Willie Nelson’s New Docuseries Details Affairs, Losing His Son, IRS Struggles, And More

A new docuseries on Paramount + tell-all about Willie Nelson’s life on and off stage. Willie Nelson & Family gives a candid look into the icon’s highs and lows over the last nine decades and counting. Willie has had his share of challenges in the form of divorce, loss, financial problems, and much more despite making such enjoyable music.

The four-episode production also featured his wife and children, exes, his late sister Bobbie Nelson, fellow musicians, and some friends. “It’s hard to believe it was 60 years ago that I wrote a song ‘Funny How Time Slips Away.’ I was only 27, and I really didn’t know what I was talking about,” Nelson says at the end.

Tough lows

Willie learned of the $32 million income tax he owed the IRS in 1990, and this sent his finances into a downward spiral after the government seized his property and shut down his studio. Willie chose to remain positive because “a negative thought will release poison into your system and will eventually kill you if you keep doing it.” He eventually recovered with the help of his wife, friends, and farmers whom he helped through his Farm Aid festival.

Losing his son, Billy only a year after getting into a financial crunch was yet another blow for Willie. He died by suicide at the age of 33 after suffering from depression. “We were 17 months apart. We did everything together, but he had a lot of issues. They became more and more,” his sister, Susie said. Willie himself tried to commit suicide several times in the ‘60s amid his alcohol addiction. “I started drinking more than ever. I was slowly self-destructing,” he recalled. “I really didn’t care.”

Willie’s love life

Willie’s first wife, Martha Jewel, was only 16 when they met, and the lovebirds ran off together against her parent’s wishes. “Bonnie and Clyde— going through America on their own, not worrying about money, but having to worry about money at the same time,” Willie’s daughter, Lana said. Willie recalled an unforgettable brawl between them that led to a fork stuck in his side. “She picked up this fork and threw it across the table and it stuck in my side,” he said.

After years of womanizing and entertaining extramarital relations across three marriages, Willie finally found his current spouse, Annie, whom he has no regrets about. “I never had met a woman like her before. She was whip-smart with a keen appreciation for all forms of art,” he gushed. “She was pretty and radiated enough energy to light up any room she entered. I fell head over heels in love with Anne Marie D’Angelo.”