A Duke of Hazzard…ous romances: As John Schneider’s third wife dies at 53, FEMAIL lays bare his tumultuous love life, from failed first marriage to Miss America that led him to become a born again Christian to a bitter alimony battle that saw him JAILED
- Hollywood star first found love with former Miss America Tawny Elaine Godin
- His second marriage to Elly Castle ended with a lengthy divorce battle
- John found himself in jail for failing to pay alimony for their three children
Dukes of Hazzard star John Schneider revealed the sad news that his wife, Alicia Allain, died on Tuesday in a crushing blow for the Hollywood star who had found lasting love with the film producer after complicated relationships in his past.
Taking to social media on Wednesday, the 62-year-old actor posted an obituary for the actress and producer that said she died ‘at her home surrounded by her family as she took her last breath’ at the age of 53.
She had battled breast cancer for several years after being diagnosed in 2019, discovering she had just a few years to live after visiting a dermatologist when the symptoms had spread to her skin. A cause of death has not been released.
Alicia was John’s third wife, and the couple began dating in 2015 before getting married in 2019 at the barn on their property.
Dukes Of Hazzard star John Schneider revealed his wife, Alicia Allain, has died at the age of 53 this week
It comes as a crushing blow for the Hollywood star who had found lasting love with the film producer after two public divorces from Tawny Godin (left) and Elly Castle (right)
Their seven-year relationship came after the Smallville star had gone through the heartbreak of two failed marriages during his busy Hollywood career.
The actor first tied the knot with former Miss America Tawny Elaine Godin, known as Tawny Little or Tawny Little-Welch.
After getting hitched in 1983, the pair’s relationship came to an end just three years later due to ‘unavoidable circumstances.’
In the years after the actor’s first failed marriage, he became a born-again Christian after living with country music legend Johnny Cash and his wife, June.
He then found love again with his second wife, Elly Castle, but the romance broke down decades after they wed in 1993.
The pair’s split led to a lengthy divorce battle which saw John sent to jail for failing to pay alimony for the couple’s three children: Leah, Chasen and Karis.
John then began dating Alicia Allain in April 2015, who fast became his producing partner as well as being the owner of Maven Entertainment.
The pair took their relationship to the next level in 2019 when they tied the knot in a barn on their property.
The couple happily mixed business with pleasure as they produced several small-budget films before transitioning into music producing, creating more than 100 songs together.
Here, FEMAIL reveals the actor’s rocky road to true love before the devastating loss of his life partner.
Highs and lows: After finding fame in The Dukes of Hazzard, the actor saw his first marriage collapse following the end of the series
The actor first tied the knot with L.A. new anchor Tawny Elaine Godin in 1983 (pictured in 1985)
Tawny was crowned Miss New York in 1975 (left) before she became the Miss America of 1976 (right)
The couple failed to make the marriage work and ended their romance in 1986 (pictured in 1983)
John shot to fame after landing the role of Bo Duke in The Dukes Of Hazzard at the age of 18, starring on the show from 1979 to 1985.
At the height of the series’ popularity, he also became a recording artist with his Elvis Presley cover song, It’s Now or Never, reaching No. 4 in the charts.
He went on to have several No.1 hits, including I’ve Been Around Enough to Know, Country Girls, and You’re the Last Thing I Needed Tonight.
During the show’s run, he attended plenty of showbiz events including the 1982 Oscars ceremony where he met Tawny Godin.
Then known as Tawny Little following her first failed marriage, the Miss America of 1976 interviewed the actor as part of her role as a $200,000-a-year L.A. news anchorwoman.
In that same year, a tangle of legal suits with the producers over the distribution of merchandising royalties caused John and co-star Tom Wopat to leave the show for most of a season.
John Schneider, pictured, starred as Bo Duke in The Dukes Of Hazzard from 1979 to 1985
The pair had decided to quit the show after having their request to earn more than $30,000 an episode was denied.
They also wanted script approval and royalties from sales of Hazzard products, filing a $25 million suit against Warner Bros for royalties they believed had been denied to them.
When Warner countersued for $90 million and cast John and Tom lookalikes, the audiences made their feeling clear with ratings immediately sinking.
The two actors eventually went back to work for a reported $55,000 per show, and also won a percentage of the royalties.
It was during that turmoil that John began officially dating Tawny. Her work as a night-time news anchor meant that she didn’t return home until one in the morning, while John had to be on set by seven in the morning.
However, the relationship continued to blossom and they got hitched in the fake Kentucky town on the Burbank Studios lot where CBS’s Dukes of Hazzard was taped in 1983.
Dukes of Hazards was eventually canceled in 1985 after seven seasons.
John directed the series finale, titled Opening Night at the Boar’s Nest, which aired on February 8, 1985.
Just one year later, his marriage to Tawny came to an end.
Moving on: The actor bounced back from heartbreak and gave his life to Christ with a little help from music icon Johnny Cash
John, who also enjoys a career as a singer, began living with iconic musician Johnny Cash in 1988 (pictured in 1991)
The actor claimed that hearing Cash talking about his relationship with Jesus changed his life and led him to become a born-again Christian (pictured in 1991)
John continued to focus on his work following the split, taking roles in TV shows such as Grand Slam (1990), Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993) and Heaven Help Us (1994).
In 1998, John began living with iconic musician Johnny Cash and his wife, June Carter Cash.
The trio would regularly have deep conversations and the couple were the inspiration behind his decision to say a life-changing prayer one day at the Little Brown Chapel in Studio City, California.
John said he had previously thought Christian were too nice before living with Johnny and his wife June (pictured in 1969)
Speaking to Today’s Christian, the actor explained that he didn’t truly find spiritual peace until he made it through the struggles of finding work after Dukes, while also dealing with a much-publicized divorce.
He admitted he had previously thought Christians were too nice and stated: ‘I couldn’t relate to them because nothing about their lives seemed real to me. My life was messy and imperfect, so I couldn’t see where I would fit in.’
But when he heard Cash talking about his relationship with Jesus, things began to change.
‘It was the first time that I saw that you could say “Jesus is Lord” and still be a man,’ John explained. ‘Once I realized I was part of this bigger plan, I didn’t want to be a follower but a leader for the cause.’
This revelation led the actor to get more involved in charity work and he proceeded to help create the Children’s Miracle Network with Marie Osmond and her brothers.
Then in 1995, he founded FaithWorks Productions in order to create ‘family-friendly’ videos and recordings.
Meanwhile, he took on a recurring roles as Joshua Winslow/Satan in the popular series, Touched By An Angel from 1995 to 2001.
He also starred in Walker, Texas Ranger (1999) and The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! movie (1997) as well as The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood (2000).
Taking a second chance on love: The screen star ended up in legal trouble due to failed alimony repayments after his second divorce
The actor found love again with his second wife, Elly Castle
The pair tied the knot in 1993 but shocked fans when they revealed they were divorcing after 21 years of marriage in 2014
He then found love again with his second wife, Elly Castle, and the pair tied the knot in 1993.
The couple share three adult children together, Leah and Chasen from Elly’s first marriage and their daughter, Karis.
In December 2014, the pair announced they were divorcing after 21 years of marriage.
Elly, also known as Elvira Schneider, filed legal documents citing irreconcilable differences as well as requesting spousal support.
By January 2016, Elly began seeking $31,000 a month in temporary spousal support.
According to TMZ, she stated in her legal documents that she was a stay-at-home mother throughout the couple’s marriage, and no longer had the skills necessary to compete in the modern workforce.
The papers added that with homes in both California and Louisiana, the couple lived ‘an affluent lifestyle throughout the entirety of their marriage.’
TMZ added that she further stated that her estranged husband earned more than $83,000 a month.
Speaking to Nash Country Daily about his former wife’s alimony demands, he claimed that she refused to work.
‘She feels like she’s entitled to it. She doesn’t work and she hasn’t worked since we got married,’ John stated.
‘And there is a group, I guess, out there that says, “Well, she gave up a career to become a housewife.” Well, no, we had nannies.’
He continued: ‘I don’t wish Elly to hurt like I hurt right now, I really don’t. But the laws of nature dictate that she’s going to, and it’s gonna hurt her bad. When those kids won’t talk to her, I don’t know how she’s gonna take that.’
The couple shared three adult children together, Leah (center right) and Chasen (center) from Elly’s first marriage and their daughter, Karis
In 2016, Elly began seeking $31,000 a month in temporary spousal support
In June 2018, the actor was sentenced to three days in jail for failing to pay alimony after claiming he could not afford it.
The actor stated to Fox News that he had fallen on hard times after having to spent most of his money repairing his movie studio in Louisiana after it had been destroyed during a flood in March 2016.
‘If I had it [money], I would’ve given it to her just to let this go away but I don’t have it. Hopefully this is evidence of that,’ he stressed to the publication.
The actor was sentenced to three days in jail for failing to pay alimony after claiming he could not afford them
The proud supporter of ‘the boys in blue’ said he was anxious to see ‘the inner workings of the jail system.’
Luckily for the star, he was arrested at 10.29am and released at 3.45pm that same day due to an overcrowded prison.
He was also ordered to do 240 hours of community service and to repay his debt to Elly.
His career remained steady during his relationship with Elly. In 2001, he began to portray Jonathan Kent in the hit TV series, Smallville.
He later went on to appear in shows including Nip/Tuck, The Secret Life Of The American Teenager and 90210.
The Mount Kisco, New York, native also starred in Tyler Perry soap opera The Haves And The Have Nots.
When he was heading to jail, John received a call from the producer, which boosted his spirits.
‘[Tyler and I] agree on this very important thing: They can take your stuff but they cannot have your dream,’ John said recalling the chat. ‘He is a dreamer and a liver of his dreams, and I am the same and we are of one spirit. So these next three days are going to fuel my dream, not damage it in anyway.’
Finding his match: The actor found love and partnership with third wife, Alicia, before her tragic death in 2023
Alicia Allain was John’s third wife. She was previously married to producer and actor Patrick Dollard from 1994 to 1999
Alicia served as John’s personal and professional manager, with the pair creating several films and songs together (pictured together in 2017)
The same year John announced his split from Elly, the actor connected with the woman who would become his third wife, Alicia Allain.
The actress and producer was looking to get back into indie filmmaking after a long break and called up John for a discussion over dinner.
However, their romance started several months after John was divorced.
They wed ‘before God’ in 2019 and waited for the actor’s legal battle with Elly to be officially over before they made their marriage official.
Alicia served as John’s personal and professional manager, on top of being his producing partner and the owner of Maven Entertainment.
She worked as a producer on nearly 20 films from 1995 to 2022, and currently has two further projects that are due to come out.
They wed ‘before God’ in 2019 and waited for the actor’s legal battle with Elly to be over before they made their marriage official
Alongside her work as a producer, she was a hairstylist for several other films and TV shows throughout the 1990s.
The couple also produced several small-budget films before transitioning into music producing, creating more than 100 songs together in recent years.
Alicia faced a public battle with cancer after being diagnosed in 2019.
The couple revealed on Fox and Friends in 2020 that she had been given just a few years to live.
‘This past Memorial Day I was diagnosed with stage 4 HER2 negative cancer,’ she said.
‘She was three years into a five-year shelf life,’ John added.
Alicia said she discovered she had the disease after it began manifesting itself on her skin, which led her to visit a dermatologist who gave her the diagnosis.
Speaking about her life after her diagnosis, Alicia said: ‘I went into like a speed course of reading what path I was going to take.
‘I decided to do keto for cancer, CBD oil and then ground myself in minerals. I got into a really rigid regime.’
The couple began marketing CBD oil after Alicia found the treatment valuable in her recovery, naming their product, CBoD oil, in a play on the name of his iconic Dukes of Hazzard character ‘Bo Duke’.
Alicia is survived by daughter Jessica, stepdaughter Karis, and a granddaughter.
Alicia had battled cancer after being diagnosed in 2019, later revealing that she was told she had just a few years to live
The actor paid a heartbreaking tribute on Instagram to his wife following her death
An obituary published by Wilbert Funeral Home in Plaquemine, Louisiana, said;:’From Brusly to Hollywood and back, Alicia was a force that inspired others, she was kind and generous to all she met. She always put herself last.
‘She was very protective of her parents. She was mama bear that protected all her cubs. She was a fighter until the end. Alicia will be missed mighty.’
John paid tribute to his late wife in a heartfelt statement he shared on Facebook, writing: ‘My beautiful Smile is pain free, living in her new body alongside Jesus.’
The actor, who often referred to his wife as ‘Smile’, added: ‘Lastly… hug those you love tight and let them know how you feel. We always did.’
He also shared a photo of the couple together on his Twitter account and wrote: ‘My center. My everything. My smile.’
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