Duffy, beloved for his role as Bobby Ewing in the long-running dramaDallas, faced unimaginable sorrow when his wife of 43 years, ballerina Carlyn Rosser, passed away in 2017.
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However, it seems he has found happiness with Linda Purl, known for her roles in Happy Days, The Office, and Doomsday Mom: The Lori Vallow Story.
Patrick Duffy’s love with Linda Purl
Patrick Duffy and Linda Purl’s story isnot your typical Hollywood romance. Having first met in 2000, the pair remained casual acquaintances for years, their paths crossing at events and conventions.
But it wasn’t until the world went into lockdown in 2020 that their connection deepened. Brought together again via a group text, they found themselves messaging more frequently until it was just the two of them.
Patrick was in Oregon, and I was in Colorado.
We didn’t start out with the intention of romance. He was a buddy. We would just chat for two and three hours because we had nothing on our calendars.
Their nightly conversations soon evolved into deeper emotional intimacy. Duffy, isolated in Oregon, and Purl, living in Colorado, began dining over Zoom and exchanging poems and music. One night, Duffy unexpectedly said, ‘I love you’—a moment that shocked even him.
One night, as we were signing off, I said, ‘Sleep tight, I love you.’ I pushed the off button and went, ‘Oh my god. I said the L-word!’
That slip of the tongue became a turning point. Linda dressed up for their next video call—perfume and all—and not long after, Duffy drove over 20 hours to her doorstep. Linda shared:
I even put perfume on — I was very nervous.
Then, at some point, Patrick got in his car and drove 23 hours to see me.
Duffy said:
We haven’t been apart since.
Their relationship has gone beyond romance, as they launched a joint business: Duffy’s Dough, a sourdough starter company based on a decades-old family recipe. Duffy told People:
Now I didn't think I was ever going to start a business, but Linda is Linda and took it and ran with it instantly.
We have been dehydrating the original sourdough starter. So it's absolutely pure from the time that my mother received it.
Through shared projects, travels and day-to-day companionship, Duffy has found in Purl not a replacement, but a fresh beginning.
Grieving Carlyn Rosser: A love that spanned decades
While Duffy’s bond with Linda brought new joy, it came after the deep sorrow of losing his wife of 43 years, Carlyn Rosser. This chapter in his life stands as a testament to enduring love.
Before Purl, Duffy had shared a lifelong love with ballet dancer Carlyn Rosser. The two met while touring—she, a poised performer 10 years his senior; he, a young narrator fresh out of college. Duffy told Closer Weekly:
We met on the tour bus and that was it — for life.
Their love story was one for the ages. Married in 1974, they had two sons, Padraic and Conor. When Carlyn passed away in 2017, the loss was sudden and shocking. He shared:
It was a surprise when she passed. There was no indication.
Duffy was open about the emotional toll. Even years after her death, he said:
I feel close to her all the time [but] what I miss most is her touch. I still consider myself a married man.
I can hear her. I can see her. I know what she would expect of me, and I try and live up to that.
He credits his sons for being his pillars. He said:
My boys were there as stalwarts.
The tragedy of his parents’ murder
Long before the pain of losing Carlyn, Duffy endured another unimaginable tragedy—the violent deaths of his parents.
In 1986, Terence and Marie Duffy were shot and killed in the Montana tavern they owned. Two 19-year-olds, Sean A Wentz and Kenneth A Miller, were later convicted of deliberate homicide.
Duffy shared:
My father kicked these two young men out of the bar.
So they went and drank elsewhere... and came back to the bar to kick his a**.
When they stepped in the bar with their guns, they shot him. There was nobody else in the bar, so they shot both my mother and my father.
The horror of that night stayed with him, but he found spiritual strength through Buddhism.
I never felt disconnected from them.
In retrospect, it was a result of being Buddhist.
In the aftermath, it was Carlyn who helped him hold it all together. Her quiet strength became his foundation. Though he rarely speaks publicly about those difficult years, Duffy has acknowledged that her love helped him survive the worst kind of grief.
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Sources used:
People: Linda Purl and Patrick Duffy's Relationship: All About the Happy Days and Dallas Stars' Romance
Closer Magazine: Patrick Duffy and Linda Purl Reveal the Secrets to Their Romance: ‘We Already Feel Married’
Daily Mail: Dallas star Patrick Duffy, 70, recalls the 'horrific' night his parents were shot dead
Closer Weekly: Patrick Duffy Still Considers Himself a ‘Married Man’ Nearly 3 Years After Wife Carlyn’s Death
