Celebrity Big Brother and Diff’rent Strokes star Todd Bridges made the surprising announcement in January 2026 that he’d separated from his estranged wife, Bettijo B. Hirschi.
“I thank God for the time we’ve had together, the lessons we’ve learned and the family we’ve built,” Bridges told People on January 14, 2024. “Even in this season of change, I trust He is guiding us both toward healing, peace and new beginnings.”
The unexpected split occurred three years after the couple tied the knot in a lavish Beverly Hills ceremony. The couple’s whirlwind romance saw them get engaged and then marry months after they were introduced by a mutual friend.
Bridges shares two children, son Spencir and daughter Bo, with his first ex-wife, Dori Smith. The actor became a stepfather to Hirschi’s four children from a previous relationship when he wed the art director and creative strategist in September 2022.
Keep scrolling for more about Bridges and Hirschi’s marriage, as well as their separation.
Who Is Todd Bridges’ Estranged Wife Bettijo B. Hirschi?
Bettijo B. Hirschi describes herself as an “art director and creative strategist with a varied background” on her website. She also touts her experience as a “seasoned entrepreneur, photographer, journalist and blogger.”
“[Bettijo] combines business insight with creative vision to create unforgettable experiences across both the real and digital worlds,” her professional biography reads.
Prior to her marriage to Todd Bridges, Hirschi had an established media presence, as she appeared on The Martha Stewart Show in 2011 and has partnered with Redbook, Allure and Family Circle on special projects.
“Bettijo is often brought in when a project needs to look and feel bigger than the budget on paper,” her biography touts. “She’s known for delivering high production value, tightening the narrative, and pushing every detail until everything feels effortless on the surface, even when a lot is happening underneath. She brings both head and heart to the process, marrying sharp strategy with deeply invested creativity.”
Hirschi had four children from a previous relationship prior to her 2022 marriage to Bridges.
What Has Todd Bridges’ Estranged Wife Bettijo B. Hirschi Said About Their Relationship?
Todd Bridges and Bettijo B. Hirschi opened up about their relationship during a December 2024 appearance on The Tamron Hall Show. Hirschi mentioned that she’d started exploring dating apps after her own past divorce.
“I had such bad experiences on the apps,” she admitted. “After six months, I was like, I’m good. I’d rather be just alone. I’m OK. No thank you!”
At the same time as Hirschi swore off dating, a close friend named Mandy decided she wasn’t willing to let the art director give up on love.
“Unbeknownst to me, [my friend] decided to make me a profile on some other app,” Hirschi recalled. “I think Todd may have been the only single guy she knew or something!”
Mandy initially tried to use Bridges as “market research” to create a more appealing dating profile for Hirschi.
“She was sending [Todd] pictures of me … She messaged me and said, ‘You need to message my friend [Bridges], he wants to hear from you!’ … She wrote the text too so I just copy and pasted,” Hirschi said with a laugh.
Bridges confessed to People in September 2022 that he realized right away that he couldn’t follow through on helping Hirschi build a better dating app profile.
“When I met her, I was like, ‘I’m not going to set her up with anyone else. I want her for myself,’” he admitted.
The two started dating shortly thereafter and bonded over coming out of failed marriages.
“We kind of both had given up on finding something this great, and we were super surprised to be able to have it kind of given to us, and we feel like God had a hand in bringing us together,” Hirschi acknowledged in September 2022. “We feel so blessed.”
How Did Todd Bridges Propose to Estranged Wife Bettijo B. Hirschi?
Todd Bridges set up a romantic beachside proposal only six months after he met Bettijo B. Hirschi in early 2022.
“I’d just all of a sudden decided that I wanted to get married to her and I proposed to her. It was a really nice day, it was really good weather and she loved going to the beach,” he disclosed to People.
The actor went on, “So we were on the beach and I decided to propose to her. I got down on one knee and did what I was supposed to do.”
When and Where Did Todd Bridges and Estranged Wife Bettijo B. Hirschi Get Married?
Todd Bridges and Bettijo B. Hirschi tied the knot in front of 70 guests at Greystone Mansion & Gardens in Beverly Hills in September 2022, per People.
Bridges said at the time that he was delighted to exchange marriage vows with “somebody that I’m madly in love with.”
Hirschi originally considered buying her wedding dress off the rack before ultimately coming up with her own design.
“I just wasn’t seeing what I wanted because I wanted more coverage,” she told People. “I like classic beauty channeling from older eras, like Audrey Hepburn. So that’s what I was really inspired by.”
Hirschi went on, “It was all satin, and it was a fitted bodice with a square neck. And then I have long legs, so I did a split skirt that was kind of like a wrap. And then for the ceremony, I had an 80-inch satin train and then a 200-inch-long veil.”
The couple had their first dance as husband and wife to Etta James’ version of “At Last” and later spent their honeymoon in Hawaii.
What Have Todd Bridges and Estranged Wife Bettijo B. Hirschi Said About Their Marriage?
Todd Bridges and Bettijo B. Hirschi opened up on The Tamron Hall Show in December 2024 about the spiritual basis for their marriage.
“This is different because [Bettijo] is a lot like my mom [Betty Alice Pryor, who died at age 83 in August 2024],” Bridges explained.
Later in the interview, he added, “Also, I’m a lot like her father. He says jokes that only I get!”
They told host Tamron Hall that they considered themselves to be an “interfaith couple” because they come from different Christian backgrounds. Bridges credited Hirschi with helping him “change [his] life” because he’d been “dating too many women” before their relationship.
“What really struck me about Todd is that we have a very similar idea of who God is and what he’s like and how he interacts with us,” Hirschi explained. “We hear [God] similarly. I feel like God speaks to me directly too. … I remember telling my parents, ‘He has a very similar understanding of God that feels very much like the faith that I have.’”
When Did Todd Bridges and His Estranged Wife Bettijo B. Hirschi Split?
Todd Bridges announced his separation from Bettijo B. Hirschi on January 14, 2026, after multiple media outlets reported that they’d split.
“After much prayer and reflection, my spouse and I have made the difficult decision to separate,” he confirmed to People. “This was not an easy choice, and it comes with a heavy heart, but also with love and gratitude for the life we shared.”
The Everybody Hates Chris star said he was thankful for “the time we’ve had together, the lessons we’ve learned and the family we’ve built.”
“I ask for privacy as we navigate this transition and continue to lift my former partner up in prayer, wishing them joy and fulfillment in the chapters ahead,” he concluded.
