Jeff Probst has been the face of Survivor for nearly 50 seasons, but behind the scenes in his personal life is his wife, Lisa Ann Russell. Lisa and Jeff wed in 2011 and, since then, have maintained a solid relationship despite his extended periods away from home.
Lisa is a former model and actress who maintains a strong connection with her two children, Michael and Ava. Both Michael and Ava are from Lisa’s previous marriage to Saved By The Bell star Mark-Paul Gosselaar. Jeff has an equally robust relationship with Michael and Ava, something that he’s very pleased about.
Lisa is no stranger to celebrity, and she is as supportive as ever after more than 20 years of marriage. Here’s more about her and her marriage to Jeff Probst.
Lisa Ann Russell Met Her First Husband, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, On The Set Of Saved By The Bell: The College Years
Illinois native Lisa Ann Russell started modeling while she was in college and, during the early 1990s, shifted her focus to acting. In 1993, she landed an acting job on Saved By The Bell: The College Years. On that same set, she met her future husband, actor Mark Paul-Gosselaar.
Lisa and Mark-Paul got married in 1996, shortly after the latter cut ties with his parents. In 1998, Lisa told People that, while she struggled with the rift in her husband’s family,
“I try not to judge his parents because I have a wonderful man… They raised him and did a wonderful job.”
While Lisa and Mark-Paul were married, she reportedly managed the household and volunteered in Los Angeles. She also gave birth to the couple’s two children, Michael and Ava, in 2004 and 2006, respectively.
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Lisa Ann Russell Met Jeff Probst Shortly After Splitting From Mark-Paul Gosselaar
After 14 years of marriage, Lisa Ann Russell and Mark-Paul Gosselaar separated in June 2010. At the time, rumors circulated that Lisa had been “out partying,” but they were rejected by sources close to the pair. The couple said they were “jointly committed” to their family. Mark-Paul filed for divorce that same month, and in May 2011, their marriage was officially ended.
Around that same time, Lisa met Jeff Probst at a Christmas party held by Survivor creator Mark Burnett. Jeff told Larry King in 2012 that the party featured an “eclectic group” of people, including Lisa. In August 2010, Lisa and Jeff made their connection known to the public and, in December 2011, they wed at his home in Los Angeles. On the website of their wedding photographer, Chrisman Studios, there’s a description of the event:
“This night was all about Lisa and Jeff, and the very obvious and intense love they share. Lisa is an angel, so warm and welcoming, who treats everyone like family. There were many happy tears shed, many emotional toasts, and then a joyful dance party at the end.”
According to Jeff, his relationship with Lisa also resulted in a new family. He praised both Lisa and Mark-Paul as part of the process:
“They raised these kids with the kind of love that they just see … us as two more parents.”
Lisa’s children, according to Jeff, are not “step-kids” to him or to them. He explained,
“They call me dad, and you know when it locked in? When we were together before we got married, they were playing with it,… Sometimes it’d be dad, sometimes it’d be Jeff, dad two, sometimes it’d be D-2. But when we got married, when this ring went on my finger, Michael looked up and said, ‘dad,’ and I could tell that he knew now that this big thing was official and it was real.”
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Lisa Ann Russell And Jeff Probst Have Blended Their Personal And Professional Lives In The Past
While it didn’t air long, The Jeff Probst Show featured the titular host talking to a variety of people from the headlines. Between 2012 and 2013, Lisa Ann Russell worked as the talent coordinator for the show. She appeared as a co-host.
Because Jeff travels a lot for Survivor, he spends a lot of time in Hawaii with Lisa and the rest of their family. It’s essentially a stop-off for him to get to Fiji and, in 2020, was where he quarantined, an experience he described in 2021:
“It was probably the best three and a half months of my last 20 years,” said Probst. “We had two family friends there and their kids were there and we’re all friends so we just quarantined together. We only saw each other, we had dinners every night, we played tennis in the morning… Here’s what I learned – that I am a commune type of guy. I just need a neighborhood with maybe 12 houses and I’ll pick the 12 families that live in it … everything should go pretty well, we’ll cook for each other, we’ll hang out, we won’t hang out, I don’t really need a giant world, I just need my little circle.”
2:07
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Since Survivor has returned to filming, Jeff talked about how he spends his days with Variety in 2024. He and his wife, Lisa, have several dogs, including “the most loving, and beautiful little bean” named Kaya. Much of his time is spent working on Survivor-related activities and according to the long-time host, Lisa is “very supportive” but doesn’t get involved.
Lisa and Jeff usually have a nice debrief session and watch TV at night to reconnect at the end of the day. Among the shows they enjoy is Dateline, which he and Lisa appear to have figured out:
“The husband always did it. No matter what alibi the husband says he has, he murdered his wife. It’s 100%. Just arrest us. It’s always the man!”
Survivor
- Release Date
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May 31, 2000
- Network
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CBS
- Showrunner
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Jeff Probst
- Directors
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Jeff Probst
- Writers
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Jeff Probst
