How many times was Michael Crichton married? Acclaimed author's widow opens up on James Patterson finishing his last book

The late author and filmmaker Michael Crichton’s wife, Sherri, opened up in an exclusive interview with People magazine on Sunday, June 2, that she wishes for her son, John Michael Jr., to learn more about his father through his published work. The wife of the Sphere author sat down with the celebrity news outlet while promoting her late husband’s book, Eruption, which James Patterson has completed.

Michael Crichton, who has been married five times, reportedly worked on the Eruption manuscript since 1994. The novel takes place on the Big Island of Hawaii, where a volcanic event is about to occur. However, another man-made force could likely cause a greater disruption.

Speaking about James Patterson’s work on her husband’s novel, Sherri said:

“Jim did such an extraordinary job. I think this is a story that clearly was important to him, and it is undeserving of sitting in a file. I think he would be very excited that it's out and it's being told with such an incredible partner as Jim.”

For those uninitiated, Michael Crichton’s novels inspired Jurassic Park, Westworld, and Coma, among other series. Patterson has also worked on multiple thrillers, including Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls.

Speaking about how she and her 16-year-old son once stopped by two buses with advertisements of Jurassic Park and Westworld plastered on them, Sherri said:

“I looked up, and I said, “John Michael. Do you see this? This is your father. You know, 20, 30, 40 years after the time he created it… his cultural footprint still lives on.””

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A brief look at Michael Crichton’s marriages as author's book gets published posthumously

Michael Crichton, who passed away at the age of 66 after battling cancer, was married five times. In 1965, he tied the knot with his first wife, Joan Radam; however, they cut ties just five years later. After waiting for a few years to remarry again, he and Kathleen St. Johns got married in 1978 and divorced in 1980.

His third wife, Suzanna Childs, was with him from 1981 until 1983. He went on to marry actress Anne-Marie Martin in 1987. However, the couple got divorced in 2003 following “irreconcilable differences.”

The couple were in the midst of a complicated divorce, which required Crichton to pay Martin £20 million. They, however, had joint custody of their daughter, Taylor.

Crichton went on to tie the knot with Sherri in 2005. Speaking about getting married, Michael Crichton once said in an interview with Lorraine Hirsch:

“I’d like to get married again and have children, and live like a normal person. I can’t explain it. It’s like being hungry for a certain food. I’d like to be like the wild gorilla’s in Congo, sitting back and watching my children play in the sunshine.”

Sherri Crichton gave birth to the couple's son a few months after Michael's passing. Speaking about her son, John Michael, and Michael Crichton’s other children, Sherri explained that it was important for them to understand “the way he worked and how it made him tick.”

Over the years, Sherri has created the Official Crichton Archives to honor her husband’s legacy. She explained in the exclusive interview that she and Michael Crichton continue to be life partners following their marriage ceremony in Hawaii and his demise. She is also taking part in numerous press events to promote Eruption.