Meet Cybill Shepherd’s three children, each with their own unique journey. From Clementine’s battle with MS to Cyrus’s past challenges and Molly’s recent marriage, discover how the famous actress’s family has evolved over the years and get a glimpse into their lives today.
Known for her beauty, charisma, and groundbreaking roles in Hollywood, Cybill Shepherd became a household name through iconic performances in “Moonlighting” and “The Last Picture Show.” But beyond the camera, she took on a role even more important to her — that of a mother.
Cybill Shepherd at The Hollywood Reporter 2022 Power 100 Women in Entertainment presented by Lifetime on December 7 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
Cybill always wanted children, and when she finally became a mother, she poured her heart into raising her family. Take a look at her kids’ lives as they navigated challenges, including health battles and legal troubles, and celebrated joys like finding love and becoming parents.
Cybill Shepherd at the Palm Springs International Comedy Festival Awards Ceremony on September 21, 2024, in Palm Springs, California. | Source: Getty Images
Meet Clementine Ford-Wilcox
Cybill’s desire for children had always been strong. Though she was in a long-term relationship with filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich, the two eventually parted ways because of conflicting family aspirations.
“He already had two kids with Polly Platt and didn’t want any more,” the actress revealed. “I really wanted to have children.” Her yearning to start a family led her to marry David Ford, and in 1979, the Hollywood actress welcomed her first child, Clementine Ford, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Cybill Shepherd with David M. Ford and their daughter Clementine Ford photographed in Los Angeles, California, circa 1979. | Source: Getty Images
However, shortly after Clementine’s birth, her parents divorced, leaving her mom to navigate single motherhood as she returned to California to reignite her acting career.
Like her famous mother, Clementine ventured into acting, embracing the limelight with notable roles, including her appearance on the popular soap opera “The Young and the Restless.”
Cybill Shepherd, David, and Clementine Ford photographed in Los Angeles, California, circa 1979. | Source: Getty Images
Yet, behind the scenes, Clementine endured a challenging health journey. In 2018, she shared on social media that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) during her time on “The Young and the Restless.”
Cybill opened up about how difficult it was to hear this diagnosis, stating, “That diagnosis of my daughter Clementine was one of the most difficult days of my life, but she’s doing great right now and I have two grandchildren.”
Cybill Shepherd and Clementine Ford at the 1997 Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images
In a 2020 interview, Clementine reflected on the moment she realized something was wrong. She described the initial symptoms as issues with her vision, which she had tried to rationalize as a reaction to her stage makeup.
Clementine explained that after her eyesight worsened, she began losing sensation in her feet, a frightening symptom that ultimately led her to a diagnosis.
Clementine Ford at the 3rd Annual Tribeca Film Festival in 2004 in New York. | Source: Getty Images
“The next doctor said, ‘It sounds like classic MS.’ I got my MRI and he was like, ‘Yep. You have MS,'” she recalled, adding that she sought multiple opinions, all of which confirmed the same diagnosis.
Initially fearful of disclosing her condition, Clementine later decided to go public in search of support. She had switched to a new neurologist who recommended a medication called Rituxan, and feeling isolated, Clementine turned to the online MS community for guidance.
Cybill Shepherd and Clementine Ford at the “An Evening with Women: Celebrating Art, Music & Equality” presented by the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center on April 24, 2009, in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images
“I put it out there so that I could reach out to the online community and say, ‘Here’s what’s going on with me. Has anybody had this experience?’ And it made a huge difference,” she shared.
Despite her diagnosis, Clementine expressed gratitude for her condition’s relatively mild progression. “Mostly good days,” she said, noting that fatigue had become manageable with the right medication. Her positive outlook even allowed her to remain active. “I can run as long as I’m not on a treadmill,” she revealed.
Cybill Shepherd and Clementine Ford at the 20th Annual Race To Erase MS Gala “Love To Erase MS” on May 3, 2013, in Century City, California. | Source: Getty Images
Following her diagnosis, Clementine’s life took another turn; she left acting, citing the turbulence she experienced during that time. “That whole period of my life was a mess,” she admitted. However, she hinted that she might return to acting, albeit at her own pace, as her life had since stabilized.
Cybill Shepherd and Clementine Ford at the 23rd Annual Race To Erase MS Gala on April 15, 2016, in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images
Today, Clementine is a mother of two, a son and a daughter, whom she homeschools, as she shared in a 2021 Instagram post. That same year, she also posted a throwback to an appearance in a People Magazine issue from 11 years prior, where she had represented a “chubby” body type.
Her post encouraged her followers to reject societal pressures around body image, with Clementine declaring in part, “One more time for the people in the back: diet culture and fat phobia can suck it. It’s not about the food or the exercise.”
Fans responded with admiration, with many praising her for her beauty. “I see your mom in the first picture. You are beautiful don’t let others tell you otherwise,” one person commented. Another shared, “You look so much like your mom.” A third typed, “You are the hottest woman I know 🔥,” while a fourth simply wrote, “An icon.”
Cyrus Shepherd-Oppenheim
After welcoming Clementine, Cybill gave birth to her twin children, Cyrus and his sister Molly Shepherd-Oppenheim, in 1987 with then-husband Dr. Bruce Oppenheim. Raising her three children in California’s San Fernando Valley, the actress preferred the area’s down-to-earth atmosphere.
Cybill Shepherd with her daughter Ariel and son Cyrus Shepherd-Oppenheim at “The Cat’s Meow” Los Angeles premiere in 2002 in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images
Reflecting on her choice, Cybill shared, “I just thought the Valley was a better place to raise kids. The Valley is down to earth and my kids went to school here.” Cyrus later faced a challenging moment in the public eye. In 2010, he was charged with theft following an incident on a cross-country flight.
Cybill Shepherd and Ariel and son Cyrus Shepherd-Oppenheim at “The Cat’s Meow” Los Angeles premiere in 2002 in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images
Authorities reported that he allegedly took various belongings from fellow passengers’ carry-on luggage, including cash, a digital camera, a leather makeup case, and a small travel bag.
Witnesses reportedly saw Cyrus handling items from other passengers’ bags, leading to his arrest when the plane arrived in Philadelphia. Following the incident, Cyrus was detained and taken into police custody.
Clementine Ford, Cybill Shepherd, Molly, and Cyrus Shepherd-Oppenheim at the twins’ 18th birthday dinner in 2005. | Source: Getty Images
With enough evidence, including eyewitness accounts and physical evidence, Cyrus was charged with two counts of theft — both misdemeanors. Cyrus’s attorney, Bill Brennan, described the charges as “serious, but minor,” expressing confidence that there was a possibility of clearing his client.
Molly and Cyrus Shepherd-Oppenheim at their 18th birthday dinner in 2005. | Source: Getty Images
“As things shake out, it is my belief that there may be no criminality here whatsoever,” Bill remarked, emphasizing his hope for a resolution without significant legal repercussions.
Cyrus Shepherd-Oppenheim during a clothing line launch in Silverlake, California, in 2006. | Source: Getty Images
Molly Ariel Shepherd-Oppenheim
Molly shares a close bond with her mother, evident on March 27, 2022, when she accompanied Cybill to the 94th Academy Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The mother-daughter duo’s presence at the prestigious event showcased their close relationship, as Molly posed by her mother’s side.
Cybill Shepherd and Molly Ariel Shepherd-Oppenheim at the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
In early October, Molly celebrated a major milestone in her own life, marrying her longtime partner, Eliza Ladensohn, surrounded by friends and family. Their story began years earlier, shortly after Molly graduated from Yale in 2010.
While visiting her family in Los Angeles, Molly’s sister hoped to encourage her to move back to the city by introducing her to the local LGBTQ+ community.
Clementine arranged a night out at a Hollywood club, where she ran into Eliza, the founder of the women’s clothing line Sloane & Tate, and quickly introduced her to Molly.
The connection was immediate, and the two felt an undeniable spark. “Someone actually asked us how long we had been together,” Molly added of that first meeting.
A few days later, the pair met for drinks in West Hollywood, marking the beginning of a romance that deepened as Molly eventually moved back to Los Angeles. By 2013, the couple had moved in together and began navigating their respective careers, drawing strength from each other’s support.
“There’s so much overlap in the challenges we face and the goals we have for ourselves. Navigating that together is something that we have in common and has bonded us,” Ezra revealed.
After nearly eight years of dating, they took the next step, and on July 21, 2018, Eliza proposed to Molly over breakfast, with the backdrop of a movie playing in their hotel room.
Molly and Ezra on their wedding day in 2024. | Source: Instagram/elizaladensohn
Their wedding, held on October 26, featured around 100 guests, including poet Naomi Shihab Nye, singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, and actress Linda Wallem.
The ceremony took place at the picturesque Stone Eagle Golf Club in Palm Desert, with the first tee of the course set against the stunning red rock and chaparral.
Molly and Ezra on their wedding day in 2024. | Source: Instagram/elizaladensohn
Standing before a canopy of palm branches, Molly, dressed in a white gown, and Eliza, in a black tuxedo, exchanged vows under the guidance of Rabbi Heather Miller.
Following Jewish tradition, they recited the Sheva Brachot, the Seven Blessings, before concluding with the symbolic breaking of a glass, representing the fragility of relationships and the care required to nurture them.
Cybill Shepherd’s three children have each forged unique paths, shaped by both triumphs and trials. From Clementine’s resilience in facing MS to Molly’s recent marriage, the actress’s legacy lives on through her kids’ lives.