Does ‘Empty Nest’ Actress Kristy McNichol Have Kids? All of the Details About Her Family Life

For five seasons, Kristy McNichol portrayed Letitia “Buddy” Lawrence on the ABC drama Family. Since becoming a star in her teen years, the Little Darlings actress has kept most of the details about her personal life pretty private. Fans have often wondered if she ever started a family of her own after finding fame.

Does Kristy McNichol Have Kids? 

Kristy snagged some of her first acting roles in the early ‘70s in Love, American Style and Apple’s Way. Her big break came with Family in 1976 and led to several more iconic roles in the two decades that followed. The two-time Emmy winner revealed that she was retiring from acting in 2001.

“A lot of people have wondered what I’ve been up to,” she said in a statement at the time. “I retired from my career after 24 years. My feeling was that it was time to play my biggest part — myself! I must say that it has been the best thing that ever happened to me. So many fans are disappointed that I’m not currently acting; however, some may not realize that the process I’m in at this time is necessary and vital for my personal happiness and well-being.”

In a January 2012 interview with People, Kristy came out as gay and revealed she had been living with her partner, Martie Allen, for over 20 years. The pair have not welcomed any children together and instead focus on doing activities they love the most like tennis, traveling and yoga. 

Kristy Is A Doting Aunt To Her Brother’s Kids

Though the Empty Nest star never had kids of her own, she is an aunt to her older brother Jimmy McNichol’s three kids. Jimmy also got his start in Hollywood as a child actor in Gunsmoke, Little House on the Prairie and Shazam! In 1997, the General Hospital alum married Renée McNichol. The couple welcomed their son, Nash McNichol, that year. Their daughter, Ellis McNichol, was born in 1998. 

In 2010, Jimmy learned he fathered another daughter, Kellee Maize, when he was 18 years old. The pair reconnected and bonded over their shared love for music and entertainment. 

“She is a ball of energy, and so am I,” Jimmy shared in a June 2016 interview with Pittsburgh Magazine. “There are so many synchronicities of how we mesh, and how we think and how we are extremely energetic and creative and you can’t keep us down.”