Jane Goodall’s Marriages Taught Her Valuable Lessons in Her Life and Career
The wildlife conservationist was married twice before she passed away in October 2025 at 91 years old.
Published Oct. 1 2025, 3:39 p.m. ET
Famed primatologist Jane Goodall lived a life of service. Her discoveries began when she was just 26 years old. During her first visit to Tanzania, she initiated what would become award-winning research on chimpanzees. According to a statement by The Jane Goodall Institute confirming her death, shared on Instagram on Oct. 1, 2025, Jane's work"revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world."
The British native passed away at 91 on Oct. 1 while attending a speaking engagement, proving she loved what she did until the very end. While some would say she was married to her work, Jane walked down the aisle several times during her lifetime. Here are the details of the conservationist's marriages.
Jane Goodall married her first husband, Hugo van Lawick, in 1964.
Jane's first husband was National Geographic photographer and cinematographer Hugo van Lawick. According to her May 2025 interview on Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast, she shared that they connected after Hugo was assigned to take pictures of her while she studied chimpanzees in Africa. They married in 1964 and were together for ten years. According to The Independent, the couple also had a son, Hugo Eric Louis.
Jane explained on Call Her Daddy that she and Hugo Sr. ultimately "drifted apart" due to their professional desires. She said they found themselves in turmoil after National Geographic stopped paying van Lawick to come to Gombe in Tanzania, forcing him to explore other careers.
"He had to go on with his career, and he got some money to do films on the Serengeti, and I couldn't leave Gombe,” she said. “I had to stay … I couldn't leave Gombe, and so it slowly drifted apart. And it was sad.”
Although Jane didn't want her marriage to end, she admitted it was "the right thing" for them and their son. Hugo Sr. passed away years after their divorce in 2002.
Jane Goodall's second husband, Derek Bryceson, died during their marriage.
One year after finalizing her divorce from Hugo Sr., Jane wed her second husband, Tanzanian parks director Derek Bryceson. According to her 2020 interview with People, the couple remained together until Derek's passing five years into their marriage.
"He got this horrible cancer,” she recalled. "That was the end."
Jane and Derek bonded over their shared love for animals. She credited her husband for helping her develop her renowned Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania. However, in the same interview with People, Jane questioned both of her past marriages, stating both of her husbands were "jealous" of her life.
"Unfortunately, they were both extremely jealous. Both of them," she admitted. "Even jealous of women friends. They were really jealous and possessive... How I could do it twice? I don't know.”
Jane never married again after Derek died, stating she "didn't want to" find another husband. She added she also "didn't meet the right person, I suppose, or potentially the right person," and opted to focus on the love she had from her community.
"I had lots of men friends, many,” Jane said. “I had lots of women friends too. My life was complete. I didn't need a husband.”
The explorer also had love in her life from her son, her two grandchildren, and, of course, her beloved chimpanzees.