marriage

Paul has said he was immediately smitten with Anne's beauty, poise, and sophistication. For her part, the teenager was starstruck by the famous singer and enthralled by the glitz of his celebrity lifestyle. Their age gap raised some eyebrows, but they became inseparable.

Anne’s father strenuously objected to the relationship because she was so young and Paul was focused on his blooming career. But the couple ignored the naysayers and married in February 1963 when Paul was 22 and Anne just 17. The wedding ceremony took place in Paris, and their marriage made headlines as an example of young love triumphing over controversy.

In interviews at the time, Paul defended their age gap: “When you have what Anne and I have together, age means nothing.” Meanwhile, Anne gushed, “Paul is so kind and attentive. I’ve never felt so loved.” Despite the early turbulence, they believed their storybook romance would stand the test of time.

Family Life and Paul's Peak Celebrity

Over the next decade, Paul Anka continued cranking out Top 40 hits and became a multi-millionaire musician before age 30. His string of popular singles like “Puppy Love” and “(You’re) Having My Baby” made him an international sensation and one of the biggest stars of the 1960s/70s.

During these wild years at the top, he and Anne raised a family away from the spotlight. By 1971, they had five daughters: Amelia, Anthea, Alicia, Amanda, and Alexandra. The family split their time between a massive home in Los Angeles and a lavish apartment in New York City.

Despite Paul’s busy performance and recording schedule, he doted on his daughters. “Seeing my little girls’ smiling faces when I come home makes all the craziness worthwhile,” he told reporters at the time. For her part, Anne relished her life as a celebrity wife and mother, telling press, “Paul is a wonderful father, and we feel so blessed.” Their private home life seemed idyllic.

Troubles and Anne's Damaging Affair

Sadly, after over 20 years of marriage, Paul and Anne’s relationship began coming apart at the seams. The chaos began in 1983 when Anne had a torrid affair with a man who was a longtime friend of the Anka family. Both Anne and Paul confirmed the infidelity in later years.

Paul was understandably devastated when he learned of Anne's betrayal. “It broke my heart and shook me to my core,” Paul reflected later. “I felt so hurt and angry that I didn’t know what to do.”

For her part, Anne admitted she made a grave mistake but felt neglected after years of Paul’s touring. “I never meant to hurt Paul. I still loved him deeply, but our marriage had real issues,” she said in 1998. “The affair was my misguided way of acting out.”

Despite Paul’s shock at Anne’s affair, he wanted to try repairing their fractured relationship for their five daughters’ sake. Paul and Anne entered marriage counseling, trying to rebuild broken trust. Paul even arranged for them to renew their wedding vows in 1994, hoping to move forward. But the damage proved irreparable.

The Messy Multi-Million Dollar Divorce Settlement

After soldiering on for several years post-affair, Paul finally filed for divorce from Anne in 2000 after 37 years of marriage. He cited the classic “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for divorce. While the marriage was long over privately, the public divorce became an ugly legal battle over Paul’s substantial assets.

In the end, Anne was awarded a mammoth settlement estimated at $4.4 million in cash, plus she was granted ownership of 50% of Paul’s songwriting catalog. This entitled Anne to half the royalties of his entire song portfolio in perpetuity. At the time, experts estimated the royalty-sharing could pay Anne $500,000 per year in the decades to come.

Additionally, Anne received full ownership of the couple’s massive $8.5 million mansion in Connecticut where she still resides today. All told, Anne’s total settlement likely amounted to over $10 million when counting royalties.

The financial sting of divorce was surely painful for Paul, who had amassed a fortune during their marriage that Anne had claim to. He seemed dismayed but accepted the resolution. “It was a steep price to pay for freedom, but I had no choice,” he reflected.

Anne ended up with essentially lifelong financial security via the royalty arrangement. Paul’s lawyer noted ruefully, “His songs will be paying for his ex-wife long after he’s gone.”

Post-Divorce Relationships and Reflections

After finally extricating himself from the disaster of his first marriage, Paul Anka found love again in 2008 with Anna Åberg, a Swedish model. Paul was 66 years old at the time and Anna just 19 – a 47 year age gap! They had a daughter together before splitting up in 2010 under accusations of infidelity. Clearly Paul still had a wandering eye.

Paul wife #3 was Lisa Pemberton, an American actress he married in 2016 when he was 75 and she was 49. They remain together today, primarily residing in Las Vegas where the 81-year-old Anka still performs regularly. His touring schedule remains grueling, perhaps to replenish the wealth surrendered to Anne.

In interviews in recent years, Paul spoke candidly about his marriage and bitter divorce from Anne. He accepted blame for spending so much time on the road away from family. He also acknowledged that fame and fortune complicated their union.

“When you're married to a teen idol, it's probably not going to work,” Paul reflected in 2015. Perhaps there are lessons in the spectacular failure of Paul and Anne's union for young celebrities pairing up today. But Paul has made his peace, continuing to sing his love songs to adoring audiences worldwide.

Conclusion

Paul Anka and Anne de Zogheb were the quintessential star-crossed lovers. They met as teenager and pop idol, defied critics of their age gap, and built a family amid Paul's frenetic celebrity career. But cracks emerged after over twenty years together, culminating in Anne's shocking affair. Despite years attempting to repair their fractured marriage, the trust between Paul and Anne was permanently broken.

Their legal divorce proceedings were bitter and expensive. Anne emerged with custody of their daughters plus a massive settlement leaving her financially set for life. Paul gained his freedom but paid a steep price. Their cautionary tale serves as a reminder that youthful infatuation and fame can’t always conquer complex relationships. In the end, Paul Anka’s first wife Anne got to “have his baby” in more ways than one.