Victoria Rowell is basically royalty in the world of daytime television. If you grew up watching The Young and the Restless, you know her as the fierce, unforgettable Drucilla Winters. But while her on-screen romances were legendary, her real-life personal history is often a bit of a mystery to casual fans. Specifically, the name Victoria Rowell Tom Fahey often pops up in search queries, usually followed by a bunch of questions. Who is he? Were they actually married? Why did it end so fast?
Honestly, the details are sparse because their time together was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it chapter of the late eighties. But that short window changed the course of Rowell's life forever.
The Whirlwind Romance of 1989
Back in 1989, Victoria Rowell wasn't yet the household name she would become just a year later. She was a working actress and former ballet dancer finding her footing. Enter Tom Fahey. Unlike the high-profile stars she would later be linked to—like jazz legend Wynton Marsalis or artist Radcliffe Bailey—Fahey wasn't a Hollywood titan. He was an airline pilot and occasional actor.
They met, sparks flew, and they didn't wait around. They got married in 1989.
It was a pivotal year for Rowell. She was transitioning from the world of professional dance (she’d spent years with the American Ballet Theatre II) into full-time acting. The marriage seemed like a stabilizing force, but the industry has a way of testing young relationships.
A Marriage That Lasted Only Months
If you look at the timeline, it’s pretty jarring. They married in 1989 and by 1990, the divorce was finalized. It was one of those classic "short-lived" Hollywood marriages, though since she wasn't a megastar yet, it didn't hit the tabloids with the same force a modern celebrity split would.
People always want to know the "why." Did someone cheat? Was there a big fight?
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In reality, the couple has stayed pretty quiet about the specifics. What we do know is that 1990 was the year Victoria landed the role of Drucilla Winters. That kind of career explosion—especially on a demanding soap opera schedule—is a notorious relationship killer. While Rowell was becoming a star, the marriage was quietly dissolving in the background.
The Most Important Outcome: Maya Fahey
Even though the marriage to Tom Fahey didn't last, it produced something Victoria considers the greatest joy of her life: her daughter, Maya Fahey.
Maya was born during that brief window, and despite the divorce, Victoria has always been vocal about the importance of family. If you follow Victoria on social media today, you’ve probably seen Maya. She didn't follow her mom directly into acting, but she definitely stayed in the "family business" of creativity.
What Maya Fahey does now:
- She’s a talented art director.
- She actually worked behind the scenes on her mother’s show, The Rich and the Ruthless.
- She has a close, visible bond with Victoria, often appearing at events by her side.
It’s kinda cool to see that even though the romantic relationship between Victoria Rowell and Tom Fahey didn't work out, they successfully co-parented a daughter who is now an accomplished professional in her own right.
Life After Tom: Wynton Marsalis and Radcliffe Bailey
To understand the Victoria Rowell Tom Fahey dynamic, you have to look at what came after. After the divorce in 1990, Victoria entered a long-term relationship with Wynton Marsalis. They were together for years and had a son, Jasper Armstrong Marsalis (who is now a musician and artist).
Then came the second marriage to Radcliffe Bailey in 2009. That wedding was a huge deal—it took place in New Hampshire and was attended by A-listers like Samuel L. Jackson. But like her first marriage, it eventually ended in divorce in 2014.
Looking back, her marriage to Fahey feels like the "prologue" to her life as a public figure. It happened right as she was standing on the precipice of fame.
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Why We’re Still Talking About This in 2026
You might wonder why a marriage from 1989 even matters now. It matters because Victoria Rowell is a survivor. She grew up in the foster care system—something she wrote about extensively in her memoir The Women Who Raised Me.
For someone who didn't have a traditional family structure growing up, every relationship and every child is a piece of a legacy she had to build from scratch. Tom Fahey was part of that first attempt at building a "traditional" home. Even if the "wife" part of the role didn't stick, the "mother" part certainly did.
Key Takeaways for Fans
If you came here looking for dirt, you won't find much. These two have handled their history with a level of class that's actually refreshing. Here’s the bottom line:
- Tom Fahey was her first husband, married in 1989 and divorced in 1990.
- He was an airline pilot, which might explain why he stayed out of the Hollywood limelight more than her later partners.
- They share a daughter, Maya, who is the living proof that something good came out of a short-lived union.
- There's no public beef. Unlike some messy celebrity breakups, there are no records of public feuds or "tell-all" stories about their time together.
Moving Forward
If you're a fan of Victoria's work, the best way to support her isn't just digging into her past marriages, but checking out what she's doing now. She’s still incredibly active with her production company, Days Ferry Productions, and her advocacy for foster youth.
Next Steps for Research:
- Watch The Rich and the Ruthless: You can see Maya Fahey's art direction and Victoria’s acting/directing in action.
- Read The Women Who Raised Me: If you want the real story of Victoria’s life, this memoir is the gold standard. It gives context to why she values family so deeply.
- Follow her on Instagram: She’s very active and often shares throwbacks or updates on her current film projects in Maine and beyond.
Victoria Rowell's story isn't defined by the men she married; it's defined by the resilience she showed after every chapter closed. Tom Fahey was just one page in a very long, very impressive book.