Jill Whelan, the former child star who played Vicki Stubing on “The Love Boat,” married Jeff Knapple in 2017 after two previous divorces. She has three kids from previous relationships.
For Jill Whelan, the third time’s the charm.
The actress, who played Vicki Stubing on the hit sitcom “The Love Boat,” said “I do” in 2017 to Jeff Knapple after previously walking down the aisle twice.
“We really get along so well and enjoy each other’s company so much and respect each other so much. And we make each other laugh, so we’re really, really lucky,” Whelan told People magazine.
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“This is not the first marriage for either one of us,” the 58-year-old explained. “It took us a minute to find the right person, but we did eventually. We could spend every moment together and not see another person and be totally fine.”
According to the outlet, Whelan has been married twice before and has three children from previous relationships. She said that going through two divorces taught her to “never settle” when it comes to love.
Whelan said that one of the lessons she learned from her past is that “you’re never going to remake somebody.”
“You better love them exactly the way they are when they come to you,” she shared. “And you’ve got to be yourself when you meet somebody, because if they don’t love you for who you are, then it’s a constant game of acting like somebody else. You can’t sustain that.
“I used to say to people when I was single, I would much rather be single and happy than coupled and lonely,” she added.
Whelan said those lessons became crucial when she began dating Knapple, 68.
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“When we started dating after both of our divorces, we both went, ‘You know what? I’m just going to be myself and if they don’t like this self, then that’s fine. No harm, no foul, but that’s not going to be the person for me. It’s either take me at my face value or don’t take me at all,’” Whelan said.
“Because at some point the chickens are going to come to roost, and it is going to get sticky and ugly and complicated. It’s a lot easier [to be yourself].”
However, the journey has not been smooth sailing. The star admitted to the outlet that she “made some mistakes in my life” that led her to question “what kind of roadmap am I leaving my kids” when it comes to love?
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“It might’ve been a little bit later than I thought, but I finally feel like they do understand what that roadmap can look like for them,” said the “Empty Nesters” podcast co-host.
“They love my husband, and he loves them, and it’s the same for his kids. And it’s important that we be ourselves in front of them so that they can see that that’s the best way to be.”
Whelan previously told Fox News Digital that she credited her mother, Carol Garrett, with helping her navigate fame as a child star.
“My mom was incredible,” said Whelan. “She never forgot that she was a parent first before she was a ‘momager.’ And I attribute pretty much the fact that I haven’t been arrested to my mom.”
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“I’m still afraid of her at her 84 years,” Whelan chuckled. “She still wields a big stick. [But] I think in terms of any child in the industry… a lot of the parental responsibility is the reason why they are, or they are not able to navigate a somewhat normal life.”
Looking back, Whelan pointed out that she had found fame at a time when social media did not exist. It meant less pressure on the young star’s shoulders.
“Puberty in front of millions of people is super fun,” she joked. “But I would say in terms of navigating [fame], thank God there was no internet or social media then… Even though we didn’t think it at the time, we did have our privacy as compared to what people have today.
“We are in an industry [today] where people are interested in what… [celebrities] do in their private lives. So, navigating [fame] for me was a lot easier.”
Whelan also credited the cast of “The Love Boat” for guiding her along the way.
The sitcom, which aired from 1977 to 1987, told the romantic and often comical tales of the passengers and crew of the Pacific Princess. Although originally scorned by critics, the series proved immensely popular, lasting nine seasons and spinning off several TV movies.
“My greatest joy is being able to talk about the relationship that we all had together,” Whelan reflected. “And part of that was the way they educated me … Gavin MacLeod and Bernie Kopell… had been in the industry for a really long time.
“And so, by the time ‘Love Boat’ came around, they were the senior members… and they had a lot of experience. And they set the tone for the rest of us in terms of how we were to behave as actors, and how lucky we were to be working actors.”
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“They never let us forget that,” Whelan continued. “I think that was one of the greatest lessons they taught us, besides the classic ‘Show up early, know your lines and hit your mark.’ Those are some of the most basic rules, but a lot of people forget or don’t think it’s necessarily important.
“The industry has changed so much… because of unscripted TV shows. A lot of people want to be in the industry so they can be famous, and they forget it is really a craft, like anything else… It’s an art form. And that’s the thing that we as actors have to remember more than anything. I think that’s the biggest lesson that they taught me.”
