Malcolm In The Middle Star, Jane Kaczmarek Marries Her High School Love After 50 Years Of First Date

When you love someone, you cannot actually unlove them, and the same phrase was proved to be right for Malcolm In The Middle star, Jane Kaczmarek. She couldn’t only unlove the person she fell for during her high school but rather ended up marrying him after 50 years of their first date.

Remaining away for decades, marrying respective partners and going on with their respective lives, couldn’t actually keep them apart; thus, as the internet would call it, they remained tied by the red thread and crossed paths again to be each other’s forever. Well, as Jane Kaczmarek got married to her high school love, Rusty Long last year in July, she now opened up about their love story, which is surely a fairytale.

Jane Kaczmarek and Rusty Long’s fairytale romance

It was in 1971 that Jane Kaczmarek met Rusty Long when they were in the same school. Rusty was their school’s ‘big star’ of the tennis team back then. As Jane told PEOPLE, she was just crazy about him. Rusty gave Jane his ID bracelette and she still has it. Well, after their school romance, just like every other school love, it faded. The duo moved on with their life with Rusty becoming a lawyer and Jane establishing a career in the glamour world.

The duo got married to their respective partners. While Jane married Bradley Whitford and welcomed three kids, Rusty was also married to his previous partner, with whom he has two kids. Jane and Rusty had their share of ups and downs in life, including Jane’s divorce from Bradley in 2010. Well, it was in 2024, when Jane returned to her hometown for her school reunion, and the rest is simply a fairytale.

PC: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library(2)

When Rusty Long proposed marriage to Jane

It was while she was at the reunion of their school that Jane was asked by one of her close friends whether she would like to meet Rusty Long again. As Jane revealed to PEOPLE, she instantly ‘jumped’ at the opportunity. Jane didn’t deny that her feelings for Long had reignited, and the same day, after he escorted her home, things escalated. The duo then enjoyed the spark till February 2025. Following this, Long and Kaczmarek attended an event wherein the host asked the guest to raise a toast; the former ended up proposing to his high-school sweetheart. Recalling how heavenly it was, Kaczmarke said:

“‘Rusty said, ‘I would like to toast to romance. I’ve been in love with Jane my entire life, and I want to ask her to marry me.’ It was heaven.”

PC: Abbie Flanagan/Citrine Pine Photography

Jane said ‘yes’ to Rusty’s proposal, and thing proceed further. Jane’s kids were also happy about her relationship with Rusty, and attended the duo’s wedding ceremony, which took place on July 5, 2025, in a barn in the Badger State. The wedding felt to Jane like a ‘summer party’ with her and Rusty’s kids and grandkids, their childhood friends and Wisconsin stuff. As per Jane, it’s a fairytale for her as she feels like one side, which feels ‘corny’ because it feels like high school, while on the other side, the two of them have done well in their respective careers, got married to their partners and raised their kids. She could be quoted as saying:

“You can be really corny because part of you is still feeling like a high school kid. It’s at that part of your life now where we both had other spouses. Our children are raised, our careers have gone well. It’s like a fairy tale.”

PC: Abbie Flanagan/Citrine Pine Photography

What do you think about Jane Kaczmarek and Rusty Long’s relationship?

Also Read: Lizzo And Her Alter Ego, ‘Lizzy’ Strips Down In Music Video For New Single, ‘Don’t Make Me Love U’