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Harry Connick Jr. Reveals the Secret to His 25-Year Marriage to Jill Goodacre (Exclusive)

Harry Connick Jr.’s Secret to Jill Goodacre Marriage
Jill Goodacre and Harry Connick Jr. attend‘Harry Connick Jr: A Celebration of Cole Porter’ Broadway opening night on December 12, 2019 in New York City. Broadway World/Shutterstock

Forever love. Harry Connick Jr. opened up about his 25-year marriage to Jill Goodacre and revealed their secret for success.

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“I married my best friend and I married a woman who I look up to infinitely,” Connick, 52, told Us Weekly exclusively on Thursday, December 12, on opening night of the Harry Connick Jr.: A Celebration of Cole Porter in New York City.

He added, “We have the same values so it’s easy for us to try and impart those on our children.”

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Harry Connick Jr.’s Secret to Jill Goodacre Marriage
Jill Goodacre and Harry Connick Jr. attend‘Harry Connick Jr: A Celebration of Cole Porter’ Broadway opening night on December 12, 2019 in New York City. Broadway World/Shutterstock

The Hope Floats actor and former model, 55, tied the knot in April 1994 four years after they met and two years after they got engaged. They share three daughters, Georgia, 23, Sara Kate, 22, and Charlotte, 17.

The New Orleans native frequently posts photos of himself and his wife on social media, including a snap in August that he captioned, “’…for you and I have a guardian angel on high with nothing to do’ #truelove.”

His love and support, that has continued throughout their two-decade romance, was put to the test in October 2012 when Goodacre was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I remember what you said to me. I was working down there and I was waiting for the call and you were crying and you said, ‘I have it,’ and I lost it,” Connick said to Goodacre during the October 26, 2017 episode of his show Harry. “It was the worst feeling of helplessness I’ve ever had.”

The actress admitted that the worst part of her five-year battle with cancer was having to tell the couple’s daughters about the diagnosis. “That was the worst of all. Having the girls sit on my bed and telling them, they were so in shock, it was just devastating,” she said. “They cling more to me more now and it’s just really sweet. They’ve been so supportive, just amazing.”

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The mom of three had two surgeries and underwent radiation before entering remission. Through it all, the Will & Grace alum admitted he was “in awe” of his wife, especially since her cancer battle brought up sad memories for him — his mother died of ovarian cancer when he was 13.

“You were probably stronger than I was, I think. You set the tone for how we were going to deal with it,” he said on the show. “I am so in awe of your bravery.”

The year before the couple spoke out about Goodacre’s fight with breast cancer, theP.S. I Love You actor gushed to Us about his wife. “I love my wife. Without her I wouldn’t be much of anything,” he said in September 2016. “She rocks my world.”

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