dr Jennifer Ashton and Tom Werner during their wedding ceremony. Credit: Andreas & Nico
Andreas & Nico
In a wedding for the ages, Dr. ABC News’ Jennifer Ashton met hit television producer and Boston Red Sox chairman Tom Werner in a 5-year intimate affair on Saturday.
The wedding was attended by family and friends including Sara Gilbert, Donna Karan, Corey Gamble Al Michaels, as well as George Stephanopoulos and Ali Wentworth.
“I’m so happy because I never thought I would find so much love,” says Ashton, 53, who wore a dress from the Ralph Lauren Collection for her big day. “But when you’re older, it doesn’t take long to realize when you’ve found your soulmate.”
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During the ceremony, which took place at New York’s famed Harmonie Club, Ashton was joined by her son Alex, 24, and daughter Chloe, 22, before exchanging emotional vows with Werner, 72.
Following the vows, guests were whisked away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a reception at the ancient temple of Dendur with a fish and fillet dinner and tunes by the Elan Music Band.
dr Jennifer Ashton and Tom Werner during their wedding ceremony. Credit: Andreas & Nico
Andreas & Nico
“We just wanted it to be a celebration of love and happiness,” says Ashton of the wedding, which was planned by Todd Fiscus of Todd Events. “I never thought this would happen to me. And I’m so thankful.”
Ashton and Werner, who produced notable shows such as Roseanne, The Cosby Show and That ’70s Show and are also co-owners of Fenway Sports Group, the Boston Red Sox and chairman of Liverpool Football Club, met through mutual friend Ben Sherwood in February 2021 , former president of ABC News.
“I think I was one of the few people who worked in television who didn’t know who he was,” Ashton recalls. “I didn’t watch his shows and I wasn’t a baseball or football fan. But after our first date, we got serious pretty quickly.”
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After immense tragedy, finding love again didn’t always seem like an option for Ashton. Her ex-husband, prominent surgeon Rob Ashton, died by suicide just days after they finalized their divorce.
The story goes on
“I’ve been through a lot of heartbreak,” says Ashton. “And in many ways, having experienced suicide and the loss of a loved one makes the hard things harder. I was cynical that I would ever find love.”
Meeting Werner “felt very different for both of us,” says Ashton. “And from the start he was incredibly sensitive and compassionate. It takes an incredibly strong person to be as gentle with someone’s heart as they were with mine. He has this ability to heal my wounds while nurturing my dreams. “
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Now, as they prepare for a romantic honeymoon in the Caribbean, “I’m so excited to be married to Tom,” says Ashton. “Life really is so precious.”