Meet Kirstie Alley's 2 Kids, William True And Lillie
In addition to Kirstie Alley's stunning life as an award-winning actor, she and her ex-husband, Parker Stevenson, had two children, William True Stevenson and Lillie Parker Graham. In 1990, Alley had a miscarriage, and, in her 2005 memoir, she recalled how devastated she felt. The late actor and her husband adopted both of their kids after dealing with fertility difficulties. After Alley and Stevenson got divorced in 1997, they shared custody while raising their children.
Acting achievements aside, Alley took great pride in her parenting skills. "My best quality is that I'm a good mother," she informed People in 2006. Besides making sure her kids were active and eating healthy food, she also spent a lot of quality time with them while they were growing up. Alley's friend and fellow actor Kathy Najimy explained to Good Housekeeping that Alley was "the kind of mom you want, because she's really fun." When Alley died in December 2022, her kids reflected on her legacy, writing on Instagram, "Our mother's zest and passion for life ... were unparalleled and leave us inspired to live life to the fullest."
In 2010, Ellen DeGeneres observed the strong friendship between Alley and her then-teenage children. Alley noted that she preferred discussions over discipline. Regardless of her kids' ages, the actor explained to "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that she thought of them as "people in little suits," and respected them as individuals. Now adults, here's what we know about Alley's son and daughter.
William True Stevenson
Kirstie Alley and Parker Stevenson adopted their first child, William True Stevenson, in 1992. Even though he was the child of two actors, their elder child, who goes by True, enjoyed a childhood away from media attention. Alley, however, did reveal a few details about her kids' interests in their youth, noting that they were enthusiastic about being in the water, whether it was a pool, ocean, or lake. The actor also observed that her children were interested in animals and environmental stewardship. Alley was passionate about animals, and she had a lot of pets, including 14 lemurs.
In 2010, True and his younger sister appeared with their mom in all 12 episodes of Alley's reality TV show, "Kirstie Alley's Big Life." That same year, when he was 17, True and his girlfriend, Lauren Sergeant, got engaged. "True's got a level head," Alley said on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," supporting her son's decision to get married. However, for unknown reasons, the couple later decided to split up.
During the summer of 2016, Alley became a first-time grandmother when True's partner, Sarah Parker, gave birth to their son, Waylon Tripp Parker. The actor enjoyed an added bonus of being able to spend three months with her infant grandson when True and Parker worked for Alley, an experience she described to People as "stupendous and exhilarating." The actor also was delighted to observe True's parenting prowess, noting that her son had demonstrated a strong rapport with young children over the years. "He's just an excellent dad, really hands-on," she added.
Lillie Parker Graham
In 1994, Kirstie Alley and her then-husband, Parker Stevenson, became parents for a second time when they adopted Lillie. As evidenced by Lillie's Instagram feed, her childhood affinity for the water continues into adulthood. Like Alley, Lillie is an animal lover, although she prefers canines to primates. In addition to participating with her brother True Stevenson on "Kirstie Alley's Big Life," Lillie occasionally hung out with her mom at film premieres or charity events. As a hands-on mom, Alley even built a dollhouse for Lillie that was so vast it could accommodate three people.
Similar to True, Lillie also experienced a serious romance when she was a teenager. When she was 20, Lillie was engaged to Nick Trela, and they had reportedly been together for four years. Alley practiced Scientology, and Lillie was a student at a Scientology-affiliated boarding school when she met Trela, who worked at the school. Trela was also one of True's close friends. Tragically, Trela died when a car struck his motorcycle in 2014
On New Year's Day 2017, Lillie announced her engagement to Chaffee Burkhart Graham on Instagram. Now married, Lillie and Graham work together as partners in their furniture-building business Parker Burkhart. The couple are also parents to son Ripp Woodrow Graham, born in May 2021, and daughter Teddy Louise Graham, born on October 11, 2023. Alley died in December 2022, and Lillie honored her mom's memory by giving her daughter the same middle name as Alley.