Since Charlie Hunnam has never been one of my ride-or-die forever-dudes, I really never bothered to learn that much about his life or his dating history. When I’m reading interviews with him, there’s usually some mention of his “long-time girlfriend” Morgana. Charlie and Morgana have been together 11 years, and she is someone I would describe as “long-suffering,” especially given the fact that Hunnam ghosts her for months at a time and then laughs about it. I’m saying all of this as an explanation, because I never questioned the fact that Charlie’s most significant relationship in his life was with Morgana. As it turns out, he was married for three years to Katharine Towne. He eloped in Vegas when he was 18! Did you know that? I did not know that.
His quickie Vegas marriage: “First time I was ever in Vegas I got married, which didn’t turn out that well. It was a vivid Vegas memory. I had known the girl for three weeks, and we’d fallen madly in love and it was the first time I had ever been in love.”
He’d met Katharine Towne at a “Dawson’s Creek” audition in 1999: “In our 18-year-old minds, we thought, ‘What if we never see each other again? Let’s get married.’ Then we’ll have to see each other again and even if it’s just to get divorced. So we came to Vegas, but I couldn’t even get a drink so I didn’t actually think I was actually going to be able to get married.”
They married at the Silver Bell Wedding Chapel: The two tied the knot at 2 a.m. at the Silver Bell Wedding Chapel. But instead of enjoying a happily ever after, Hunnam endured “three terrible, painful expensive years” of marriage. “But I got the cats of the end of it,” he shared. “There was a small victory.”
Well… that’s quite a story. I’m a little bit surprised that the chapel let them get married too, but not because of their ages (he was 18, she was 19, I think). I’m surprised because… he was a British citizen and aren’t there rules about that? Like, is the marriage legal if one of the parties isn’t a citizen and doesn’t have all of the necessary paperwork? I guess it doesn’t matter in the state of Nevada. As for the divorce and Charlie taking custody of the cats… this is just so bizarre.
Here are some photos of Katharine Towne:
Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet and Getty.
Yes, I knew that.
I had no idea.
But, I know the Silver Bells Wedding Chapel. Hubby and I were in Vegas and won a little money and said – What do we buy with this? We decided to re-new our vows (after a whopping 9-months of marriage) with an Elvis impersonator. Silver Bells Wedding Chapel came through.
It was hysterically funny (we’ve got a video of it somewhere), and, apparently the renewal worked. We’re still married.
She was Sunday on Buffy! She looks…different now.
Yes, I actually knew this too. The girl who haunts Michelle pfiefer in what lies beneath
I think she plays Michelle Pfeiffer’s daughter in What Lies Beneath. Amber Valletta is the girl that haunts her. I only know b/c I love that movie.
Three weeks? That’s realllu quick. I’ve run into my high school classmates and some hot married right out of school. I can’t imagine. It works for some but i wasn’t mature enough at 18, not enough sure I am mature at twenty-five
He skipped the part where they were probably high as kites when they applied that “What if we never see each other again, lets get married” logic.
3 terrible and painful years? bohoo. guess his current gf feels the same about him when he ghosts her for several months and then tries to make a cute story out of it for promotional reasons. cant stand him
I read about this years ago and he only had positive things to say about her and their short marriage. I’m sure (ok, I hope) he said this in jest but I kind of feel bad for his first wife reading this.
Side note, she is in the movie “The In Crowd” from the 90s. I love that movie! Has anyone else seen it?
I liked him better when he didn’t talk as much…
I agree. I wish he would be quiet and stay pretty.
In our 18-year-old minds, we thought, ‘What if we never see each other again? Let’s get married.’
😂 Sorry but even for 18 year old brains…that’s pretty stupid!
sooo true.
many people run to Vegas to elope that’s nothing new this guy thinks he’s some big star
Isn’t she screenwriter Robert Towne’s daughter?
Yep she is
Charlie, please talk less and keep us wondering. You are ruining it…
Perfection!
I want to hear more about his current gf’s mob/crime connections, that sounds way more interesting. I mean good he can talk about his ex from when he was 18 well, but hasn’t quite a bit of time passed since then?
I am also now imagining Charlie as Dawson and his ex as Jen. That would have been very different.
Mob/crime connections? Could you elaborate pp?
I can’t even though I wish I could! Because another commenter started it, and I have no idea where the thread starts to find out. This is why I MUST know more.
Apparently her mom killed or paid someone to kill a person. And mob connections of some sort? It all sounds very dramatic and I’d love to know more.
Allegedly.
I read something about family being in the weed business…allegedly.
I’ve heard about mob connections too but everyone seems to be too afraid to name names. I heard that’s why he has stayed with her so long. Too afraid of the repercussions for leaving her. It’s probably all rumors but I find this so intriguing!
there are many rumors but there also some facts that can be checked (as far as i understand). Morgana is a cousin of that actress from Gossip Girl who comes from drug traffic family, if i got it right than Morganas mother is the leader there and she was charged with murders as well and is charged with murders again (nowadays).Morgana herself is convicted felon. Press and Charlie stans tried to make her innocent but there were (somewhere online) documents form the court where is proved that she sold to underage. The big fuss (proved by online documents) was about her company being registered as jewelry repair shop not designer company and her selling fans bad quality goods for expensive price and not returning money or replacing goods after complaints. Some fans saw her working in the bar and there also official bar pics of her working there and that started rumors that she is selling illegal stuff there and cheating on Charlie. That is just rumors though, but her being a bartender not a designer is a fact. All this above did evoked a lot of rumors and conclusions such as Charlie being method actor had a fling with a criminal for his Jax role,but she and her mother uses him as their meal ticket now because that is what they know for for years.
Meh. He strikes me as a semi-bro.
The ghosting of the girlfriend always rubbed me the wrong way. He always makes it seem like it’s the “price” of being with someone like him. No thanks!
I love this story because it reminds me how gloriously stupid 18-year-olds are! I’m guessing the law in the US is similar to Australia, which is that marriage between a citizen and non-citizen does not provide automatic residency. I believe that immigration view it as a piece of evidence contributing to an application but I could be horribly off base
Eloped to Denmark at age 20. God, I was dumb. But, my marriage lasted more than 10 years!
I feel marriage is a pretty crazy concept at any age, why wait around until you’re all wise and smart and mature when those qualities would probably tell you to just live together rather than take this insane step! 😉 – Married at 19, divorced at 30 but glad I did it then.
She’s pretty – they’d make a good-looking couple even today. Imagine what they looked like at 18!
I feel like I did know that, but I didn’t know they only knew each other for three weeks. What morons.
His ex-wife looks a lot like his current squeeze Morgana in many pics.
He has a habit of putting his foot in his mouth about his partners doesn’t he? The 1st marriage was obviously a long time ago and a bust, but calling it “terrible and painful”? I’m sure his ex loves hearing that. He also must feel very secure in his current status, since that ‘terrible’ relationship was with the daughter of an Oscar winning scribe who (although not as active) still has big friendships and connections with many old time heavy hitters, Beatty, Nicholson, etc.
He has a couple more movies coming out this year then he will go back to silence.
Sounds like his current relationship’s still the more significant one.
I have never heard of a clerk or any kind of officiant asking about citizenship — that’s a weird call-out to make. If you’re doing a green card marriage, the concerned/punitive party would be INS, not your justice of the peace or strip mall preacher. No one’s going to stop you because your intended seems foreign…what?
Nevada’s a quicky spot because they’ve never required blood tests, I believe.
Yes, exactly. My mom and stepdad got married in Reno and he is American while she is Canadian. She got citizenship many years later after they had lived and worked in the US for a long time, but at the time of their marriage they were both living and working in Canada. I went with them to get the marriage license and have no memory of them asking about citizenship or residency at all. I know other Canadian couples who got married in Vegas when neither party was American.
But blood tests? Whatt?? Is that a thing elsewhere in the US for a marriage license??
Only DC and Montana do now, apparently, but it used to be a pretty normal requirement. I think the given excuse was so you would know if your blood types were compatible before you had children — but let’s be honest: it was really about syphilis.