Shawn Southwick King built a career long before anyone knew her as Larry King’s wife. By age three, she was already singing backup on albums for Herb Alpert, Neil Diamond, and The Beach Boys.
Most headlines only mention marriage. That’s a shame — her own story deserves more space than a footnote.
She spent over two decades married to broadcasting’s biggest name. But strip away the tabloid noise and estate lawsuits, and you find a woman who built three careers of her own — singing, acting, and hosting — long before Larry King entered the picture.
This piece walks through her early life, her career, both marriages, and the legal fight that followed Larry King’s death.
Quick Facts Table
Shawn Southwick King was born Shawn Ora Engemann Southwick King in California in 1959, into a family already deep in the music business.
| Detail | Information |
| Birth Name | Shawn Ora Engemann Southwick King known as “Shawn Southwick” |
| Born | 5 November 1959, Studio City, California |
| Profession | Actress, Singer, Television Host, Producer |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | North Hollywood High School, Brigham Young University |
| First Marriage | Daniel Southwick (m. 24 October 1980) |
| Second Marriage | Larry King (m. 5 September 1997) |
| Children | Danny Southwick, Chance Armstrong King, Cannon Edward King |
| Known For | Hollywood Insider on USA Network, marriage to Larry King, Blouin & Company lawsuit |
Early Life & Family Background
Shawn Southwick King grew up in a household run on music industry money, not an ordinary one. Her father, Karl Engemann, spent 35 years as Marie Osmond’s business manager while working as VP of A&R at Capitol Records.
Growing up in Studio City, she had music around her constantly. Her mother, Jerri Engemann, sang studio sessions for Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan, and performed with the Ray Conniff Singers.
Talent ran through the whole family. Her uncle, Bob Engemann, sang with The Lettermen. Her siblings — sister Shannon and brothers Paul and Ryan — all worked in music too. She also grew up as a close childhood friend of Marie Osmond, thanks to her father’s decades-long business tie to the family.
She attended North Hollywood High School, graduating in 1977, before heading to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah — a choice tied to her Latter-day Saint faith.
- Father Karl Engemann: VP of A&R at Capitol Records, Marie Osmond’s manager for 35 years
- Mother Jerri Engemann: studio singer for Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan
- Uncle Bob Engemann: member of The Lettermen
- Siblings: Shannon, Paul, and Ryan Engemann
- Schooling: North Hollywood High School (1977) → Brigham Young University
Music Career
Shawn Southwick King sang professionally before she could even read fluently. By age three, she was singing backup on commercials and albums for Herb Alpert, Neil Diamond, and The Beach Boys.
Her childhood voice even made it onto television history. She sang in the classic TV special “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, alongside Burl Ives. She also sang a solo in a Nat King Cole Christmas special.
In 1975, she teamed up with her brother Paul Engemann. Billed as “Christopher Paul and Shawn,” their song “For Your Love” hit #91 on the national charts. Not huge, but real chart success for a teenager.
She kept working as a backup singer for years. Studio sessions with Neil Diamond, Bobby Sherman, and Tennessee Ernie Ford filled her early résumé.
Marriage to Larry King in 1997 pulled her away from music for a while. She returned in 2005 with “In My Own Backyard,” a country album for Lofton Creek Records, produced by Steve Tyrell. In 2012, she recorded the title track for the holiday compilation “Gotta Love the Holidays,” raising money for the Larry King Cardiac Foundation.
- Age 3: backup vocals for Herb Alpert, Neil Diamond, The Beach Boys
- 1975: “For Your Love” — #91 national chart, with brother Paul Engemann
- 2005: debut solo album “In My Own Backyard” (Lofton Creek Records)
- 2012: “Gotta Love the Holidays” — benefit for Larry King Cardiac Foundation
Acting Career
Shawn Southwick King landed her first big role at just 15. She played Pam Flinders in the original 1974 stage production of “Saturday’s Warrior.”
Television work followed through the 1980s. She guest-starred on Knight Rider, The A-Team, Remington Steele, Cover Up, Hardcastle and McCormick, Riptide, and Who’s the Boss?. She also appeared on It’s Garry Shandling’s Show.
Film roles came in the same decade. She acted in Monaco Forever (1984) and Bombshell (1989). In 1991, she voiced Connie in the animated film Rover Dangerfield.
Her acting career didn’t end when the marriage began — it just slowed down. In 2015, she returned to the screen in Christmas Eve, acting opposite Patrick Stewart and Jon Heder. She also produced that film herself.
- Stage debut: “Saturday’s Warrior” (1974), age 15
- 1980s TV: Knight Rider, The A-Team, Remington Steele, Riptide, Who’s the Boss?
- Film work: Monaco Forever (1984), Bombshell (1989), Rover Dangerfield (voice, 1991)
- 2015 comeback: Christmas Eve, with Patrick Stewart
Broadcasting Career
Shawn Southwick King built her third career behind a news desk, not a script. From 1987 to 1989, she co-hosted “The Spectacular World of Guinness Book of World Records” with British broadcaster David Frost.
That gig led to something bigger. From 1990 to 1996, she hosted “Hollywood Insider,” a weekly entertainment news show on the USA Network. Six years on air made her a familiar face well before she met Larry King.
This wasn’t a small local gig either. Hollywood Insider ran nationally, covering celebrity news at a level most hosts never reach.
- 1987–1989: co-host, “The Spectacular World of Guinness Book of World Records” (with David Frost)
- 1990–1996: host, “Hollywood Insider” (USA Network, entertainment news)
- Established as a media personality before her marriage to Larry King
Meeting & Marriage to Larry King
Shawn Southwick King married Larry King in his hospital room — three days before his heart surgery. The wedding took place on September 5, 1997, and she became his seventh wife.
It wasn’t a typical Hollywood wedding. Larry King was scheduled for open-heart surgery days later. He wanted to marry her before going under the knife, health risks and all.
Their marriage went on to become his longest — nearly 22 years. Out of eight marriages to seven women, none of his other unions came close.
- Wedding date: September 5, 1997, in a hospital room
- Reason for urgency: Larry’s scheduled heart surgery
- Marriage length: almost 22 years — his longest of eight marriages
Family Life — Children
Shawn Southwick King raised three sons across two marriages, not just two. Her first son, Danny Southwick, came from her marriage to Daniel Southwick in 1980. He grew up to become a professional football player.
With Larry King, she had two more sons — Chance Armstrong King and Cannon Edward King. Both were still teenagers when their parents’ marriage started falling apart publicly.
Larry considered Danny his stepson, even though they weren’t related by blood. He treated all three boys as part of one family, at least on paper.
Larry had five children total across his life. Two of his older kids, Andy and Chaia, died just weeks apart in 2020 — Andy from a heart attack, Chaia from lung cancer. That left Larry King Jr., Chance, and Cannon as his surviving children.
| Child | Parent | Notes |
| Danny Southwick | Shawn + Daniel Southwick | Professional football player |
| Chance Armstrong King | Shawn + Larry King | Teenager during 2019 divorce filing |
| Cannon Edward King | Shawn + Larry King | Teenager during 2019 divorce filing |
| Larry King Jr. | Larry King (2nd marriage) | Later disputed estate with Shawn |
| Andy & Chaia King | Larry King (earlier marriages) | Both died in 2020, weeks apart |
Marriage Challenges — Separation & Reconciliation
Shawn Southwick King and Larry King filed for divorce not once, but twice. The first split came on April 14, 2010. They reconciled just three months later, in July 2010, and dropped the case together.
Trouble didn’t stay away for long. In 2016, reports surfaced claiming Shawn had a year-long affair. Larry was reportedly devastated by the news.
Things worsened after his health scare. In May 2019, Larry King suffered a near-fatal stroke. Three months later, he filed for divorce again — this time for good.
Court papers listed June 6, 2019 as their separation date. Larry later told People magazine what really drove them apart: age gap and religion. She’s Mormon, he was an atheist — and it wore on the marriage over time.
- First divorce filing: April 14, 2010 — reconciled within 3 months
- 2016: reports of Shawn’s alleged affair surface
- May 2019: Larry suffers near-fatal stroke
- August 2019: Larry files for divorce again, separation dated June 6, 2019
Divorce Proceedings & Larry King’s Death
Larry King never finalized his divorce from Shawn Southwick King before he died. He filed in August 2019, but the case dragged on for over a year without resolution.
In December 2020, a court ordered Larry to pay Shawn $33,000 a month in temporary spousal support. That order kept the marriage’s finances tied together, even mid-divorce.
Then his health collapsed fast. In early January 2021, he was hospitalized for COVID-19 — ten days before anyone announced it publicly.
He died on January 23, 2021, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 87. His official cause of death was sepsis, worsened by acute respiratory failure and kidney disease. COVID played a role, but it wasn’t the listed cause.
Shawn spoke to Entertainment Tonight four days later. She described their last FaceTime call in the hospital — his voice was weak, but he still managed one message: “I love you, take care of the boys.”
- Divorce filed: August 2019, never finalized
- Dec 2020: court orders $33,000/month temporary support
- Jan 23, 2021: Larry King dies at 87, cause listed as sepsis
- Shawn’s account: final FaceTime call, “take care of the boys”
They were legally still married when he died — separated, but not divorced. That detail became the seed of everything that followed.
Estate Battle with Larry King Jr.
Larry King left behind a handwritten will that cut Shawn out completely. He wrote it in October 2019, two months after filing for divorce.
The will named five children as beneficiaries — Larry King Jr., Cannon, Chance, and his two children who’d already passed, Andy and Chaia. Shawn’s name appeared nowhere in it.
Weeks after his death, Larry King Jr. moved to become special administrator of the estate. He pointed to that handwritten document as proof of his father’s wishes.
Shawn pushed back hard. She argued Larry didn’t have the mental capacity to sign that will when he wrote it. Given his age and declining health, that’s not a wild claim to make.
Eventually, both sides reached a settlement over the will dispute. Terms weren’t made public — these things rarely are.
- October 2019 will: excluded Shawn, split estate among 5 children
- Larry King Jr. sought special administrator status
- Shawn challenged Larry’s mental capacity at time of signing
- Result: confidential settlement over the will itself
That settlement should have ended things. It didn’t — a much bigger fight was already forming behind the scenes.
The Blouin & Company Lawsuit
Shawn King filed a $100 million lawsuit in October 2022 against her own former business managers. The target: Blouin & Company, the firm that handled her and Larry’s finances for years.
Her claim was serious — breach of fiduciary duty, professional negligence, and fraud. She accused Blouin of running secret bank accounts to funnel money to Larry King Jr. without her knowledge.
The lawsuit named more than just the firm. Defendants included Larry’s longtime producer Greg Christensen, his former assistant Becky Radant, and — surprisingly — Shawn’s own sister, Shannon Engemann Grossman.
Money changed hands quietly, according to the suit. Radant allegedly received $50,000. Christensen allegedly got $40,000. Court filings claim the cash went toward designer clothes, jewelry, and furniture.
Then the case took a dark turn. In February 2023, Christensen fired back — he claimed he witnessed Shawn abuse Larry after his 2019 stroke. He said the $40,000 was meant to help Larry get away from her.
Shawn denied every word of it. She called the accusations false and disputed them “vigorously,” according to Radar Online reporting. Christensen was later dismissed from the case entirely.
- Filed: October 2022, seeking $100 million in damages
- Defendants: Blouin & Company, Larry King Jr., Greg Christensen, Becky Radant, Shannon Engemann Grossman
- Allegations: secret accounts, unauthorized transfers, fiduciary breach
- Counter-claim: Christensen alleged abuse; Shawn denied it; he was dismissed
The lawsuit dragged on for years. Shawn dropped Blouin & Company as a defendant in October 2024. Her case against her own sister ended in an “unconditional” settlement not long after — details never made public.
Two decades of marriage. Three years of legal war. That’s what the fight over Larry King’s legacy turned into.
Public Image & Media Presence
Shawn Southwick King didn’t stay behind the camera after her acting days ended. In 2012, she co-founded Ora TV (later renamed Ora Media) with Larry King and billionaire Carlos Slim.
The name wasn’t random. Ora is actually her own middle name — Larry named the company after his wife.
She stayed involved with Ora Media even after Larry’s death. The company built talk shows and interview series for the internet, well before streaming became the norm everyone expected.
Her online presence stays fairly quiet these days. Her Instagram mostly features nature photos — mountains, forests, that kind of thing. Not exactly a tabloid feed.
That changed briefly in 2024. She made a rare public appearance after nearly four years out of the spotlight, and outlets noted she looked visibly different — a detail tied directly to the ongoing legal battle and years of stress that came with it.
- 2012: co-founded Ora TV (Ora Media) with Larry King and Carlos Slim
- Company name: taken from her own middle name, “Ora”
- Post-2021: remains involved in Ora Media’s productions
- 2024: rare public appearance after years of low visibility
Personal Life & Faith
Shawn Southwick King has practiced the Latter-day Saint faith her entire adult life. That religious identity mattered more to her marriage than most fans realized.
Larry King himself said it plainly to People magazine — she’s a devout Mormon, he was an agnostic atheist. Over 22 years, that gap wore on the relationship.
Her personal struggles made headlines too, separate from the marriage drama. In 2008, she entered rehab for a painkiller addiction. Two years later, in 2010, she suffered a relapse serious enough to require medical attention.
That relapse reportedly followed the revelation of an affair — a rough patch that overlapped with the couple’s first divorce filing that same year. She’s been open about how hard that period was, even years later.
- Religion: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Cited by Larry King as a factor in their eventual divorce
- 2008: entered rehab for painkiller addiction
- 2010: relapse, coinciding with affair revelation and first divorce filing
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Shawn Southwick King?
She was born November 5, 1959. That makes her 66 years old as of 2026.
Who are her children?
She has three sons — Danny Southwick, Chance Armstrong King, and Cannon Edward King.
When did she marry Larry King?
They married on September 5, 1997, inside his hospital room, days before his heart surgery.
Were she and Larry King divorced when he died?
No. They were legally separated, but the divorce was never finalized before his death in January 2021.
What happened with the Blouin & Company lawsuit?
Shawn King filed a $100 million lawsuit in 2022 against her former business managers. The case ended through confidential settlements.
What is Shawn Southwick King’s net worth?
It’s never been officially disclosed. Public estimates vary widely — anywhere from $50 million to $144 million.
Conclusion
Shawn Southwick King’s story runs deeper than a marriage certificate. She sang before she could drive, acted through the ’80s, and hosted national TV before turning 40.
Her years with Larry King brought fame, family, and eventually, a messy legal aftermath most people never see coming. The lawsuits, the estate battles, the settlements — none of that erases the three careers she built on her own.
She’s still connected to Ora Media today, still quietly working, still mostly out of the spotlight by choice. That’s rare for someone whose life got this much attention.
Rizwan Sultan is a content writer with 4 years of experience covering USA celebrities’ net worth and biographies. He specializes in clear, research-driven profiles and currently contributes engaging, accurate content to CelebInfoHub, helping readers understand the stories behind fame and financial success.