Real-Life Love Stories of the ‘One Day at a Time’ Cast—From Heartbreak to True Love!

In the 1970s, writer/producer Norman Lear was doing everything he could to shake up the conventions of television, his instruments of doing so appearing in the form of such shows as All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times and, of course, One Day at a Time. The latter ran on CBS from 1975 to 1984 and followed single mother Ann Romano (Bonnie Franklin) as she raised daughters Julie and Barbara Cooper (respectively Mackenzie Phillips and Valerie Bertinelli), with comic relief provided by apartment building superintendent Dwayne Schneider (Pat Harrington Jr.).

All told, the cast delivered on the show’s strong storylines that were breaking new ground as there hadn’t been many divorced single mothers in prime time up until that point. They successfully conveyed the sense that this was a family struggling to grow and move forward, all of it laced with humor. At the same time — not surprisingly — the actors behind the roles have had their own love stories, some extremely short and others that have spanned decades. What follows is a look at the real-life couples behind the original One Day at a Time.

Bonnie Franklin and Ronald Sossi

Bonnie Franklin (Ann Romano) was married twice in her life. The first time was to theater director and producer Ronald Sossi, who was well known for his efforts in experimental theater. Their marriage was short-lived, beginning in 1967 and ending in 1970.

Bonnie Franklin and Marvin Minoff

Husband number two for Bonnie Franklin was film and television producer Marvin Minoff (Patch Adams, Dominick and Eugene). They married in 1980 and were actually together for 29 years until Marvin passed away, the cause of death being cancer. Bonnie herself passed away from pancreatic cancer on March 1, 2013, at age 69.

Of her second marriage, she told the New York Times, “I promised Marvin that our years together would be many things, but I promised him they weren’t going to be boring.”

Mackenzie Phillips and Jeff Sassler

Mackenzie Phillips (Julie Cooper) has been married three times. Her first husband was Jeff Sessler, a member of the entourage of the Rolling Stones. They were only married from 1979 to 1981, which was during the time that Mackenzie was really struggling with her drug addiction.

In speaking with journalist Nicki Swift, the actress said of her marriage, “I thought I was in love, but I was stoned. We were all stoned It was the drugs talking. Everybody knew he was a climber but me.”

Mackenzie Phillips and Shayne Fontayne

Marriage number two was to Shane Fontayne (who was actually born Michael Barakan), a musician and guitarist  who has worked with such performers as Lone Justice and Bruce Springsteen. He and Mackenzie were together from 1986 to 2000. In 1987, she gave birth to their son, Shayne Fontayne Barakan.

It was during their marriage that Mackenzie was touring with a reformed version of her father’s band, The Mamas & the Papas, while Shane worked with a number of different artists. By all reports, she was actually grateful for his support as she continued to try and keep her life on track.

Mackenzie Phillips and Keith Levenson

From 2005 to 2017, Mackenzie was married for the third time, in this case to music director and conductor Keith Levenson. Their marriage lasted a total of 12 years.

Valerie Bertinelli and Eddie Van Halen

In 1980, Valerie Bertinelli (Barbara Cooper) met Van Halen’s Eddie Van Halen at one of his concerts, and there was an instant attraction. They married on April 11, 1981, and she gave birth to their son, Wolfgang Van Halen, on March 16, 1991. Unfortunately, they faced a variety of challenges, not the least of which was Eddie’s struggles with substance abuse. It all took a toll on their marriage, the duo separating in 2001 and divorcing in 2007.

In 2022, Valerie wrote the memoir Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today, in which she commented, “I loved Ed more than I know how to explain. I loved his soul. He was my first love … The marriage was a mixture of wonderful highs and heartbreaking lows.”

Valerie Bertinelli and Tom Vitale

Valerie Bertinelli met financial planner Tom Vitale  through mutual friends and they began dating in 2004. Following six years of dating, they got engaged in 2010 and married on New Year’s Day the following year. At that moment, Valerie became stepmother to Tom’s four children.

Despite the fact she frequently shared how happy he made her, they separated in November 2021 and were divorced the following November. She commented afterward, “I’m happily divorced. I have a great life and I’m learning to embrace the moments.”

Pat Harrington, Jr. and Marjorie Ann Gortner

Pat Harrington Jr. (Dwayne Schneider) was married twice. The first time was to Marjorie Ann Gortner, who he wed on November 19, 1955. They were together for 30 years, divorcing in 1985. They had four children: D. Patrick Harrington, an advertising executive; Michael Harrington, an actor; Terry Harrington, a composer and pianist; and Tresa-Caitlin Harrington, a ballerina.

Pat Harrington, Jr. and Sally Cleaver

His second time down the aisle was with Sally Cleaver in 2001. They were together until his death on January 6, 2016, at 86. Pat had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.