Elaine Joyce, a talented actress, was the lead in the Broadway musical "Sugar" from 1972 to its closing, starring alongside Tony Roberts and Robert Morse. She was a frequent presence on TV game shows in the early 1970s, often appearing alongside her first husband, Bobby Van.
Bobby and Elaine's marriage was marked by controversy, with a series of announcements and denials about their wedding plans. Initially, they announced their engagement in October 1967, but later clarified that they had not yet tied the knot. In November 1967, Bobby stated that they planned to marry on December 2, but their wedding was delayed due to a scheduling conflict with Elaine's brother.
The couple eventually got married in Las Vegas on May 1, 1968, but Bobby filed for an annulment just one week later, citing "fraud, non-consummation," and alleging that Elaine had told him she wanted to have children only to induce him into marriage. Elaine later revealed on the TV show Tattletales that she had "tried to run away" from the marriage.
Despite their tumultuous start, Bobby and Elaine remained married for 12 years. They divorced in 1980, and Elaine went on to marry John Levoff in 1985. The couple divorced in 1992. In 1999, Elaine married playwright Neil Simon, with whom she remained until his death in 2018.
Elaine has two children: Taylor Joyce Van, born in 1967 with Bobby Van, and Michael Francis Levoff, born in 1986 with John Levoff.
