If you spend any time on social media, you’ve probably seen Robert Reich. He’s the guy with the whiteboard breaking down why your rent is too high or why the billionaire down the street isn't paying enough in taxes. He’s been a staple of American politics since the Clinton years. But lately, a weirdly specific question has been trending: is robert reich married?
It’s one of those things where the internet's memory is kinda fuzzy. You’ll find some old bios saying one thing, and a 2026 Wikipedia rabbit hole saying another. Honestly, the answer depends on which decade you’re looking at.
The Truth About Robert Reich’s Marital Status
Right now, if you’re looking for a current spouse, you won’t find one. Robert Reich is not currently married. He was famously married for a very long time, but that chapter ended over a decade ago. For about 39 years, Reich was one half of a serious power couple. He married Clare Dalton back in 1973. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because she’s a heavy hitter in her own right. She was a law professor at Northeastern University and a pioneer in the legal theory of domestic violence.
They met at Oxford. Reich actually tells this great story about how he went to England on a Rhodes Scholarship (the same time as Bill Clinton) and auditioned for a play. He didn’t get the part, but he met Clare. They stayed together through his rise to Secretary of Labor and his transition into being a public intellectual.
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But then, in 2012, they divorced.
It wasn't some tabloid scandal. It was just... over. Since then, Reich has been pretty much a bachelor, at least publicly. He lives in Berkeley, California, and seems more married to his Substack and his "Inequality Media" videos than anything else.
Why People Are Getting Confused
The reason the "is robert reich married" search keeps popping up is because of a name mix-up. There is another Robert Reich out there—a businessman in Florida who was married to a very famous TV anchor named Martha Sugalski.
That Robert Reich had a super messy, high-profile divorce in 2019/2020. Because Google often lumps people with the same name together, the headlines about "Robert Reich Divorce" and "Robert Reich Alimony Battle" started showing up for the wrong Robert Reich.
The economist Robert Reich—the one you probably care about—didn't have any of that drama. He’s 79 years old and mostly spends his time talking about the "rigged system." He’s not fighting over Florida real estate in court.
The Family Connection Everyone Forgets
Even though he isn't married now, Reich’s family life is still very much in the spotlight because of his kids.
- Sam Reich: If you’re a fan of comedy or the streaming service Dropout, you know Sam. He’s the CEO and the guy behind Game Changer. He’s basically become a nerd icon.
- Adam Reich: He’s a sociology professor at Columbia.
It’s a high-achieving family. Sam often talks about his parents on podcasts, and he’s been very open about the fact that while his parents are no longer together, they both played huge roles in his career.
Life in Berkeley
These days, Reich’s personal life is fairly quiet. He’s a Professor Emeritus at UC Berkeley. He still teaches (though he "retired" from the full-time grind in 2023), and he’s constantly posting videos from his home office.
If you're wondering about his day-to-day, it's mostly work. He’s written 18 books. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for a socialite lifestyle. He’s also 4 feet 11 inches tall, which he constantly jokes about. In his memoir Locked in the Cabinet, he wrote about how his height—and the bullying he faced as a kid—actually drove his interest in protecting the "little guy" in the economy.
Actionable Insights
So, what should you take away from all this?
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- Check the middle initial: Most of the confusion comes from not distinguishing between Robert B. Reich (the economist) and other people with the same name.
- Update your sources: If you’re looking at a bio of Reich that says he’s married to Clare Dalton, that info is at least 14 years out of date.
- Watch the kids: If you want to see the Reich legacy in action, check out Dropout. It’s a fascinating pivot from political policy to digital media leadership.
Basically, Robert Reich is single, focused on his work, and probably busy drawing another chart for his next viral video.