[Bruce Lee's wife] Linda Lee Cadwell’s Family From 1964 To 2022
Linda Lee Cadwell is the widow of the famous martial arts master and action superstar Bruce
Lee.
She had an active hand in running the Bruce Lee Foundation.
The Bruce Lee Foundation promotes Bruce Lee’s philosophy on the martial arts and his writings.
Linda Lee Cadwell was born in Everett, Washington, on the March 21, 1945.
Her birth name was Linda Emery.
She is an American teacher, martial artist, and writer.
Her parents were Vivian R. (Hester) and Everett Emery.
She has a Swedish, Irish, Norwegian, Dutch and English ancestry.
Linda’s family practiced baptism and hence she was raised in a Baptist environment.
Linda says that she is inspired from her mother and that her mother always taught her that
duty comes above everything else.
According to her, she has taken hard work and commitment towards duty from her mother.
Linda believes that her non-judgmental nature comes to her from her father.
In addition to that, she reminds everybody her first husband Bruce Lee and his famous
quote, “Believe nothing that you read and only half of what you see.”
Linda wanted to go to a medical school since her childhood as she always used to see her
mother suffer due to low wages, but life had something else in store for her.
Linda met Bruce Lee while attending Garfield high school.
Later, she joined his academy as a student.
She started learning Kung Fu from Bruce and eventually they fell in love.
Although, the culture back then was against inter-caste and interracial dating, she was
very open about it.
She had not mentioned this to her family and the couple had decided to elope, but eventually,
they ended up having a wedding.
On 17th August 1964, they got married in Seattle, Washington.
While talking about Bruce Lee, she mentions how incredibly magnetic he was and talks about
his charm and his virile and energetic nature.
After their marriage, they shifted to Hong Kong.
She faced the challenge of living in a foreign country very bravely and stayed there with
him.
In an interview, Linda mentioned how she had to face all the Chinese people and the confused
looks on their faces as to why did the great Bruce Lee choose her.
Linda’s friends were very supportive of her marriage and they all loved him too.
The couple had a son, Brandon Bruce Lee, a year after their wedding.
Linda and Bruce had just started a family.
Linda had given up her studies and Bruce had just begun teaching.
The duo never failed to be cheerful and excited about life.
In 1969, their second child, a daughter, Shannon Emery Lee, was born.
Just four years after their second child, Linda had to face the sudden and sad demise
of Bruce Lee.
His death left her alone in Hong Kong and she decided to come back to Seattle.
However, she could not settle there and then moved back to Los Angeles.
Later in 1988, she married Tom Bleecker.
Tom Bleecker is an actor and writer.
However, the two divorced after only 1 year with many rumors that Tom was only using Linda
to get information about Kungfu and Bruce Lee.
It was only when she met the second man 16 years after her husband's death that Linda
really found a peaceful and happy destination.
At that time, she went to Boise city in Idaho state to visit her two aunts and uncles - the
only ones who supported her love story with Bruce Lee in the family, when she was suddenly
introduced to a man by her younger sister.
Be a stockbroker with a likable, romantic personality.
After getting to know each other, the two learned that they used to go to the same school
in high school but didn't know each other because they were 5 courses apart.
Not only that, the two later discovered they shared close friends or related relationships.
Coincidentally, this man's name accidentally coincides with her late husband's name - Bruce
Cadwell . Their special bond makes them switch from friendship to love.
Linda feels in Bruce a reliable man and a solid support for her.
"Bruce Cadwell is a man who gives me a sense of security and is very good at his job, a
great stockbroker," Linda praised Bruce Cadwell.
In 1991, Linda married Bruce Cadwell and they both currently live in Rancho Mirage, California.
On 31st March 1993, she had to face yet again an unexpected demise of her son, Brandon,
who died while shooting for a film.
A bullet accidently hit his spinal cord causing his death.
“You know when something happens and you lose your husband and your kids, you think
you're all alone in the world with so much pain ,” Linda shares about the loss she
experienced and the strength to help.
She overcame it because of Bruce Cadwell's care and sharing for her.
Sympathizing and loving Linda, Bruce Cadwell often brings his wife to attend the commemoration
of Bruce Lee's birthday or death organized by fans or colleagues.
During the time Linda was invited to Japan to advise on the movie Enter the Dragon, Bruce
willingly took a leave of absence to escort his wife.
When it comes to her current husband, Linda feels proud because in her life she has been
married to two wonderful men with the same name Bruce: “Exactly, both great men are
named Bruce.
Guys named Bruce are all the guys that are my best friend.
Really".
Linda’s daughter, Shannon, has taken up her responsibilities at the Bruce Lee Foundation
and Linda is proud of her because she does it equally well.
Currently, both live happily in the state of Idaho in the Northwest of the United States.
Although enjoying the present happy life, Linda always remembers her deceased husband.
She published three books about her late husband and regularly appeared at tributes
to Bruce Lee.