Max Baer Jr. Was A Lovable Bachelor On The Beverly Hillbillies — But His Real Marriage Didn’t Last – The List
Max Baer Jr. was one of the most beloved cast members on classic CBS sitcom “The Beverly Hillbillies.” Sadly, as of 2026, he’s also the last living “Beverly Hillbillies” star. While Baer Jr.’s character Jethro Bodine wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, he was a lovable bachelor nonetheless. In real life, however, the actor wasn’t always single. In fact, Baer Jr. was even married for a short period of time in his life, to dancer and model Joanne Kathleen Hill, from 1966 to 1971. While there isn’t a ton of publicly available information about their relationship, it’s rumored that Baer Jr. met Hill in 1965 after he spotted a billboard of her on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.
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Apparently, the sitcom star found out where she lived and then showed up at Hill’s door on Valentine’s Day because he was so desperate to meet her in real life. They ended up tying the knot in July 1966 after a short period of dating, and kept things pretty low-key for the most part. Hill seemed to be a super private person and didn’t share much about her life publicly. Unfortunately, their marriage ended quietly after five years and not much is known about why the two parted ways.
Max Baer Jr. hasn’t had the most success in his love life
Despite becoming a comedy legend on “The Beverly Hillbillies,” Max Baer Jr.’s life after the show wasn’t always smooth sailing. When it came to love, in particular, he never quite manged to find the same level of success. Following the sitcom star’s divorce from Joanne Kathleen Hill in 1971, Baer Jr. reportedly only had just one other major relationship of note, with a Penthouse magazine model named Chere Rhodes in the early 2000s. Sadly, Rhodes tried to die by suicide and her partner was the one who found her. Although the model was conscious at the scene, she ultimately passed away a few days later.
Understandably, the “Beverly Hillbillies” star didn’t talk much publicly about this devastating incident, but he later revealed his shock and horror at discovering Rhodes. Prior to the actor’s relationships with both the Penthouse model and his former wife, Baer Jr. went on a few dates with fellow actor and model Sharon Tate. Coincidentally, she also appeared in 15 episodes of “The Beverly Hillbillies,” as several different memorable characters. Nowadays, Baer Jr. keeps quiet about his personal life and doesn’t have any public social media, so it’s unclear whether he’s found someone special.
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