Johnston was married five times, and had five children. One of his marriages was to actress Kathryn Grayson[3] at an August 22, 1947 ceremony in Carmel, California.[4] Grayson was his second wife.[5] On October 7, 1948, the couple's only child, daughter, Patricia Kathryn "Patty Kate" Johnston, was born. Grayson and Johnston separated on November 15, 1950. On October 3, 1951, Grayson was given a divorce from Johnston on the grounds of mental cruelty.[6]
Johnston's This Time for Keeps co-star, Esther Williams, claimed in her 1999 autobiography that while making the film, Johnston would read Grayson's intimate letters aloud to the girls in his fan club, including the "all-too-graphic details concerning what she liked about his love-making."[7]
Later, he operated a nightclub in New York City.[3]
On July 31, 1952, Johnston married Shirley I. Carmel in Greenwich, Connecticut.[5] He died in 1996, aged 80.
^Wagner, Laura (Winter 2015). "Johnnie Johnston: Bobbysoxer Heartthrob". Films of the Golden Age (83): 71–72.
^"(radio listing)". The Emporia Gazette. Kansas, Emporia. The Emporia Gazette. June 20, 1938. p. 8. Retrieved February 6, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abVera, Billy (2000). From the Vaults Vol. 4: Love Letters (CD). Hollywood: Capitol Records. p. 7.
^"Kathryn Grayson Sues for Divorce". Los Angeles Times. August 10, 1951. ProQuest166256687.
^ ab"Johnnie Johnston Is Wed". The Kansas City Times. Missouri, Kansas City. The Kansas City Times. August 1, 1952. p. 1. Retrieved February 8, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Kathryn Grayson Given Divorce From Johnston". Los Angeles Times. October 4, 1951. ProQuest166274081.
^"Columbia". The Evening Review. Ohio, East Liverpool. The Evening Review. October 2, 1942. p. 6. Retrieved February 6, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^"West Brings Top Tunefilm". The Terre Haute Tribune. Indiana, Terre Haute. The Terre Haute Tribune. April 24, 1949. p. 31. Retrieved February 6, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
