‘Dallas’ Actor Patrick Duffy, 71, Finds Love Again After Losing Wife to Cancer: “For Me, It’s Not a Do-Over, It’s a Do-Again”
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Published Nov 16, 2020

‘Dallas’ Actor Patrick Duffy, 71, Finds Love Again After Losing Wife to Cancer: "For Me, It's Not a Do-Over, It's a Do-Again"

Patrick Duffy, 71, lost his wife to cancer in 2017 and has found new love with a fellow actress, Linda Purl; moving through grief and finding hope again is possible after cancer loss.

Anne McCarthy

Patrick Duffy's In Love

  • Actor Patrick Duffy, 71, is now dating Happy Days actress Linda Purl.
  • In a new interview, the actor gushes about his new love.
  • Moving through grief, and finding life after cancer loss is possible with tools like therapy.
Love is in the air for Dallas actor Patrick Duffy, who lost his wife to cancer in 2017.  He was married to his late wife, Carlyn Rosser, for 34 years. Four months ago, Duffy began dating Happy Days actress Linda Purl and the two have really hit it off.

The actor is refreshingly honest about what it’s like to fall in love after losing someone; sharing his feelings of excitement about his new relationship with fans. He is also starring in an upcoming Lifetime Christmas film, Once Upon a Main Street. 

Duffy Finds Love After Cancer

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In an interview with Page Six, the actor gushed, saying, "We're not covering any ground that has not been trodden in both our lives for years and years…For me, it's not a do-over, it's a do-again,” said Duffy, “because the first one was perfect and this one is also perfect.”

Related: After Losing His Wife to Cancer, 'Dallas' Actor Patrick Duffy, 71, Finds Love Again with Fellow TV Star: Linda Purl from 'Happy Days'

Duffy reflects on the joys of new love, saying, “We get a do-again, but we're not teenagers so we kind of enter it knowing what's expected and what to give and to respect each other's history and individualism. It's worked out, I can't tell you how happy I am."

Moving Through Grief

Grief is a complicated, deeply personal process, and some find solace in vulnerability and sharing how they feel with others. After his wife’s death, Duffy wrote on Twitter: “On this day 6 months ago my heart stopped yet I live on as she wishes We will be together eternally.”

While working through grief and vulnerable tackling the emotions that accompany it, some find tools like therapy to be helpful. Support groups can also be a benefit for those who are feeling isolated in their feelings of grief. Faith can also be a powerful coping mechanism for some; Duffy has spoken about how his Buddhist faith helped him deal with his feelings of loss.

Related: 'Faith, Family, and Friends' Helped Beverly Reeves Get Through Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Whichever methods of support you seek following a cancer loss, know that there is no right way to grieve and that there is no correct timeline for it, either.

"Therapy Saved My Life": After Losing A Loved One, Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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