Jamie Lee Curtis calls Robert Carradine her 'first love' in emotional tribute

Edward Segarra, USA TODAYTue, February 24, 2026 at 8:04 PM UTC

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Once upon a time, Jamie Lee Curtis and Robert Carradine had their own Hollywood love story.

The Oscar-winning actress paid tribute to her former partner in an emotional Instagram post Tuesday, Feb. 24, following the news of Carradine's death. "I woke up to the news that Robert Carradine died," Curtis, 67, wrote alongside a black-and-white throwback photo of the pair.

She added that actress Melanie Griffith, her longtime friend and also a former girlfriend of Carradine, informed her of the beloved actor's death.

Carradine's brother, "Nashville" actor Keith Carradine, confirmed his death to USA TODAY on Tuesday, sharing the "Lizzie McGuire" star died by suicide and had struggled with bipolar disorder.

1 / 0See actor Robert Carradine's memorable roles and career

Robert Carradine, the actor known as Lewis in "Revenge of the Nerds" and dad to Hilary Duff in "Lizzie McGuire," has died. He was 71. Carradine's brother, "Nashville" actor Keith Carradine, confirmed his death to Deadline late Monday, Feb. 23, saying the actor died by suicide. Look back on his career on screen and the red carpet. If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call 988 any time day or night, or chat online. Crisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.

'A very public meet-cute' between Jamie Lee Curtis, Robert Carradine

Curtis recalled meeting Carradine during an appearance on the Dinah Shore talk show "Dinah!" in the late '70s, when the show featured a "bunch of second-generation actors," who Curtis joked that people would label "Nepo babies" today (Curtis is the daughter of actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh).

"Veronica, Cartwright and Bobby and I came on last, and Bobby rearranged where we were all sitting so that he could sit next to me and he kissed me, live on television," Curtis wrote. "A very public meet-cute."

Jamie Lee Curtis gushes about family life with Robert Carradine

Aside from her romance with Carradine, Curtis also forged a close relationship with the actor's young daughter, Ever Carradine.

"We became a little family, in a dirt-floored house in Laurel Canyon, and it was my first experience with domesticity and motherhood and partnership," Curtis wrote on Instagram.

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Robert Carradine dies: 'Lizzie McGuire' and 'Revenge of the Nerds' star was 71

"I remember walking with Ever to the little Canyon market and bringing our laundry down to the laundromat below and folding her little clothes for the first time and the simplicity and beauty of Laurel Canyon in the late 70s."

In a comment under Ever's own tribute post to her father, Curtis wrote to her, "You both were my first loves. You so little and scared? Him so fast and funny and strong. He taught me what a father was."

Jamie Lee Curtis, who dated fellow actor Robert Carradine in the '70s, recalled the pair's romance following Carradine's death.

Carradine, the son of actor John Carradine, got his start in acting in 1971 with a guest role on "Bonanza," before nabbing a role as Slim in the 1972 John Wayne Western "The Cowboys" and its spinoff TV series. During that breakthrough period, he also starred in the Oscar-winning film "Coming Home" and Martin Scorsese's "Mean Streets."

"One day, I remember the sun hitting his face and me turning and looking at him and saying, 'Wait, were you in the movie 'The Cowboys?' Were you Slim?" Curtis continued. "He was my first crush in the movies, and I didn't realize it."

Robert Carradine tributes: Hilary Duff 'deeply sad' about death of 'Lizzie McGuire' dad

By 1980, with nearly two dozen credits to his name, Carradine starred as Bob Younger in "The Long Riders," a member of the James-Younger gang with brothers Keith and David Carradine. The Western biopic also featured Curtis' future husband, Christopher Guest.

"We remained friends after we broke up, and Ever and I have as well," Curtis concluded. "The long and winding road. Rest in speed and humor and love, Bobby."

Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jamie Lee Curtis mourns ex Robert Carradine in nostalgic tribute

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