Australian actress Joy Chambers was married to her wealthy media executive husband, Reg Grundy, for over 4 decades. Did she have any children?
Joy Chambers-Grundy (real name: Carolyn Joy Chambers) had a successful career in the entertainment industry that spanned over 4 decades.
She was an award-winning Australian actress, author, poet, and businesswoman.
The actress passed away on 17 September 2023 (aged 76), in Bermuda, in her sleep at her Queensland home on Sunday morning, her family announced.
Following the Neighbours star’s death, many are interested in knowing more about her personal life. Like, who she was married to and the number of kids she had. Here’s everything we know.
Who was Joy Chambers?
Joy was born Carolyn Joy Chambers in Ipswich, Queensland, in 1947.
She is known for her roles in soap operas – as Rita in The Restless Years, Dr Robyn Porter in The Young Doctors and Rosemary Daniels in Neighbours.
Chambers first played Rosemary, as a guest appearance the businesswoman step-daughter of Anne Haddys character Helen Daniels and then has played Rosemary on a recurring basis until 2010.
She won a Logie Award for Best Female Personality in 1969 and 1970 after starring in her husband’s soap operas.
Aside from acting and making appearances in movies and tv shows, Joy was also a businesswoman, poet, philanthropist, and fine art collector and published several historical fiction novels during her lifetime.
Chambers had a keen interest in poetry and literature which began in childhood, with her father encouraging her deep love of the English word. Chambers is an author of historical novels. She is also the International Patron of the Ipswich Poetry Feast.
Her last book, The Soldier’s Choice, was released in 2014.
Who was Joy Chambers’ married to?
Joy Chambers was known to have been married once to her husband, Reginald Roy Grundy AC popularly known as Reg Grundy.
At age 24, Joy got married to then 48-year-old Grundy.
While it was Chambers’ first marriage, it was Reg’s second. He was then married to Patricia Powell and the couple shared a daughter, Kim.
She met her husband TV executive Grundy at an audition back in the 60s when she was just 18 years old and he was in his 40s.
Joy and Reg remained married for over 40 years: from 1971 until his death in May 2016, aged 92.
Following her spouse’s passing, she remained single and lived in Bermuda where she died on 17 September 2023, at age 76.
Who was Reg Grundy?
Reg Grundy was an Australian entrepreneur and media mogul.
Born Reginald Roy Grundy AC, OBE, on August 4, 1923, the TV executive was best known for his numerous television productions.
He owned a production company called Reg Grundy Organisation.
Reg built a TV empire alongside his wife and was behind famous soaps and game shows such as Sons and Daughters, The Young Doctors, The Restless Years, Sale of The Century and Neighbours.
In the early years of their marriage, Joy wrote for several of his shows and worked alongside him as a production assistant.
Chambers served on the board of Grundys Worldwide, subsequently with her husband they formed media investment company “RG Capital Holdings”, and she pursued a career as a writer of historical novels.
Grundy was honored with recognitions like the Logie Awards Hall of Fame, International Emmy Founders Award, and AACTA Longford Lyell Award, just to mention a few.
Reg Grundy was a multi millionaire with an insane fortune at the time of his death.
Did Joy Chambers have any children?
Joy Chambers was not know to have mothered a child, hence, she had no biological kids. There are no reports that suggest she ever welcomed a son or a daughter with her only partner, Reg Grundy.
However, she was a stepmother to Grundy’s daughter from his previous marriage to Patricia Powell.
Grundy and Patricia Powell shared a daughter, Kim Grundy, before they divorced.
Joy’s late husband Reg Grundy had a fortune of over $900 milllion. Upon his death, the actress was embroiled in a bitter legal battle with Grundy’s estranged daughter Kim – who now goes by the name Viola La Valette, per MailOnline.
The Neighbours creator left behind assets worth $800million overseas and $71million in Australia at the time of his death.
Kim Grundy currently lives a private life out of the spotlight.