The Shocking Truth about Barbara Gail Martin, Dean Martin’s Daughter; Who is her mother?

Barbara Gail Martin is one among the 8 children the late actor, Dean Martin shared with his multiple partners throughout his life. Elizabeth Ann or “Betty” is her mother. Mr. Martin and Gail’s mom were only together for 8 years, however, after the divorce, she stayed closer to her father.

So, besides being known as the daughter of a celebrity, who is Barbara Gail? Well, many might not know this but she was also an actor like any other member of the Martin Family. What movies has she been a part of? Did she have an individual career out of it? We’re here to answer all these questions.

Thus, this article is all about Barbara Gail Martin and her life as the daughter of one of the most renowned entertainers in history. What is she up to these days? Let’s find out together!

Details On Gail’s Early Life As A Star Kid

Barbara Gail Martin, or simply, Gail Martin, was born on 11th April 1945 as the third child of actor-cum-singer, Dean Martin. He and his then-wife, Betty McDonald welcomed their wonderful daughter into a warm home with an older brother and a sister.

Moreover, Gail grew up in a house with her brother, Craig Martin, her elder sister, Claudia Martin, and her youngest sibling, Deana Martin. To add, there isn’t much of an age gap between these Martin siblings. Barbara is 3 years younger than her brother, a year younger than her late sister, Claudia, and 3 years older than Deana.

Besides this, however, not much is known about young Barbara’s early life. Since the very beginning, she has had an “off-the-radar” kind of life, despite being the daughter of a famed entertainer. So, details on her school life or where she went to college are very hard to dig up.

Young Barbara’s Parents Separated When She Was Just 4 Years Old; What Was The Reason?

Furthermore, we do know this one detail about young Gail’s life; she was just a child when her parents broke things off with each other. That’s right, Barbara Gail was just a 4-year-old girl when her dad, Dean, divorced her mom, Betty.

Dean and Betty were together in a holy union for only 8 years. They married in 1941 but separated shortly after, in 1949, after being the parents to 4 beautiful kids.

Many have speculated that the main cause of this separation was Gail’s mother Betty’s problem with alcohol. She was a chronic alcoholic who tried her best to be a good wife and mother, yet failed. However, we cannot say for sure that this in fact was the reason for her separation from the father of her kids.

Moreover, after the divorce, Dean got custody of Gail and all three of her siblings. While Betty spent the rest of her life in obscurity in San Fransisco, her daughter was enjoying the great life that she had with her famed father.

Her Mother, Betty, was the First Woman Her Comedian Dad Married; Who Were Her Step-Mothers?

If you know Dean Martin, you know that he was not married just once. This singer, who has given hits like Everybody Loves Somebody, Sway, and Valore, was once a ladies’ man and the ex-husband of three women, including Gail’s mother.

So, after the divorce from Betty McDonald, the comedian cum actor married actress, Jeanne Biegger. They had a wonderful relationship that lasted for almost two decades from 1949 to 1973. She even welcomed all of his kids from his previous marriage, including Barbara, with open arms. Even more so, she became the mother that Gail was searching for in her biological mom but failed to do so. Unfortunately, this marriage could not last longer than 24 years. Barbara’s dad then moved on with another woman.

Later on, her dad married Catherine Hawn who was Gail’s step-mom for 3 years. They got married in 1973, and the comedian even adopted Hawn’s daughter from her previous relationship.

How Many Half-Siblings Does Barbara Gail Have?

Barbara Gail has a total of seven siblings from her father’s multiple relationships. We’ve already talked about three of her own siblings, so now, let’s talk about who the rest of them are.

Dean Martin shared three kids with his second wife, Jeanne Biegger. Dean Paul Martin, Ricci Martin, and Gina Martin are Gail’s half-siblings from her father’s second marriage. Likewise, the actor had adopted his last wife’s daughter, Sasha into the Martin Family. Thus, after the adoption, Barbara gained a new sibling, Sasha Martin.

All eight of the Martin kids seemed to have a wonderful bond together. Everyone would often appear together at all the family events and also looked very happy when around each other. Although some of them, Claudia, Dean Paul, and Ricci are no longer in this world, the legacy of Dean Martin lives through the rest of his living children, including Barbara Gail.

Gail Martin Was In Showbiz For A Brief Time

The Martin Family is famous for having all of its members in showbiz, one way or the other.  They are indeed one of the most legendary celebrity families in the history of Hollywood. So, it is now quite obvious that even Barbara Gail was in this industry for some time as a star kid.

In her brief career as an actress, Gail appeared in a number of movies and TV shows. The Hollywood Palace, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and Pat Boone in Hollywood are some of those.

Is She A Married Woman? Who Is Dean Martin’s Son-In-Law?

According to many sources, Dean Martin’s daughter, Barbara is a married woman. She exchanged vows with the man of her dreams, Paul Polina in 1968. Their beautiful out-of-a-fairytale wedding was held at the Martin backyard in Bel Air.

Unfortunately, this is the only information that we have about her married life or her husband. Because of Gail’s low-profile life, it is hard for us to find out how she met Mr. Polina, or if they have children together. To add, it is even next to impossible to know whether they are still together after 55 years of marriage.

What Is Barbara Gail Martin Up To These Days?

As of 2023, Dean Martin’s daughter, Gail, is 78 years old. Although she was famous as an actress for a brief time, and even more famous as the daughter of a star, she has lived a quiet life. Thus, no one can say for certain where she is these days and what she is up to. Regardless, we hope that she still is living that fabulous life and is healthy and happy.