Jill Wagner Husband David Lemanowicz: Their Marriage, Kids and Tennessee Life

Jill Wagner’s husband is David Lemanowicz, a former professional hockey goaltender and U.S. Army Reserve Major. The couple married in 2017 after a long and unusual love story that began when they were teenagers in North Carolina, then found its way back years later during a military-related event in Afghanistan.

Wagner is known to many viewers through Hallmark movies, hosting work, and her role as Bobby in the Paramount+ series Lioness. While her acting career has kept her in front of audiences for years, she and Lemanowicz have chosen a quieter life away from Los Angeles. They live with their children on a restored historic farmhouse in rural Tennessee.

Their relationship has drawn interest because it combines a second-chance romance, military service, family life, and a shared connection to the story behind Lioness.

Who Is Jill Wagner’s Husband?

David Lemanowicz is Jill Wagner’s husband. He is a Canadian-born former hockey player who later joined the U.S. Army Reserve and rose to the rank of Major.

Before his military career, Lemanowicz played hockey for many years. He was a goaltender and competed with junior, college, and professional minor league teams in both Canada and the United States. His hockey path included time with teams such as the Spokane Chiefs, Chicago Hounds, and Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees.

After leaving professional hockey, he followed a different calling and entered military service. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve and was promoted to Major in 2020.

Lemanowicz is also involved in the world of television through his connection to Lioness. His knowledge of military life and the real Lioness Program helped inspire the project that Wagner brought to Taylor Sheridan. He later became an executive producer on the series alongside Wagner and the creative team.

Jill Wagner and David Lemanowicz Met as Teenagers

Jill Wagner first met David Lemanowicz when she was 17 years old. She has shared that she met him after sneaking out to attend a party in North Carolina, something she was not supposed to do at the time.

Lemanowicz was 20 years old, and the two went out a few times. Wagner has said she quickly developed strong feelings for him, but the connection did not continue. They went their separate ways and did not see each other for many years.

At the time, neither could have known that their paths would cross again in a much more unexpected place.

Their early meeting has become one of the more memorable parts of their story because it sounds almost like a movie plot. They knew each other briefly, lost touch, built separate lives, and eventually reconnected after nearly two decades.

They Reconnected in Afghanistan

Wagner and Lemanowicz reunited in Afghanistan in 2015 during a USO tour. Lemanowicz was serving in the military, while Wagner was visiting troops.

He reportedly recognized Wagner from her photo and wondered if she could be the same young woman he knew years earlier. When he found her at the event, he began asking a few questions about North Carolina and local hockey games. Wagner realized that he was the former goalie she had dated as a teenager.

The reunion was surprising, but it did not immediately lead to a romance. Both were in other relationships at the time. Later, they crossed paths again in Los Angeles in 2016, and this time they were both single.

That third meeting became the beginning of their relationship. For Wagner, the story seems to have carried the feeling of timing finally working in their favor.

Jill Wagner Married David Lemanowicz in 2017

Jill Wagner and David Lemanowicz married on April 8, 2017. Their wedding took place at Rose Hill Plantation in Nashville, North Carolina.

The wedding came less than a year after they had reconnected for good. They quickly made major life changes together, including starting a family and restoring a historic home far from the busy entertainment industry.

Wagner has marked their anniversaries on social media with affectionate posts about her husband. In 2026, she celebrated nine years of marriage by describing him as her best friend in this life and the next.

Their marriage has remained fairly private, especially compared with many celebrity relationships. They do share selected moments with fans, but their public image is less about red carpets and more about family, land, animals, and the home they have created together.

Jill Wagner and David Lemanowicz Have Two Daughters

Wagner and Lemanowicz have two daughters together: Army Gray Lemanowicz and Daisy Roberta Lemanowicz.

Their first daughter, Army Gray, was born on April 17, 2020. Wagner explained that her daughter’s first name had a patriotic meaning. Since the baby was conceived on July 4 and Lemanowicz serves in the military, the couple felt that Army was a fitting choice.

Wagner has said she wanted a name that sounded strong but also feminine. The name Gray was chosen because she loved its simplicity and character.

Their second daughter, Daisy Roberta, was born on August 19, 2021. Wagner publicly thanked Lemanowicz for being a source of support during a difficult delivery and recovery period. Her message made clear how much she valued his calm presence at a serious and emotional time.

The couple also raises Lija, Lemanowicz’s older daughter from a previous relationship. Wagner has spoken warmly about their blended family, and Lija has been part of their home life as the younger girls have grown up.

Their Tennessee Farmhouse Life

Jill Wagner and David Lemanowicz left Los Angeles to make a more rural life in Tennessee. Their family now lives on a 200-acre property near the Great Smoky Mountains, centered around a restored 1912 farmhouse known as the Scott Mansion.

Wagner first saw the old house in 2016. She has admitted that the property looked intimidating at first and needed serious work. Still, she could see its potential and imagined children playing in the yard.

The couple spent around 18 months restoring the historic home. They worked to protect the original character of the house while making it comfortable for modern family life. Their renovation included preserving antique details, improving the structure, and bringing the old spaces back to life.

Their move was not simply about finding a bigger house. Wagner has said she missed small-town living after spending many years in Los Angeles. She grew up in North Carolina and felt drawn to a slower lifestyle where she could spend more time outside and feel closer to nature.

Life Away From Hollywood

Although Wagner continues to act, her daily life now looks very different from the usual Hollywood image. The family gardens, hikes, spends time outdoors, and looks after animals on the property.

Wagner has described their Tennessee life as similar to a modern version of Little House on the Prairie. Her children are growing up with room to run, explore, and learn about the outdoors.

The farmhouse has also become a place where the couple can host events and support military families. Their connection to the military is not only part of Lemanowicz’s professional identity. It has shaped the community work and stories they want to tell through their creative projects.

For Wagner, living in Tennessee appears to offer balance. She can return to filming when a role calls, then come home to a place that feels more personal and grounded.

David Lemanowicz Helped Inspire Lioness

David Lemanowicz’s military background has been important to Jill Wagner’s role in Lioness. The series is inspired by the real U.S. military Lioness Program, which involved female service members working with infantry units during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The television version is fictionalized and centers on CIA operations, while the real program had a different mission and structure. Still, the experiences of women in military environments helped form the foundation for the show.

Wagner has said that Lemanowicz introduced her to the real Lioness Program and helped her understand its importance. She then took the concept to Taylor Sheridan, who had once been her acting coach.

In the series, Wagner plays Bobby, the team leader of the Quick Reaction Force. The role has allowed her to bring together her own family background, Lemanowicz’s military knowledge, and her experience as an actress.

Jill Wagner and David Lemanowicz Today

Jill Wagner and David Lemanowicz have built a life that is both public and private. Fans may see Wagner in major television projects, but away from the screen, she and her husband focus on their children, farmhouse, and rural community.

For those searching for Jill Wagner’s husband, the answer is David Lemanowicz, a former hockey player, Army Reserve Major, producer, and father. Their story has lasted because it is more than a celebrity romance. It is a relationship that came back around after years apart and grew into a family life built on shared values, hard work, and a love of home.