Why did Linda Lavin divorce Kip Niven? Relationship explored as Alice star dies at 87

Linda Lavin, a Tony Award-winning Broadway and TV actor, best known for playing Alice Hyatt in the CBS sitcom 'Alice,' has passed away at the age of 87 after complications from her recently discovered lung cancer. On 29 December, Linda's PR representative, Bill Veloric, told media outlets that she passed away in Los Angeles.

The sitcom, simply titled 'Alice,' featured Lavin as Alice Hyatt, a widowed single mother raising her 12-year-old son while working as a waitress at a diner on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona. Lavin’s portrayal of Alice made her a symbol of strength and independence for working mothers across America. The show, which ran from 1976 to 1985, became a beloved classic, with Lavin lending her voice to the memorable theme song, 'There’s a New Girl in Town.'

As we remember Linda Lavin's professional legacy, let's dive into her decade-long marriage to the late actor and director Kip Niven, whom she met on the sets of Alice. Lavin married Niven in 1982 after divorcing Ron Leibman in 1981. Their marriage ended in a terrible divorce. As reported by Amo Mama, when asked why she decided to end her marriage to Kip Niven, Lavin said:

"He treated me with disgust and contempt."

In July 1992, Linda Lavin was officially granted a divorce from her husband of nearly 10 years, actor Kip Niven, after a legal battle that concluded with a $675,000 settlement—an outcome Niven described as a victory.

Niven had initially sought $13,500 in monthly alimony, financial support for his two children from a previous marriage, and half of the couple's marital assets, a demand totaling over $6 million, according to Lavin’s attorney, Harriet N. Cohen.

Presiding over the case, Justice Phyllis Gangel-Jacob of the State Supreme Court in Manhattan ultimately ruled in Lavin’s favor, determining that Niven had made no meaningful contributions—financially or emotionally—to their marriage or Lavin’s career. In a statement following the ruling, Lavin remarked:

“This husband made no contributions as a partner, father, or supporter of my career. Any reasonable person would have walked away with dignity after such behavior.”

As part of the settlement, Niven forfeited claims to the couple’s Central Park West apartment, valued at approximately $1.25 million, and a $300,000 vacation home in Chincoteague, Virginia.

More about Linda Lavin's marriage to Steve Bakunas

The third time was the charm for Linda Lavin, who married Steve Bakunas, 20 years younger than her, on Valentine's Day 2005. In an interview with HuffPost, when asked to speak about an accomplishment in life that she was proudest of, Lavin said:

"My relationship with Steve. My life is so good. I have such joy and gratitude for the love I feel with him and that I get from him, and I'm capable of giving that love back."

In the same interview, when asked to describe her eight-year relationship with Steve, she said:

"We were two individuals on our own road until we met each other, and then we decided to make a life together. We are still each on our own road, but we're on parallel paths. We give each other space to find out and explore our own individuality, but we also support each other in that."

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Both Linda Lavin and Steve Bakunas used to post about life with each other on their respective Instagram accounts. Linda Lavin's last major project was Netflix's dark comedy No Good Deed.

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