Dori Bridges is a 49 years old American former actress but many people got to know her as the wife of Diff’rent Strokes’ actor, Todd Bridge. Dori and Todd got married in 1998, had a son (Spencir Todd Bridges) together, and divorced in 2012. She now goes by Dori Watson as she has been married to a fellow named Gene Watson since November 2018.
Although Dori is now widely and mostly regarded as the ex-wife of Todd Bridges, there are those who are well-informed about her career as an actress. She made an appearance in an episode of iCarly and portrayed characters in productions like Black Ball, Building Bridges, and After Diff’rent Strokes: When the Laughter Stopped.
Given who her ex-husband is, it doesn’t come as a surprise that people have been curious about what Dori has been up to since her divorce from Todd. From her early life and family background to her career and marriage, below are the things to know about the former wife of Todd Bridges.
Profile Summary of Dori Bridges
- Full Name: Dori Watson (née Smith)
- Gender: Female
- Place of Birth: Dalton, Georgia, United States of America
- Date of Birth: July 7, 1975
- Dori Bridges’ Age: 49 Years Old
- Ethnicity: White
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Cancer
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Married
- Ex-Husband: Todd Bridges
- Children: Spencir Todd Bridges
- Dori Bridges’ Husband: Gene Watson
- Dori Bridges’ Parents: Jan Lenderman Ledbetter (Mother)
- Siblings: Casey Smith and Brandy Smith
- Famous for: Being Todd Bridges’ Ex-wife
- Facebook: @Dori Watson
Todd Bridges’ Ex-wife Is 49 Years Old and a Native of Dalton, Georgia
Dori Bridges was born on July 7th, 1975. This makes her currently 49 years old. Dori is ten years younger than her ex-husband Todd Bridges. Todd is 59 years old as he was born in 1965 and celebrates his birthday on May 27, every year.
While pictures of Dori’s father can be seen on her social media pages, his name has remained unknown to the public. Her mother, however, is Jan Lenderman Ledbetter. Dori has a brother named Casey Smith and a sister named Brandy Smith. She hails from Dalton, Georgia, and possibly lived in Trion at some point.
Dori was a student of Trion High School, a public high school in Trion, Georgia. After high school, she studied English Major at Jacksonville State University. That’s not all, she also attended Kennesaw State University to study psychology.
Dori Bridges’ Hollywood Career Isn’t as Glamorous as Her Ex-husband’s
Todd Bridges is a household name that’s been around in the entertainment industry since the 70s. The American actor got into acting from a young age. He was the first black child actor to become a recurring cast in the popular series, The Waltons (1972). Todd burst into the limelight with his role as Willis Jackson in the 80s comedy, Diff’rent Strokes. He also got a recurring role in the renowned comedy show, Everybody Hates Chris.
Dori Bridges’ ex-husband has also participated in a lot of popular entertainment game shows such as Celebrity Boxing, Fear Factor, 1 vs. 100, and others. He has also appeared in a few music videos, his first being Penny Ford’s single, “Change Your Wicked Ways” (1984).
Now, Dori may not have attained much in the entertainment industry like her ex-husband, but she has had a few appearances in movies and films. She played the character named Karen in a movie released in 2003—Black Ball. She also appeared in Big Ballin’ (2007), Foster Kids (2007), and others.
It has however been a long while since Dori had any major screen appearance. It appears she works as an educator now. From what we gathered, she once worked as a special education assistant under Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and is currently employed at the Cherokee County School District.
Profile Summary of Todd Bridges
- Full Name: Todd Anthony Bridges
- Gender: Male
- Nationality: American
- Place of Birth: San Francisco, California, United States
- Date of Birth: May 27, 1965
- Todd Bridges’ Age: 59 Years Old
- Ethnicity: African-American
- Zodiac Sign: Gemini
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Marital Status: Divorced
- Todd Bridges’ Ex-wife: Dorris Bridges (1998 – 2012)
- Todd Bridges’ Wife: Bettijo B. Hirschi (2022 – Present)
- Children: Spencir Bridges and Bo J. Rushing
Dori and Todd Got Married in 1998 and Divorced in 2012
Dori Bridges and her ex-husband Todd Bridges got married in 1998. When they officially became life partners, Todd was 33 years old while Dori was in her early twenties (23). They had been dating for a while before they got married and were already expecting the only child they had at that point.
Their son Spencir Bridges was born in July 1998, barely two months after the former couple got married: records have it that they wedded on the 25th of May 1998. As fate would have it, their marriage lasted for 14 years before it packed up. They filed for a divorce which was finalized sometime in 2014.
Based on the couple’s account of what led to the end of their marriage, they gradually drifted apart over the years until their bond was irredeemable. Their separation, however, was not done on some conflicted or heated ground. The two seemed to have mutually agreed that parting was the best way forward. They also affirmed they would remain committed to their son, Spencir Bridges.
While Dori and Todd are no longer together, they are on good terms. The actor once praised Dori on Twitter, asserting that she is a great mother and that he is glad to have fathered a child with her.
Her Son Spencir Bridges Is also an Actor
- Full Name: Spencir Bridges
- Gender: Male
- Nationality: American
- Place of Birth: Georgia, United States of America
- Date of Birth: July 15, 1998
- Spencir Bridges’ Age: 26 Years Old
- Zodiac Sign: Cancer
As stated earlier, Spencir Bridges was born the same year his parents, Dori and Todd, got married. He celebrates his birthday every 15th of July and is 26 years old at the moment. Spencir has followed the career paths of his parents by becoming a professional actor.
He has been in shows such as Three Gifts (2009), iCarly (2009), The Starter Wife (2008), and ER (2005), among others. Spencir has a very great relationship with his mother Dori: she often describes him as her “handsome baby”, and the reason she smiles.
He has an older half-sister named Bo J. Rushing; his father had her from a previous relationship before he met and subsequently got married to Dori Todd. Dori was once a stepmother to Bo J. and now, her son has a stepfather— Gene Watson.
List of Spencir Bridges’ Movies and and TV Shows
- Building Bridges (2000)
- After Diff’rent Strokes: When the Laughter Stopped (2000)
- Black Ball (2003)
- LAX (2004)
- ER (2005)
- The Reading Room (2005)
- Big Ball’n (2007)
- Foster Babies (2007)
- Daddy Day Camp (2007)
- House (2007)
- The Starter Wife (2008)
- iCarly (2009)
- The Three Gifts (2009)
- Oprah: Where Are They Now? (2013)
- The Test (2020; as Production Assistant)
Dori Todd Is Now Married to Gene Watson and Currently Works as an Educator
The former actress appears to have found love again and is presently married to a man named Gene Watson. Because of this, she now goes by Dori Watson. Although many things are yet to be learned about her current husband, we can confirm that they got married on the 24th of November 2018.
It is said that they had known each other for more than two decades before they got married. They appear to have a happy union. Wedding photos showed Spencir accompanying her on her wedding day.
Family-wise, Dori’s life now majorly revolves around Spencir and Gene. Career-wise, she is proud of what she does. Her acting days are over and she is now an educator who works at Cherokee County School District.
