Laura Deibel is best known as the first wife of American actor and comedian Tim Allen. The two met while studying at Western Michigan University and were together before Allen became famous. They married in 1984, had one daughter, Katherine “Kady” Allen, and divorced in 2003.
Laura also had her own career. She worked as a sales manager and later reportedly served as CEO of Tim Allen Signature Tools. Since her divorce, she has largely stayed away from public attention.
Laura Deibel’s Profile Summary
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Laura Deibel |
| Date of birth | November 12, 1956 |
| Age | 69 years old as of October 2026 |
| Reported birthplace | Omena, Michigan, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac sign | Scorpio |
| Education | Western Michigan University |
| Known for | Being Tim Allen’s first wife |
| Profession | Former sales manager and business executive |
| Ex-husband | Tim Allen |
| Marriage | 1984–2003 |
| Child | Katherine “Kady” Allen |
| Current relationship | Not publicly confirmed |
| Reported residence | Sherman Oaks, California |
| Net worth | Not reliably confirmed |
Who Is Laura Deibel?
Laura Deibel is Tim Allen’s former wife and college sweetheart.
She knew Allen before his successful Hollywood career and remained with him during his early struggles, including his time in federal prison.
Laura later became the mother of Allen’s first daughter, Katherine. During their marriage, she also reportedly worked with Tim Allen Signature Tools.
After their divorce, Laura chose a more private life and has made very few public appearances.
Laura Deibel’s Early Life and Family
Very little information is publicly available about Laura’s childhood.
The names of her parents and siblings have not been reliably reported.
She later attended Western Michigan University, where she met the man who would become her husband.
Laura Deibel’s Education
Laura studied at Western Michigan University.
This period is important because she met Tim Allen while they were both college students.
The available information does not clearly confirm Laura’s degree, major, or graduation year.
How Did Laura Deibel Meet Tim Allen?
Laura and Tim met while studying at Western Michigan University.
Their relationship began before Tim had a successful entertainment career.
During the early 1980s, Tim performed comedy at local venues. Reports say some of his early shows paid around $50 per performance.
Laura attended some of his performances and supported his early attempts to build a career in comedy.
Laura Supported Tim Allen During His Prison Sentence
Laura was also with Tim during his serious legal problems before he became famous.
Tim was arrested on drug-related charges in 1978 and later served about 28 months in federal prison.
Laura remained in the relationship during this period.
In a 1991 interview with People, she explained her decision simply: “We loved each other. It was that simple.”
Laura Deibel’s Career
Laura had a career before Tim became a major television star.
She reportedly worked as a sales manager for an interior landscaping company.
As Tim’s career became busier, Laura eventually spent more time managing their home and caring for their daughter.
She was later reported to have become CEO of Tim Allen Signature Tools.
The exact dates of her work with the company are not clearly established.
Tim Allen Signature Tools
Laura’s reported role with Tim Allen Signature Tools is one of the main business positions associated with her.
The company was connected with tools such as hammers, drills, and saws.
Laura reportedly served as its CEO for a period.
One source claims she later left the company and returned to sales management. However, this has not been strongly confirmed.
Her current profession in 2026 is not publicly known.
Laura Deibel and Tim Allen’s Marriage
Laura and Tim married in April 1984.
Some reports give their wedding date as April 7, 1984, although the exact day is not equally supported across the available sources.
The couple had known each other since their college years and had already been together through Tim’s early personal and career struggles.
They remained married during most of Tim’s rise to fame in the 1990s.
Laura and Tim Allen’s Daughter
Laura and Tim had one child together, Katherine Allen, who is also known as Kady Allen.
Her birth date is most commonly reported as October 6, 1989. However, one source places her birth in 1990.
Katherine grew up while her father’s career was becoming increasingly successful.
She has generally maintained a private life but has accompanied her father to some public events.
Laura’s Life as a Mother
Laura took on much of the responsibility for raising Katherine as Tim’s entertainment career became more demanding.
Laura and Katherine sometimes attended Friday tapings of Home Improvement.
However, Tim later acknowledged that his busy career affected the amount of time he spent with his family.
Laura eventually stepped back from some of her professional work to focus more on their home and daughter.
Who Is Tim Allen?
Tim Allen is an American actor and comedian.
He became widely known for playing Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement, which began in 1991.
His other well-known work includes The Santa Clause films and the Toy Story franchise, in which he became the original voice of Buzz Lightyear.
Tim’s success in television and movies made him a major Hollywood name during his marriage to Laura.
Laura knew him years before this fame and was with him during much of his rise in the entertainment industry.
How Tim Allen’s Career Affected Their Family
Tim’s career became increasingly demanding after the success of Home Improvement.
His schedule involved rehearsals, tapings, movies, interviews, and other professional commitments.
Laura handled much of their home life and the care of Katherine during this period.
In a 1997 interview, Tim acknowledged that he had allowed his family life to “slide.”
Reports from 1998 also quoted him discussing how little time he had been spending with his daughter.
These comments support reports that the demands of his career created problems in the family.
Tim Allen’s Problems With Alcohol
Tim has also publicly discussed his past problems with alcohol.
He was arrested for drunk driving in 1997 and later entered rehabilitation.
Years later, he spoke about how drinking had affected his ability to connect with people around him.
His career schedule and personal problems were among the difficulties reported during the later years of his marriage to Laura.
However, it would be too simple to identify one single issue as the sole reason their marriage ended.
Why Did Laura Deibel and Tim Allen Separate?
Laura and Tim’s marriage became strained during the 1990s.
Tim was spending significant amounts of time on his career, while Laura was taking care of much of their family life.
The couple separated in 1999.
Some reports say Laura filed for legal separation citing irreconcilable differences.
Tim later acknowledged that he had not been as present for his family as he should have been during this period.
Laura Deibel and Tim Allen’s Divorce
Laura and Tim’s divorce was finalized in March 2003.
Their financial settlement was kept private.
Reports say they shared custody of Katherine, who was around 13 years old at the time.
Because the financial details were not publicly released, claims about exactly how much Laura received in the divorce cannot be confirmed.
Laura and Tim After Their Divorce
Laura and Tim were able to attend some events together after their marriage ended.
Reports describe their post-divorce relationship as cordial.
Their daughter remained an important connection between them.
However, there is limited recent information about their current relationship, so it is not possible to confirm how often they remain in contact today.
Laura Deibel’s Charity Work
Laura reportedly remained involved with charitable work connected with Tim after their separation.
She served as an Events Chairman for a charitable foundation associated with Allen, according to reports.
In December 2006, she attended the Comedy For Kids: Friends of Tim Allen fundraiser.
This appearance came more than three years after their divorce was finalized.
Where Is Laura Deibel Now?
Laura has kept a very private life since her divorce.
Older reports connected her with Sherman Oaks, California. An inactive Facebook profile was also cited as evidence that she lived there.
However, her current residence in 2026 has not been firmly confirmed.
There is also little reliable information about her current work or everyday activities.
Did Laura Deibel Remarry?
There are no reliable public reports showing that Laura remarried after her divorce from Tim Allen.
She has also not publicly confirmed another long-term partner in the available information.
Her current relationship status remains private.
Laura Deibel’s Social Media
Laura does not have a well-known active public social-media presence.
An older Facebook account has been mentioned in reports, but it was described as inactive.
There is no clearly verified active Instagram, X, or other major public account connected with her.
Laura Deibel’s Net Worth
Laura Deibel’s personal net worth is not publicly confirmed.
Some online sources estimate her wealth at around $1 million to $1.5 million.
These figures are estimates and should not be treated as confirmed financial information.
Some sources also claim that much of her wealth came from her divorce settlement. However, the actual terms of her settlement with Tim were private, making this claim difficult to verify.
Tim Allen’s Second Wife and Daughter
After divorcing Laura, Tim married actress Jane Hajduk.
They married on October 7, 2006, in a private outdoor ceremony in Grand Lake, Colorado.
Tim and Jane later welcomed a daughter, Elizabeth Allen, on March 28, 2009.
Elizabeth is Katherine’s younger paternal half-sister.
She later appeared alongside her father in the Disney+ series The Santa Clauses.
Facts About Laura Deibel
- Laura Deibel was born on November 12, 1956.
- She is 69 years old as of October 2026.
- She is American.
- Her birthplace is reported as Omena, Michigan.
- She attended Western Michigan University.
- She met Tim Allen while they were college students.
- She worked as a sales manager for an interior landscaping company.
- She supported Tim during the early years of his comedy career.
- She remained with him during his federal prison sentence.
- Laura and Tim married in April 1984.
- Their only child together is Katherine “Kady” Allen.
- Katherine’s birth date is most commonly reported as October 6, 1989.
- Laura reportedly served as CEO of Tim Allen Signature Tools.
- Tim became widely known through Home Improvement, The Santa Clause, and Toy Story.
- Laura and Tim separated in 1999.
- Their divorce was finalized in March 2003.
- Their divorce settlement remained private.
- Reports say they shared custody of Katherine.
- Laura remained involved in some charity activities after the divorce.
- She attended a Comedy for Kids fundraiser in 2006.
- Laura appeared with Tim and Katherine at an Elton John AIDS Foundation event in 2010.
- She has since maintained a largely private life.
- She has been reported to live in Sherman Oaks, but her current residence is not confirmed.
- There are no reliable public reports that she remarried.
- Her current profession is not publicly confirmed.
- Her net worth is not reliably known.
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