Billy Crystal on Secrets to His 54-Year-Long Marriage

Billy Crystal’s marriage to his wife, Janice, shows that relationships can last under pressure, as long as both parties have shared goals, according to Hollywood marriage experts.
The husband and wife also mutually respect one another.
While Crystal, 76, is an actor currently starring in the Apple+ series “Before,” his wife is a producer. Their daughters are 51-year-old Jennifer and 46-year-old Lindsay.
“Before” is about a widowed child psychiatrist, played by Crystal, who meets a troubled boy that has a surprise connection to his past.
Crystal also starred in “When Harry Met Sally” opposite Meg Ryan, “Analyze This” with Robert DeNiro, “Here Today” with Tiffany Haddish, and many other box office hits.
When asked what else he believes makes a harmonious marriage, Crystal said, “Humor and trust and constantly be interested in what each of us are doing, and respecting our separate lives and who we are.”
“Having a common mission doesn’t just provide direction; it fortifies the bond you share, even when life gets hectic,” licensed psychotherapist and the author of “Wired for Happiness” Fatemeh Farahan told The Epoch Times. “I’d add emotional intimacy and understanding each other’s inner world. Emotional intimacy isn’t just about talking logistics or sharing feelings—it’s about getting curious about what makes your partner tick.”
North Carolina divorce attorney Jonathan Breeden also told The Epoch Times that respect for individuality has shown itself to be important if couples want to find happiness in their marriage.
“We need positive reinforcement and acceptance from the other parts of our lives too, and not just the parts we share with our spouses,” he said. “There are other family members, co-workers, and even our beliefs that also solidify our individual identities.”
The Crystals have remained married for 54 years and met when they were teenagers in 1966 while working at a Long Island summer camp. Crystal subsequently transferred from Marshall University in West Virginia just before his sophomore year to Nassau Community College.
“I’m lucky,” he said. “I was 18. She was 17. And here we still are.”
Crystal was unwilling to risk losing Janice, which is why he switched universities.
He is very vocal about the strong connection he has with his wife.
“I loved her so much right away,” Crystal said. “You know, I don’t know if you’ve ever been in a long-distance relationship—they don’t work out.”
Their first child, Jennifer Crystal Foley, was born in 1973. Their second daughter, Lindsay Crystal, in 1977.
The babies changed Crystal’s life.
“When I first became a dad back in [1973], Janice was working and I was starting my career as a stand-up at night,” he said. “So, during the day, I was ‘Mr. Mom’ and that changed my life totally.”
A Tony is among the accolades Crystal has been awarded for his acting. He has also won six Emmys.
The fact that the Crystals were married before the distractions of internet dating existed may have significantly contributed to their longevity, according to “When Love Lies” podcast host and creator Jillian Hamilton.
“Fifty-four years ago, it was a much simpler time when we didn’t have access to thousands of dating prospects on apps and social media,” Hamilton told The Epoch Times. “Back in the 70s, people accepted that there was a finite pool of potential partners to meet in your neighborhood, at work, or through friends.”
The couple has withstood the additional pressures of constant scrutiny from the media and the public.
“When Harry Met Sally” rocketed Crystal beyond the stardom he already knew, and when your star shines brighter than ever, “that can be a time when commitment to family and each other becomes invaluable,” Hamilton said.
Another secret sauce to successful marriages is sharing fun times, says couples and family therapist Debra Castaldo.
“A couple’s ability to have pure fun, and solve conflict and differences with a light-hearted approach and silliness, is actually one of the differences we know from research that accounts for the differences between couples at risk for divorce and couples who are happy,” Castaldo told The Epoch Times.
Of Crystal, she said, “His wife must be funny herself, or appreciate his silliness and the humor they share.”
Crystal did not respond to requests for comment.
The American Psychological Association estimates that up to 50 percent of first marriages in the United States end in divorce compared to up to 67 percent for second marriages.
As a result, it’s heartening when couples like Billy and Janice Crystal can stay together for decades, according to Hamilton.
“Whether it’s a Hollywood couple or an everyday couple, strong unions need patience, trust, respect, intimacy, and the shared goal to preserve a family that starts with two committed partners,” Hamilton said.
“I can only imagine that after more than 50 years of marriage, forgiveness also plays an important role. After all, no one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes.”