Who is Laura Deibel?
The little-known first wife of award-winning actor Tim Allen, Laura Deibel was born on 12th, November 1956, in the USA. The glamorous Western Michigan University graduate is 5ft 6in (1.68m) tall and weighs 132lbs (62kgs), with unknown vital statistics.
University Days
Laura and Tim met by luck after the thespian transferred from Central Michigan University to Western Michigan. At the time, he was struggling to make ends meet and only earning $50 per stand-up comedy performance. Despite his love for piano and theatre, Tim graduated in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science degree in communications.
In October 1978, the same year Laura graduated, he was arrested and charged for cocaine distribution at the Battle Creek International Airport, with over half a kilo of the illegal substance. Laura stuck faithfully by his side during his prison stint; facing a life sentence, Tim provided the names of the dealers and was allowed an early release, only serving two years and four months.
In a rare 1991 interview, Laura humbly explained that she stayed with Tim during these tough times for one simple reason: they loved each other.
Married Life
Three years after Tim was released from prison, Laura became his wife in an intimate ceremony celebrated on 7th April 1984.
Assuming the role of primary breadwinner, the blonde supported the couple with her sales manager salary, after finding work in an interior landscape company, while Tim toiled away in the hopes of a stellar acting career, performing at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles.
In 1989, Katherine Allen was born, Tim and Laura’s only daughter together. By now, Tim had a jampacked work schedule, and was often away on castings and rehearsals, leaving Laura to take care of Katherine singlehandedly, and leaving her job.
Katherine was baptized, with her godfather being Rob Cowin, Tim’s best friend and business partner.
With Tim working on “Home Improvement”, which was cancelled after eight seasons, the actor found himself at a loss when he finally got a chance to be more involved in his family. Laura is previously quoted as saying: “He’s like a CEO who retires after 30 years on the job, and suddenly comes home and has nothing to do but bother his wife”.
Landing the role of his career after “Home Improvement” was cancelled, Tim was paid an impressive $50,000 for his voiceover work as Buzz Lightyear in “Toy Story”. Laura dutifully attended the Los Angeles premiere with her husband in 1999, but it was later commented that their relationship was going through a rough patch, perhaps due to Tim’s time in rehab a year prior.
The rumors turned out to be true, with Laura filing for divorce a fortnight after the premiere. Following four years of drawn-out court proceedings to agree on Katherine’s custody, the divorce was made official in March 2003.
2001-2021
Laura settled down into an anonymous lifestyle following her divorce from Tim, while he went on to marry for a second time in 2006, with Pennsylvanian actress Jane Hajduk, whom he began dating in 2001 while still being legally married. The couple’s daughter, Elizabeth Allen Dick, was born in 2009, and the trio were frequently seen attending glamorous Hollywood events together, and sometimes with Katherine.
It’s said that Laura began writing professionally in 2009, the same year Elizabeth was born, but none of her works can be found online.
Over the years, Tim has spoken frequently about his first and second marriages, and has even compared them. Despite comments such as: “I’m not the same guy I was the first time [I was married], when I was hiding and doing what people who drink too much do. I was not connecting”, Laura kept a dignified silence.
Trying to make up for lost time, Tim was much more available during Elizabeth’s childhood, but in 2019, the actor admitted that he was struggling to find the perfect balance, saying: “I constantly feel like I’m underachieving both. I think I work too much – because I love my work – and I’m not 100 percent sure I engage with my family enough”.
Many naysayers predicted that Tim and Jane’s marriage would also go down the drain, but the couple have now been blissfully married for 15 years, and their relationship is even described as a ‘Hollywood love story’. Their wedding ceremony in Grand Lake, Colorado, was a private affair with only family present, and they later co-starred in projects such as “Zoom” and “The Shaggy Dog”.
As for Katherine, she’s followed in her mother’s footsteps, and lives a discreet life with little social media presence.
According to her father, she often rolls her eyes when he cracks jokes at family reunions. “I think she’s done with me, but I still try to play jokes and make them laugh,” he said.
Katherine and Jane share a close relationship, and she’s said to be a doting big sister. It’s unlikely that Katherine will pursue an acting career at this point, as she hasn’t been seen out and about in a few years.
Net Worth
Laura’s net worth is unknown due to a lack of information about her career and finances, but her famous ex-husband, who commands over six figures per episode, is worth roughly $100 million.
In fact, during his time on “Home Improvement”, Tim allegedly earned up to $1.5 million per episode, making him the fifth-highest paid actor in a TV series to this day.
Other successful creative ventures include Tim’s 1994 book, “Don’t Stand Too Close to a Naked Man”, which topped the New York Times’ Bestseller’s list. Two years later, he published the critically-acclaimed “I’m Not Really Here”.
Brand endorsements have also helped fatten up Tim’s net worth, such as his 2009 TV and radio commercials for Travel Michigan, and his 2010 voiceover work for Chevrolet Cruze commercials. Campbell’s Soup is another brand that has collaborated with the actor, during its “It’s Amazing What Soup Can Do” campaign.
Leave a Comment