Michael Tell - Patty Duke's Ex-Husband and Sean Astin's Biological Dad!

Michael Tell is known for being the ex-husband of the late American actress, Patty Duke.

Tell is an American record promoter (song advertiser and distributor). But, he didn’t get famous for his profession. He only received fame for being the former partner of Patty.

Here’s everything you need to know about him.

Michael Tell and Patty Duke’s Marriage and Divorce

Michael Tell and Patty Duke got married in June 1970. They whatsoever had no records of any dating relationship. Mike had been leasing her apartment while suddenly, during her manic state, she tied the knot with him. Just prior to her marriage, she found out about her pregnancy.

An old photo of Patty Duke and Michael Tell. — Michael Tell and Patty Duke were married for only 13 days.
Source: Her Moments

The pair were only married for 13 days. They separated the same month and annulled their marriage a year later. Several months after their separation, on February 25, 1971, Patty gave birth to her first child, Sean Duke.

Sean Astin Controversy

Since Sean was born after her relationship with Michael, it was pretty self-explanatory who his biological father was. However, the late actress divulged that he was indeed the son of a fellow actor, John Astin.

Sean Astin shows his love to dad, John Astin.

John and Patty were dating at the time; however, they were keeping their relationship a secret since John was still married to his first wife, Suzanne Hahn. After Sean’s birth, John divorced his wife and got married to Patty in 1972. Following their marriage, their son became, Sean Astin. This isn’t over yet!

When Sean was 14, his mother confessed that John wasn’t his real father. It was Desi Arnaz Jr., with whom she had a relationship prior to getting married to Michael Tell. Sean believed the fact and bonded in a father-son relationship with Arnaz.

A collage of Sean Astin's Fathers. — A collage of Sean Astin’s four dads.
Source: Her Moments

When he was in his 20s, he met a relative of Tell who believed they were somehow related. This confused Sean and so he called his three dads, John, Desi, and Michael, and underwent a DNA paternal test. When the results came out, it pointed towards Tell. So, yes, Michael is the biological father of Sean Astin.

Desi Arnaz, Jr. loves me, and I love him. We are so close. Science tells me that he’s not my biological father. Science tells me that Mike Tell is.
Sean on his dad, Desi and his biological father, Michael.

While talking to ABC around 2004, he revealed that he had a great relationship with each one of them.

I can call any of them on the phone any time I want to. John, Desi, Mikes or Papa Mike … my four dads.
Astin on having a great relationship with all of his four dads.

Michael and Patty Post-Divorce

Following their divorce, Patty Duke gave birth to Sean Astin and hitched with her secret lover, Addams Family star, John Astin in 1972. A year later, on May 12, 1973, she gave birth to her second child, son, Mackenzie Astin.

An old photo of Patty Duke with her then-husband, John Astin and two kids, Sean and Mackenzie Astin. — Patty Duke and John Astin with their two kids, Sean and Mackenzie Astin.
Source: Pinterest

13 years after their marriage, Patty and John decided to call it quits. Though they loved each other, they just couldn’t get along.

There is a deep and abiding love between us, but we just don’t get along. It’s sort of like fingernails on the blackboard. He does it to me and I do it to him. We even laugh about it sometimes because it’s so absurd.
Patty talks to People in 1987 about her divorce with John.

A year after her divorce from John (1986), she walked down the aisle with her fourth husband, Michael Pearce, a former military drill sergeant. They met on the sets of A Time To Triumph. He became a stepfather to Sean and Mackenzie while she became a stepmother to Ralene, Charlene, and Kevin Pearce. They remained together until Patty’s death 30 years later.

A photo of Patty Duke and Mike Pearce. — Patty Duke married Sgt. Mike Pearce in 1986.
Source: People

Prior to getting married to Michael Tell, she was dating Desi Arnaz Jr. She was 23 and Arnaz was 17 at the time. Their relationship was publicly criticized by Arnaz’s mother, Lucille Ball. They had an on-and-off relationship for some while.

Before that, she was married to her first husband, Harry Falk Jr. She walked down the aisle with him in a desperate attempt to break free from her abusive surrogate parents and acting managers, John and Ethen Ross. She was 18 and Harry was 32. Her first husband was an assistant director on The Patty Duke Show. They divorced two years later in 1967.

Meanwhile, Tell decided to stay low and hide from the media. Hence, we couldn’t find out if he remarried.

Patty Duke’s Demise

Patty Duke, who was born on December 14, 1946, passed away at 1:20 am on Tuesday, March 29, 2016, at a hospital in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, US. She died at the age of 69 from a ruptured intestine due to sepsis. She was cremated and her ashes were buried at Forest Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene.

He became her 40-year project, and she finally in her life had a protector. And so she showed him the world and he took care of her and until this morning at 1:20 they were connected with a bond that is impossible to describe.
Sean Astin talks about her mother’s demise and her parents’ relationship until the end.