Kimberlea Cloughley is best known as the second wife of actor Tommy Lee Jones, with whom she had two children during a marriage that lasted roughly 15 years. She comes from a notable San Antonio family in her own right — her father, Phil Hardberger, later served as the city’s mayor, and her mother survived one of the most famous maritime disasters in American history.
Quick Bio of Kimberlea Cloughley
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Kimberlea Cloughley |
| Known For | Second wife of actor Tommy Lee Jones |
| Birth Year | 1958 |
| Birthplace | San Antonio, Texas |
| Father | Phil Hardberger, later Mayor of San Antonio |
| Mother | Linda Morgan, survivor of the 1956 Andrea Doria disaster |
| Profession | Photographer and part-time actress |
| Husband | Tommy Lee Jones (married May 30, 1981; divorced March 1996) |
| Children | Austin Leonard Jones (b. 1982) and Victoria Kafka Jones (b. 1991, d. January 1, 2026) |
Who Is Kimberlea Cloughley?
Kimberlea Cloughley is an American former photographer and part-time actress who became known publicly through her marriage to Tommy Lee Jones, the Oscar-winning actor known for films including The Fugitive, JFK, and No Country for Old Men. She was Jones’s second wife, following his first marriage to Kate Lardner, and the two were married from 1981 to 1996.
Beyond her connection to Jones, Kimberlea comes from a notable Texas family of her own: her father, Phil Hardberger, was a judge who later served as Mayor of San Antonio from 2005 to 2009, and her mother, Linda Morgan, is known for having survived a famous 1956 shipwreck as a teenager.
Her Family Background
Kimberlea was born in 1958 in San Antonio, the daughter of Phil Hardberger and Linda Morgan. Her mother’s story is itself remarkable: as a 14-year-old passenger aboard the ocean liner SS Andrea Doria in July 1956, Linda survived when the ship collided with another vessel, the MS Stockholm, in heavy fog off the coast of Massachusetts. Her cabin was directly in the path of impact; her stepfather was killed and her half-sister was swept into the sea, while Linda herself was thrown onto the bow of the other ship and survived largely unharmed, earning her widespread media coverage at the time as the “miracle girl.” She later moved to San Antonio, married Phil Hardberger in 1968, and went on to work as a museum curator, later serving as the city’s First Lady during her husband’s mayoral term.
Her Career Before Marriage
Before marrying Tommy Lee Jones, Kimberlea worked in San Antonio as a photographer and occasional actress. She had some experience around film sets in a part-time capacity, including reported work as an extra on the 1981 film Back Roads, though this wasn’t the beginning of a substantial acting career.
How She Met Tommy Lee Jones
Kimberlea met Tommy Lee Jones around 1980 while working on the set of Back Roads, in which Jones starred. At the time, Jones had recently divorced his first wife, Kate Lardner. The two began dating and were married after about a year together.
Their Marriage
Kimberlea and Tommy Lee Jones married on May 30, 1981, in a private ceremony. The couple settled on a cattle ranch in Texas and also kept a home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, during a period when Jones’s acting career grew substantially — he went on to star in films including JFK, The Fugitive (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1994), and Batman Forever. Kimberlea occasionally appeared with him at industry events, including the 1994 Academy Awards and the 1995 premiere of Batman Forever.
You May Also like this: Lisa Thorner: Who Is Damon Wayans’ Ex-Wife? Meet His Four Children and Her Private Life
Their Children: Austin and Victoria
Kimberlea and Tommy had two children. Their son, Austin Leonard Jones, was born November 9, 1982, in Auckland, New Zealand, and grew up to become an actor and composer, working as musical supervisor on The Homesman and composing music for Frontera and Metamorphosis: Junior Year, as well as releasing his own music, including the albums Dead Calm (2022) and At the Polo Club (2023).
Their daughter, Victoria Kafka Jones, was born September 3, 1991, in San Antonio. She made her acting debut in Men in Black II (2002), appeared in The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005), and had a one-episode role on One Tree Hill (2003), before largely stepping away from acting after the mid-2000s, though she continued occasionally attending events with her father in later years.
Their Divorce
Kimberlea filed for divorce from Tommy Lee Jones in Texas in August 1995, citing “discord or conflict of personalities” that had made the marriage insupportable, stating there was no reasonable expectation of reconciliation. The divorce was finalized in March 1996, ending a marriage of roughly 15 years. Neither party has given a detailed public account beyond the formal legal filing, so more specific reasons for the split haven’t been independently confirmed.
Tommy Lee Jones’s Other Marriages
Kimberlea was Tommy Lee Jones’s second wife. His first marriage, to Kate Lardner, lasted from 1971 to 1978. After his divorce from Kimberlea, Jones married photographer Dawn Laurel on March 19, 2001, and the two remain married.
The Death of Her Daughter, Victoria, in 2026
On January 1, 2026, Victoria Kafka Jones was found dead at the Fairmont San Francisco hotel, at age 34. According to reporting on the incident, fire units responded to a reported medical emergency at the hotel in the early morning hours, and paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene; police who responded afterward did not suspect foul play, though no official cause of death has been publicly reported. The hotel issued a statement expressing condolences and said it was cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Victoria’s family released a brief statement shortly afterward, thanking the public for their condolences and asking for privacy during an understandably difficult time. Given the sensitivity of this recent loss, this article notes only what’s been confirmed through reliable reporting rather than speculating further.
Life After the Marriage
Since her divorce from Tommy Lee Jones, Kimberlea Cloughley has lived a largely private life, giving few, if any, public interviews and generally avoiding Hollywood events in the years since. Details about her life today, including her current residence and whether she remarried, haven’t been publicly documented.
Final Thoughts
Kimberlea Cloughley’s public story is closely tied to her marriage to Tommy Lee Jones during a pivotal era of his career, and to the two children they raised together. But her own family background — as the daughter of a San Antonio mayor and a woman who survived one of the 20th century’s most famous maritime disasters — gives her a documented history well beyond her connection to her former husband. In 2026, her family faced a profound loss with the death of her daughter, Victoria, a moment that brought renewed, difficult attention to a family that has otherwise largely kept to itself.
FAQs About Kimberlea Cloughley
Who is Kimberlea Cloughley?
She’s the second wife of actor Tommy Lee Jones, married to him from 1981 to 1996, and the mother of their two children.
Who are Kimberlea Cloughley’s parents?
Her father is Phil Hardberger, a former Mayor of San Antonio, and her mother is Linda Morgan, known for surviving the 1956 Andrea Doria shipwreck as a teenager.
How did Kimberlea Cloughley meet Tommy Lee Jones?
They met around 1980 on the set of the film Back Roads, in which Jones starred and Kimberlea worked in a minor capacity.
How many children did Kimberlea Cloughley have with Tommy Lee Jones?
Two: son Austin Leonard Jones (born 1982) and daughter Victoria Kafka Jones (born 1991).
What happened to Kimberlea Cloughley’s daughter, Victoria?
Victoria Kafka Jones died on January 1, 2026, at a hotel in San Francisco, at age 34. Police have not suspected foul play, and the family has asked for privacy.
Is Kimberlea Cloughley Tommy Lee Jones’s first or second wife?
She was his second wife. His first marriage was to Kate Lardner (1971–1978); his third and current wife is Dawn Laurel-Jones.
