Pratik Handore
Debbie Allen and Norm Nixon are among the most accomplished names in Hollywood and basketball. Allen and Nixon’s relationship is briefly highlighted in the second season of HBO’s sports drama series ‘Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,‘ where a fictionalized version of Nixon is one of the main characters. Allen and Nixon’s marriage has also been in the public eye because of their celebrity status. However, if you are wondering whether Debbie Allen and Norm Nixon are still together, here is everything you need to know!
How Did Debbie Allen and Norm Nixon Meet?
Deborah Kaye Allen, better known as Debbie Allen, is primarily known for her acting career. Born in Houston, Texas, Allen rose to prominence through her work on the Broadway theatre during the 1970s. Allen transitioned to screen acting and gained recognition for her lead role as Lydia Grant in the drama series ‘Fame.’ Allen is also known for her recurring role as Dr. Catherine Avery Fox in the medical drama series ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ Allen is also an accomplished dancer, choreographer, singer-songwriter, director, and producer.
Meanwhile, Norman Ellard Nixon, better known as Norm Nixon, is a former basketball player known for his tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers, especially during the “Showtime” era during the 1980s. Nixon was drafted into the NBA by the Lakers during the 1977 NBA draft. Nixon won the NBA Championship with the Lakers in 1980 and 1982. He was later traded to the San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers at the start of the 1983-84 NBA season. Nixon first met Allen while filming the 1979 basketball movie ‘The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh’ directed by Gilbert Moses, which also features Nixon’s then-teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Debbie Allen and Norm Nixon Are Happily Married
Prior to meeting Norm Nixon, Debbie Allen was married to Win Wilford from 1975 to 1983. Meanwhile, Nixon reportedly had brief relationships with Lena Pleasant and Elizabeth M. Fuller, resulting in the birth of his two sons, Tristan Fuller-Nixon and DeVaughn Nixon. Although the exact start of Nixon and Allen’s romantic relationship remains unknown, they reportedly dated for a few years after meeting in 1979.
Speaking with Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, aka the Trib, in 2021, Nixon recalled his initial meetings with Allen on the sets of ‘The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh.’ Nixon revealed that he and Allen went separate ways after completing filming of the movie in Pittsburgh. “She went to New York and moved to ‘Fame,’ and I went back to Los Angeles. We stayed in touch, and I realized I had more fun with her than any of the other women I was dating,” Nixon stated. Allen separated from her first husband in 1983 and tied the knot with Nixon on April 27, 1984. The couple have two children together: dancer Vivian Nichole Nixon and basketball player Norman Ellard Nixon Jr.
Over the years, Nixon and Allen have remained together and are happily married to this date. On April 27, 2023, Nixon and Allen celebrated 39 years of marriage. Allen shared a picture of Nixon’s playing days with the LA Lakers on Instagram to commemorate the occasion. “Norman Nixon, you have been the 10 I look up to for more than 39 years. Marriage has been a joyous rollercoaster ride of love, friendship, trust, children, debate, and sleeping so close,” reads Allen’s message to her husband. From Allen’s words, it is safe to say that Nixon and Allen are still madly in love with each other and enjoy a happy married life. We wish them several more beautiful years together.
Read More: Are Magic Johnson and Norm Nixon Friends in Real Life?
