Meredith Baxter was married to David Birney for fifteen years, and they shared three children, per People. In her memoir “Untied,” she says her husband abused her, both physically and emotionally, and she kept it from everyone around her. “Nobody knew. It was a secret life,” she told Oprah Winfrey in 2009 (via ABC News). “Nobody knew on the show at all because it was important for me to maintain some separation.”
Her son Ted Bush, from her first marriage, said the abuse “wasn’t physical but a constant denigration, a belittling, ‘your opinion doesn’t matter, you’re not worthy, you’re not responsible enough.” Baxter said after years of suffering from low self-esteem, she was a perfect target for someone like Birney. “He was very smart and very well educated and he thought I was stupid so I thought I was stupid too. So that allowed me to stay,” she told The Chicago Tribune in 2011.
Birney, who died in May 2022, denied the abuse. After going through all of that, Baxter, now married to Nancy Locke, said she was grateful to be in a better place. “It’s hard to imagine, but even in the dark times, some wonderful things emerged,” she said. “I have five beautiful children. I’m in a loving relationship now. I’m trying to surrender to the things I can’t control. If one person hears my story and makes a better choice, it’s worth it.”
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Nicki
