Meet The Real-Life Loves Of The Family Ties Cast

When "Family Ties" premiered in 1982, it quickly gained popularity for its ability to show the ups and downs of family life with plenty of humor and heart. Throughout its seven-season run, viewers watched the Keatons navigate everyday life in relatable ways. The cast's chemistry was the icing on the cake, so to speak, and it helped turn the Keatons into one of television's most beloved families. The series also became a launching pad for several of its stars, with many of its cast members — such as Michael J. Fox — continuing to build successful careers long after the show wrapped. Years after fans watched the Keatons' story unfold, the actors behind those characters have gone on to create lives of their own, both professionally and personally.

Although "Family Ties" ended decades ago, many fans have remained curious about what the cast of the '80s sitcom is up to all these years later. Along with their successful careers, many of the "Family Ties" stars have found love and even started families of their own. Here's a look at the real-life loves of the "Family Ties" cast and where they are today.

Michael J. Fox met his wife, Tracy Pollan, when she was brought in as his love interest on "Family Ties." Pollan joined the cast during the sitcom's fourth season, and while she and Fox had chemistry, they were both dating other people at the time; Fox was romantically linked to actress Nancy McKeon, and Pollan was dating actor Kevin Bacon. Two years after their official meeting, Fox and Pollan were both cast in "Bright Lights, Big City." Both were single by then, and they started dating. Fox proposed to Pollan in 1987, and the couple tied the knot the following year. They went on to welcome four kids together as they continued supporting one another as husband and wife. 

In 1991, Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, though he didn't share the news publicly until 1998 — and Pollan was by his side through it all. "One of the things I'll always love Tracy for is that at that moment, she didn't blink," Fox recalled in a 2020 interview on "Today." And the same holds true decades later. Fox and Pollan's love story has spanned four decades, and the two are still very much in love. "Tracy, have the beautiful birthday you deserve. Love you xoxo," Fox captioned an Instagram post in honor of his wife's birthday in May 2026.

Michael Gross played the role of Steven Keaton — the patriarch of the family — on all 172 episodes of "Family Ties." Gross married his wife, Elza Bergeron, on June 2, 1984, while he was still working on the popular sitcom. At the time, Bergeron worked as a casting director and had two children from a previous relationship. "Thirty-five years ago today, former casting director Elza Bergeron did something she swore she would never do: marry an actor. Lucky actor. Lucky us. Lucky me," he wrote on Facebook in June 2019.

Gross appears to be taking a step back from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood and hasn't taken on any major roles since 2024. These days, he and Bergeron spend time with their family, including their grandchildren, and they enjoy traveling the world together. "My wife and I visiting another of Ireland's snug pubs. I love a good stout, but limit myself to a pint per day so I don't go completely off the rails," Gross captioned a Facebook photo of him and Bergeron enjoying beers during a trip to the Emerald Isle in May 2025.

Meredith Baxter was the mom on "Family Ties," and portrayed Elyse Keaton in every episode of the show. Nearly three decades after the final episode aired, Baxter came out as gay. "I am a lesbian and it was a later-in-life recognition," Baxter said on "Today" in 2009. "Some people would say, well, you're living a lie and, you know, the truth is — not at all. This has only been for the past seven years," she added. She went on to say that although she is an extremely private person, she decided to speak out and share her story with the world because she didn't want the tabloids getting it all wrong. 

In 2013, Baxter married her longtime partner, Nancy Locke. The couple gathered their closest family and friends together for a small ceremony in Los Angeles. "Now I understand why marriage caught on," she told People after saying "I do." Baxter, who celebrated her 79th birthday in May 2026, lives a private life out of the public eye. She is still close to her "Family Ties" co-stars and has reunited with them a few times.

Justine Bateman — known to "Family Ties" fans for playing Mallory Keaton — ended up falling in love with someone who wasn't in the entertainment industry. While it's unclear how Bateman met financier Mark Fluent, the two tied the knot in 2001 and have been together ever since. Three years before her wedding, Bateman, who has undergone a stunning transformation over the years, opened up to People magazine about the pressures of fame. "We were at the level of fame where you just can't go anywhere. You just try to keep your head above water ... [and] stay alive," she said, later adding, "I'm not saying I'm ungrateful for fame at all. I'm just saying it's a crazy emotional experience."

It seems as though Fluent offered Bateman some normalcy in the crazy world she'd uncovered. And while she still works in Hollywood, Bateman has been focused on other aspects of entertainment, such as writing and directing. Fluent has been a big supporter of his wife's ambitions and achievements and has accompanied her to various public events over the years. In 2018, Bateman — whose brother is "Ozark" star Jason Bateman — and Fluent stepped out to attend a screening of the Netflix documentary series "Somebody Feed Phil" alongside their two kids, Duke and Gianetta.

Tina Yothers got her start in entertainment when she was just 3 years old. She began appearing in commercials before landing a bigger role in 1981, inking a deal to appear in an episode of "The Magical World of Disney." She took on a variety of smaller roles over the years, ultimately joining the cast of "Family Ties" as one of the Keaton kids. Yothers has few credits to her name since "Family Ties" aired its last episode. As her acting career slowed down, Yothers yearned for a quiet, private life out of the spotlight. 

In 2002, she married Robert Kaiser, and they welcomed two children together. Yothers shares tidbits of her life on social media, sometimes posting photos and videos of her husband and kids on Instagram. "Happy Birthday To The Best Husband, Father, Brother, Son, Friend & Papa! We Love you so much & cherish ever moment with you! 61 never look so good," Yothers captioned an Instagram post in honor of her husband's birthday in March 2026. Yothers has returned to the limelight a handful of times, however, but in a very different capacity. She and Kaiser appeared on "Celebrity Wife Swap" before it was canceled. The episode aired in 2012 and showed how Yothers handled swapping lives with comedian Niecy Nash. "I'm happy in my flip-flops," she said on the show, according to Us Weekly, adding, "This whole Hollywood thing and the pampering, it's just not for me."

Brian Bonsall met his wife, Courtney Bonsall (née Tuck), decades after his time on "Family Ties" came to an end. The couple tied the knot in 2017 and have a son named Oliver. Bonsall and his family live a quiet life out of the spotlight, but their world got flipped upside down when Courtney suffered cardiac arrest. She was rushed to the hospital, where she received CPR and was revived, but suffered a second cardiac arrest and had a seizure before being placed on life support. Brian, who is the guitarist for the punk rock band The Ataris, started a GoFundMe to help support the family during the challenging time. 

Thankfully, Courtney was able to pull through and left the hospital in November 2024. On Christmas Eve that year, Courtney took to Instagram to share a photo of Oliver planting a kiss on her cheek. "I'm so so grateful for this. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight," she captioned the post. She and Brian continue posting family updates on social media, and appear to be even more in love than ever before.

Marc Price joined the cast of "Family Ties" in a fun role — Irwin "Skippy" Handelman lived next door to the Keaton family, and many fans of the show adored his quirky personality. Price has done some other work in Hollywood, but he seems to have found his true calling as a stand-up comedian. He lives a relatively quiet life in Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles and has been dating "Pulp Fiction" actress Angela Jones for many years. "It's the first time I've felt this way," he told the Tribune Chronicle in 2017. "Maybe I felt this way before, but I was always too scared to take it to the next level. I just wanted to make sure. It took longer than I thought it was going to take, but it was worth the wait," he added.

Price does have public-facing social media accounts, but he doesn't post frequently. According to his official website, he's still touring and has upcoming appearances scheduled through October 2026. Price is still close to his "Family Ties" colleagues and has been a big supporter of Michael J. Fox. "I like to raise money for his foundation," Price told The Press Democrat in 2023. "Without his charm and talent, I wouldn't be able to make a difference."

Scott Valentine became part of the "Family Ties" cast in Season 4 when he was introduced as the motorcycle-loving boyfriend of Mallory Keaton (Justine Bateman). After his character was no longer part of the show, Valentine went on to tackle other projects, like parts in "Killer Instinct" and "To Sleep With a Vampire." During this time, he was married to his first wife, Kym Denyse Stephenson. The two tied the knot in 1985 and had four children together before divorcing in 2012.

Valentine got another shot at love when he met his current wife, Jennifer, whom he married in 2021. Based on the things that the couple shares on their respective Instagram feeds, they enjoy going to concerts, listening to live music, and traveling. "I love my life with this beautiful girl so much," Valentine captioned an Instagram post in November 2023. "Jennifer and I slipped away to Paradise in Runaway Bay to celebrate our second anniversary," he added. Every now and again, Jennifer will share a throwback photo of her husband, who was a total heartthrob back in the day. The Valentines have a home on Florida's east coast.