Who Is Christopher Meloni's Wife? All About Sherman Williams

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan/Getty

Christopher Meloniand Doris Sherman Williams' relationship has stood the test of time.

Decades later, Meloni and Williams are still going strong, which theLaw & Order: SVUstar credits to his artist wife’s “patience.”

In January 2024, the couplecelebrated Williams' 64th birthdaywhile visiting Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival.

“I celebrate the grandeur, beauty, and intelligence that is @sherman.meloni,” Meloni wrote on Instagram.

So, who is Christopher Meloni’s wife? Here is everything to know about Doris Sherman Williams.

Her full name is Doris Sherman Williams

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She used to work as a production designer

Meloni may be the star on-screen, but Williams has years of experience in the entertainment industry. She began working as a production designer and art director in the early ’80s and has tons of credits under her name, including the filmsThe Chase,The Locusts andAutomatic, among many others.

She now works as a painter and art director

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Before she began working on film sets, Williams studied Fine Art at the California College of the Arts, according to herwebsite. After working in the entertainment industry for 14 years, she moved to New York City and studied at Parsons School of Design, the Art Students League of New York and the National Academy School. She now works as a painter and specializes in portraits.

Meloni is very supportive of her work as an artist, telling PEOPLE, “She paints and I go in her studio, and it just makes me happy. We have her work all over the house. She wants to buy art, and I’m like, ‘I don’t want that. I want yours.’ "

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In 1989, Williams was working as the production designer on the set of an HBO show that Meloni had a small role in. She was in her 20s and was sporting short, bleached hair. She also rode a Harley motorcycle to work. In an interview withYourTango, Meloni recalled thinking, “This I gotta meet.” He was instantly attracted to Williams, finding her “cool, funny, sexy,” but she had a boyfriend at the time.

The pair continued to run into each other at industry parties in L.A., but it took a while after this first meeting for the couple to start dating.

She and Meloni got married in 1995

Christopher Meloni Instagram

On their 26th anniversary, Meloni shared aphoto from their wedding dayon social media tocommemorate the milestone. Alongside a photo of them kissing on the beach and a more recent photo of the couple posing in front of a wall spray-painted with the words “let’s get weird,” Meloni wrote, “How it started… how it’s goin. 26 years of…well… it’s hard to explain #partnerincrime #keepingitweird.”

She and Meloni have two children

Williams and Meloni share two children: daughter Sophia and son Dante. According to Meloni, the couple always wanted to raise a family together. “I always knew I wanted kids, as did my wife,” he told PEOPLE. “My mother always used to say to me, ‘I’ve learned so much from you kids,’ and I didn’t get it. Now I get it.”

Meloni describes one of their children as an old soul, while the other is a young soul. “One is more of an old soul. I never used that term until they came out of the womb and I looked in their eyes. I was like, ‘Holy cow, look at you. You’re here to teach me.’ As well as the other one, who’s a young soul. It’s ever-evolving and a complete fulfillment of my life,” he added.

Thekids are often featuredon Meloni’s social media accounts.

She designed her family’s N.Y.C. apartment

Much of the early days of Meloni and Williams' relationship involved back-and-forth journeys between N.Y.C. and L.A., with periods of long distance due to their careers. While Williams preferred the West Coast life, she eventually agreed to live full-time in N.Y.C., and put her set design skills to use to create the perfect space for their family, which she and Meloni showed off during a tour forArchitectural Digest.

She was able to turn their uptown Manhattan apartment into a “modern but comfortable haven.” She told the outlet, “Right now we feel we can just stay put — and it’s a good feeling. Finally, we’ve found a place where we’re in no hurry to move.”

Her patience is the secret to their marriage

Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage

Meloni and Williams' marriage has stood the test of time, and theWet Hot American Summerstar gives a lot of credit to Williams.

“We’re doing good.It’s her patience with me, and I really mean that. She’s allowed me to grow at my speed, because she’s always been more mature and more level headed in many ways,” Meloni told PEOPLE.

With nearly three decades under their belt, their love continues to stay strong and Meloni oftenshows off his wifeon Instagram. On Williams' 63rd birthday in January 2023, he shared aseries of photosof their family celebrating the special day, including shots of Williams donning black stiletto heels.

“My gurl. Ageless. Timeless. Steppin' out with the young-uns to show em how it’s done,” Meloni captioned the post.

She doesn’t mind Meloni’s “Zaddy” title

Meloni is often referred to as a “Zaddy” on the internet, and during his cover October 2022 cover story for PEOPLE, he opened up about whatWilliams and his kids thinkabout the nickname.

“My wife, she’s lovely, she gets it, Meaning she’s like, ‘Eh, whatever,’ " he said. “My kids, on the other hand, invariably once a month, it’s ‘Really? Really?’ Their friends will send them a meme that’s come out or whatever, but I think secretly in their hearts, they get it.”

He continued: “It’s cool because we all have a good goof with it. My children’s friends bust my chops, but it’s all fun. It’s an honor.”

She is a New York Knicks fan

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty

Meloni and Williams are often spotted sitting courtside at New York Knicks games.

In April 2023, they attended game one of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals between the Miami Heat and the Knicks. They were seated next to actressEdie Falcoand her son.

She’s a caretaker

During an interview with PEOPLE in August 2023, Meloni shared his family’sexperience with Lyme disease. He revealed that loved ones close to him and Williams went misdiagnosed for two years.

“It was pretty heartbreaking,” he said. “[Sherman] left no stone unturned and she was the driving force at getting answers. She was relentless. She’s the hero of all of this.”

source: people.com