HEART TO HEART
The veteran performer reflects on family and faith with Closer
Marie Osmond on motherhood, marriage and making the most of life.
She’s been famous almost from birth, but there has always been a down-to-earth, approachable quality about Marie Osmond. The performer, whose nearly six-decade-long career has encompassed music, television, film, live concerts, talk shows and more, credits her late mother, Olive, for keeping her humble. “I remember being 17 years old and coming home from working an 18-hour day on Donny
& Marie,” she recalls to Closer. “My mom said, ‘You haven’t done your chores.’ And I said, ‘Mom, we’re taping tomorrow. I have to look good. I’m like, Marie Osmond!’ And so she goes, ‘Oh really? Well, now you’re going to clean all the toilets as well as your chores. This is reality, get to work!’”
Marie, 61, has never stopped working and growing , both professionally and as a woman, wife, mother and grandmother. “It’s hard to change as you get older, but I think you should try to learn something about yourself every day,” she says. “It’s really important to try every day to be a better version of yourself.”
How has the last year treated you?
I think a real eye-opening, vision-clearing thing happened for all of us in the past year. We were forced to stay home and disconnect from distractions. We got to reconnect with what mattered most. It was a powerful thing. You know, any challenge in life can end up being a blessing if we let it.
So you weren’t upset to be at home?
For me, it was really kind of fun because it’s the first time I ever stayed home. I remarried my first husband [in 2011]. We were apart for 25 years, so we got to hang together and enjoy each other and see my children, which were all goals I had for 2020 anyway. I wanted to spend time and live my life the way I chose to, instead of doing five shows a week in Las Vegas.
What is different about your marriage to Steve the second time around?
I think the biggest difference is that you don’t let things bug you like you do when you’re young. You realize what really matters. He’s my best friend, and we have fun together. We can do nothing and have fun.
You’re a grandmother now. How many grandchildren do you have?
I have seven, and the eighth is on the way. We have been able to see them [during the pandemic]. They know to be careful. They’ll go into hibernation for 10 days or so to make sure that no one is sick and then we’ll go down to visit in our motor home .... I put a foam mattress between my little grandsons’ beds, and I’ll sit and tell them stories. You don’t have to do a lot to have fun. You just need to spend time together.
Is that when you are happiest?
Yes, I’m the happiest with my family. I love my children, my grandchildren and my husband. I would also say that the next thing