Here’s What Happened to Gibbs’ Family: The Tragic Story of His Wife and Daughter on NCIS!!!!!!
Mark Harmon played Leroy Jethro Gibbs on NCIS until Season 19 when he left the show but stayed on as a producer. Gibbs, who had a complex romantic history with four wives, hasn’t appeared on screen since 2021. NCIS is now moving into Season 22 with new characters.
How Did Gibbs’ Wife and Daughter Die on NCIS? Exploring Their Tragic Fate
In NCIS Season 3, Episode 23 (“Hiatus Part 1”), the tragic deaths of Gibbs’ first wife, Shannon, and their daughter, Kelly, are revealed through flashbacks.
While in the ICU following an explosion, Gibbs recalls learning that NIS Special Agent Kurt Mitchell was murd3red by a sniper, resulting in a truck wreck that k1lled Shannon and Kelly. Kelly, only eight years old at the time, died on February 25, 1991.
The episode also explains that Shannon had witnessed the murd3r of a Marine by Mexican drug dealer Pedro Hernandez. Set to testify, she became a target, leading to their deaths. Hernandez initially walked free, but Gibbs later took matters into his own hands and k1lled him in revenge.
Gibbs’ Three Further Wives on NCIS
Diane Sterling
Following the loss of his first wife, Shannon, Gibbs married IRS agent Diane Sterling, played by Melinda McGraw. Their marriage ended in divorce, and Diane remarried Gibbs’ friend, Tobias Fornell, only to divorce him as well. Diane was tragically slain in Season 12 by Sergei Mishnev.
Rebecca Chase
Following his second divorce, Gibbs married Rebecca Chase, played by Jeri Ryan. Their marriage was short-lived due to Rebecca’s drinking problems and an affair with her divorce attorney, Gene Isaacson. She later sought to reconcile with Gibbs as part of her recovery.
Stephanie Flynn
Gibbs’ fourth wife, Stephanie Flynn, played by Kathleen York, met him while working in Moscow. Their marriage lasted only 14 months and ended in divorce.
Ellen Wallace*
In Season 16, Major Ellen Wallace (Erin Cummings) was revealed to be engaged to Gibbs, though they never married. Gibbs broke off the engagement, fearing for her safety after losing his earlier wives.
Gibbs left NCIS in Season 19, but there’s always a chance he could marry again, given his history.