Who was James Westley Welch, the man who stole Raquel Welch's heart?
James Westley Welch was Raquel Welch's first husband before she became a Hollywood icon. They were married in the early 1960s and went on to have two kids. In her memoir, the One Million Years B.C. actress described their love as magical and regretted letting it go.
From the first minute I saw him, I secretly knew that I was destined to have his babies... Jim represented the handsome young prince I had fantasised would rescue me.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Raquel Welch and James Westley Welch were married for five years from 1959 to 1964 after meeting at a San Diego-based high school.
- James is the father of Raquel's two children: son Damon and daughter Latanne.
- Raquel, who passed away in February 2023 at the age of 82, was also married to Patrick Curtis (1967-1972), André Weinfeld (1980-1990), and Richard Palmer (1999-2003).
James Westley Welch's profile summary
| Full name | James 'Jim' Westley Welch |
| Year of birth | 1940 |
| Age | 84/85 years old (as of 2025) |
| Place of birth | San Diego, California, United States |
| Wife | Raquel Welch (1959-1964) |
| Children | Damon Welch, Latanne 'Tahnee' Welch |
| Parents | Tahnee Land (mother) |
| Siblings | Sisters Jan, Jerry, and Judy |
| Known for | Being Raquel Welch's spouse |
James Welch was Raquel Welch's greatest love
Raquel was 15 when she met 15-year-old James Welch at La Jolla High School in San Diego, California, from where she graduated in 1958. A green-eyed James was on the school's football team, and she was a cheerleader.
The actress wrote in her 2010 memoir 'Raquel: Beyond the Cleavage' that it was love at first sight for both. He considered Jim at the time to be "the man of my dreams."
I was in heaven. Jim would be my first true love, with all that it implies. He'd be the unforgettable, always present love, against whom all others would be judged.
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Raquel and James' whirlwind marriage
James dropped out of high school in his senior year and went to Peru on a tuna clipper, but Raquel waited for him. When he eventually returned to San Diego, the actress dropped out of San Diego State University to be with him.
Raquel Welch married James in 1959 in a budget-friendly wedding in Las Vegas, Nevada, when she was 19 years old. The late actress revealed in her memoir that her marriage to Jim was against the wishes of her father, Carlos Armando Tejada, with whom she had a complicated father-daughter relationship.
My mother was less than thrilled. My father was furious! By marrying Jim, I was doing something for my own personal satisfaction and pretty much in defiance of my father's wishes.
Source: Getty Images
Raquel's career ambitions led to her divorce from James
The Fantastic Voyage actress wanted to move to New York and work in theatre productions, but her husband, James, had other plans. She also attributed the failure of their marriage to their young age and lack of "serious relationship tools."
The couple divorced in 1964, and Raquel moved to Los Angeles with their kids to pursue her Hollywood dreams. She wrote in her memoir that she regretted her decision to choose show business over her then-young family.
My breakup with Jim remains the most painful decision of my entire life... The damage I did to my children and Jim by taking off as I did is immeasurable.
Source: Getty Images
James and Raquel Welch's two children
Raquel and James welcomed their firstborn, son Damon Welch, on November 6, 1959. They then had a daughter, Latanne 'Tahnee' Welch (named after James' mother), two years later, on December 26, 1961. Raquel Welch's children have worked in show business.
Damon Welch is a writer, director, and actor with a communications degree from Boston University. He has worked in The Day the Earth Got Stoned (1979), Raquel: Total Beauty and Fitness (1984), and I Am Raquel Welch (2025). Damon was married to Fred Trueman's daughter, Rebecca Trueman, from 1990 to 1992.
Tahnee Welch is a former model and actress. She had roles in Search and Destroy (1995), I Shot Andy Warhol (1996), Sue (1997), and the Cocoon franchise.
Source: Getty Images
Raquel Welch remarried three times after James
Raquel was married to her second husband, film producer Patrick Curtis, from 1967 to 1972. She later met French-American producer and cinematographer André Weinfeld. They were married from 1980 to 1990, her longest marriage.
In 1999, the Three Musketeers actress tied the knot with restaurateur Richard Palmer, and they separated four years later in 2003. In 2015, Raquel Welch told Piers Morgan on his Life Stories programme that she did not regret her four marriages.
I had real feelings for all of those men. At the time, I thought I was legitimately in love and that we could make a great life together, but it wasn't in the cards.
Source: Getty Images
Did Joe Namath date Raquel Welch?
Raquel briefly dated legendary NFL quarterback Joe Namath in the early 1970s. They were photographed together on multiple occasions, including the 44th Annual Academy Awards in 1972.
Source: Getty Images
What ethnicity is Raquel Welch?
Raquel had mixed Bolivian roots from her father's side and English heritage with Welsh and Scottish roots from her mother's side of the family. She was reportedly told to change her name to something less Hispanic to fit into 1960s Hollywood.
The late actress chose to remain with Raquel (Spanish for Rachel) and decided to keep her first husband's surname. Her full birth name was Jo Raquel Tejada.
Source: Getty Images
Conclusion
James Westley Welch was an important part of a young Rachel Welch's life. He did not care for the spotlight, but the actress carried his name until her death.
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Source: Briefly News
