Who Is Kris Kristofferson's Wife? All About Lisa Meyers

Kris Kristofferson married his third wife in 1983 after they met at a gym

What started as a simple favor at the gym turned into a decades-long romance for Kris Kristofferson and Lisa Meyers.

Married since 1983, the A Star is Born actor and his third wife have built a life full of love, music and family over the past 40 plus years. Their whirlwind romance began in the early '80s after Kristofferson’s split from his second wife, Rita Coolidge.

"We met at the gymnasium and we were looking at each other and I borrowed a piece of equipment off her,” the country star told The Irish Independent in 2004.

At the time, Kristofferson was a rising Hollywood star while Meyers was studying law at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif. Despite being focused on his daughter and having already had two previous marriages, Kristofferson and Meyer hit it off.

They married in an intimate ceremony at Pepperdine University chapel in 1983 and have since raised five children together, plus three children from the “Me and Bobby McGee” singer’s previous marriages.

Meyers has been a constant support for Kristofferson throughout his career, but more recently with her husband's ongoing battle with Lyme Disease. “We understand Kris’s deficits in spatial awareness and short-term memory loss and we laugh about it all the time,” she told HuffPost in 2016. “The more we can get Kris to laugh, the healthier he is. Being on the road, the laughter, the music. It’s great medicine."

So who is Kris Kristofferson’s wife? Here’s everything to know about Lisa Meyers and her relationship with the legendary musician and actor.

They met at a gym

Kristofferson and Meyers' love story began in an unexpected place: a Malibu gym. They met in 1982 when the country star asked to borrow a piece of gym equipment from the young law student. In his interview with The Irish Independent, he acknowledged the question “was a ploy,” and that “[he] saw something there that was promising.”

At the time, Kristofferson was dealing with the aftermath of his second divorce from Coolidge.

"I was a bachelor father at the time and I told her: 'I take a little girl to school and I pick her up at the end of the day and then we go do whatever she wants to do and I haven't got room for anything else.' That's how it all started for Lisa and me!" he told the outlet.

Despite his initial reluctance to dive into another relationship, he explained to PEOPLE in a 1998 interview that he eventually realized that his wife and family were what "really matters."

“At the time, I was gun-shy about any relationship heavier than a one-night stand. The road had been my escape, going out and pouring it all into performing,” he told PEOPLE.

The following year the couple married, “and as my family started getting bigger, it finally beat its way into my consciousness: ‘Wake up, man. This is what really matters.’ ”

They married in Malibu

Kristofferson and Meyers got married on Feb. 18, 1983, in an intimate ceremony at the Pepperdine University chapel.

Their choice of venue, a serene chapel at Meyers’ alma mater, added a special touch to their union, blending their personal histories with the place where they initially met.

She received her law degree from Pepperdine University

Meyers is not only known for being a supportive wife to her country star husband, she also earned her law degree from Pepperdine University in Malibu, and went on to work as an attorney.

She is a mom to five children as well as a stepmother to three

After marrying, the pair expanded their family significantly. They went on to welcome five children together: Jesse, Jody, Johnny, Blake and Kelly Marie Kristofferson. Their first child, Jesse, was born nine months after their wedding, on Oct. 7, 1983.

In addition to their five children, Meyers is also stepmom to Kristofferson’s three children from his previous marriages. He has two children from his first marriage to Fran Beer, Tracy and Kris, as well as a daughter, Casey, from his second marriage to Coolidge.

The couple currently reside in Hawaii

Although they have previously owned property in California, Kristofferson and Meyers have made their home in Maui, Hawaii, providing them with a peaceful retreat away from the public eye.

In interviews, Kristofferson has expressed his contentment with their home, emphasizing how living in such a beautiful place has positively impacted their quality of life.

In a 2009 interview with Fader, the Blade actor said, “Right now we’re in Maui. I’ve been out here—we built a house out here back in the ’70s, and we’ve been living out here full time for almost 20 years, starting in 1990, and then went back briefly to LA for my son’s first year in high school.”

He added that his son had wanted to come back to the island, so they returned.

She is supportive of her husband and his health issues

Meyers has been a pillar of support for Kristofferson, especially during his journey with his health over the years. When Kristofferson was misdiagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and Fibromyalgia, Meyers played a crucial role in seeking a correct diagnosis.

“About 12 years ago he was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, which looking back, should have been the first indication that a test for Lyme was warranted," she told HuffPost in 2016. At the time she also explained that he had been undergoing treatment for Alzheimer’s disease for "the past three years" until "a spinal tap and functional MRI," ruled it out and he continued his treatment for Fibromyalgia.

Per the Mayo Clinic, Fibromyalgia is a "disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues."

Meyers explained to the outlet that during his treatment for Fibromyalgia she took him to an integrative doctor who eventually determined in February 2016 that her husband had Lyme disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, symptoms of Lyme disease can include "fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches," while some people with the disease go on to experience facial palsy, irregular heartbeats, arthritis, pain, and other worsening symptoms.

Although she explained Kristofferson was responding well to Lyme disease treatment, she said that he "still has spatial awareness issues and short-term memory loss."

Kristofferson had previously opened up to Fox411 in 2013 about his memory loss, saying how despite the forgetfulness, he still remembers his songs.

“I wish my memory weren’t so bad. They tell me it’s from all the football and boxing and the concussions that I got. A couple of years ago, my memory just started going. But I can remember my songs, so I can perform,” he stated to the outlet.

Kristofferson announced in January 2021 that he had been retired from performing and acting for a year.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.