Update on Jimmy McNichol

 You wanted to know . . . if there is any update on the status of Jimmy McNichol's marriage

A reader asked for an update "on the status of Jimmy McNichol's marriage."  Jimmy hasn't been in the spotlight for a while and he has kept his life fairly private.  He is not separated or divorced, and to the best of my knowledge, he is living a quiet life with his family.

James Vincent McNichol, known professionally as Jimmy McNichol, was born on July 2, 1961 in Los Angeles, California,, the son of James McNichol, a carpenter, and his wife, Carolyn.  The eldest of three siblings, Jimmy has a sister, Kristy (born 1962) and a brother, Tommy (Born 1965).  Kristy won an Emmy for her portrayal teenaged daughter Letitia "Buddy" Lawrence in the television drama Family.  

Jimmy's parents divorced and Carolyn raised her children as a single parent.  She supported the family and became the business manager for Jimmy and Kristy.  Jimmy and Kristy began their modelling and acting careers together,  Tommy was raised separately by a grandparent in Burbank, California.  He studied computer science.

In 1978, Jimmy and Kristy recorded a disco album together titled Kristy and Jimmy McNichol, which included the single "He's So Fine," a cover of the Chiffons' 1963 hit.  Jimmy and Kristy's version of the song reached number 70 on the Billboard chart.  The siblings also hosted several ABC specials and Saturday morning previews.  Kristy achieved success in her acting career, but she suffered from bipolar disorder.  She quit acting at only 24 years of age. 

Jimmy is now 62 years old.  In 1997, he married Renee Nash.  They have two children, a son named Nash (born late 1997), and a daughter, Ellis (born late 1998).  Jimmy and Renee's son, Nash, attended Fort Lewis College and launched his own business called Tech-Nichol.  He repairs cellphones and electronics.  Ellis graduated Animas High School in Colorado in June of 2017.  She then enrolled in Lewis and Clark University to pursue a degree in sociology and human services.

Jimmy also has another daughter, Kellee Maize, from a past relationship.  He wasn't aware of his other daughter.  He had no idea about her until they met in 2010.  Kellee was born in Pennsylvania.  She was adopted and raised by Terry and Christine Maize.  She is a singer, rapper and songwriter.

Kellee Maize

According to her website, Kellee was born in the 1980s.  Other sources list her birthdate as January 18, 1980.  According to a 2022 Closer Weekly article, Kellee has two children, a daughter named Soraya and a son, Mateo, with her husband, Joey Rahimi, making Jimmy McNichol a grandfather.  Kellee's adoptive father, Terry, has passed away, and Kellee refers to Jimmy as "Pops."

"Adoption is truly a gift, and I would never change  my journey in any way as I love my mom and dad with  ALL of my heart and to the the end of the earth . . . but to then also receive a gift of my unimaginably supportive and loving Pop and his family, (especially since my dad passed away 10 years ago and I miss him every day), has meant the world to me," Kellee wrote on Instagram after the McNichol clan got together in Colorado for the holidays in 2019.

        

Jimmy began his career as a child actor, and he appeared in numerous TV commercials.  He later became a teen idol.in the late 1970s. and early 1980s.  He starred in TV shows such as The  Fitzpatricks (1977-1978) and the mini-series California Fever (1979).  In 1980, he appeared in the TV movie Blinded by the Light.  From 1984 to 1985, Jimmy portrayed Josh Clayton in 26 episodes of the soap opera General Hospital.

Jimmy McNichol retired from acting in the 1990s, at the age of 30, although he did appear as Dracula's son in five 2017 episodes of the TV series Decker.  Since leaving acting, he has been active in environmental causes.  He is also a real estate investor and home renovator.  In 2018, Jimmy co-founded an entertainment production company called Playground TV.  Playground TV is a multilingual streaming platform.  It is powered my 18 children's channels and 140 animated shows.  Its mission is to educate and entertain kids worldwide.

In 2006, Jimmy and his family relocated from Santa Barbara, California to Durango, Colorado, where he still resides.

SOURCES: Closer Weekly, "Teen Idol Jimmy McNichol Became a Dad of 3 After Finding Fame! Meet His Kid Kellee, Nash and Ellis," by Samantha Agate, March 23, 2022; Wikipedia; Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

- Joanne