Cyndi Lauper has been married to husband David Thornton for more than three decades.
The couple tied the knot in 1991 after meeting on the set of their movie Off and Running, which was released that same year. Lauper told The Independent during a 1992 interview that “everything changed” when she met Thornton.
“There wasn’t an immediate buzz, but we laughed a lot,” he recalled during the same interview. “And the great thing is that she’s not a bit starry, so the first thing that happened was a real friendship began to develop.”
Thornton recalled, “She began inviting me to join her for dinner regularly, and after a couple of weeks it dawned on me that I really liked her an awful lot.”
What to Know About Cyndi Lauper’s Son Declyn Amid Assault Allegations
Lauper and Thornton welcomed their only child, son Declyn, in 1997.
Us Weekly confirmed in March 2026 that Thornton was being sued after a woman claimed that Declyn sexually assaulted her in 2020. The woman, who was not named in the filing, alleged that Thornton “enabled” the alleged incident “because he leased the penthouse” and knew that Declyn had alleged “violent and sexually abusive propensities.” (Us reached out to Thornton’s team for comment at the time.)
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Thornton:
Who Is David Thornton?
Thornton is an actor who kicked off his career in 1983 with a TV film titled Sessions. Since then, he has nabbed several roles in TV shows like Law & Order: SVU and Homeland. Thornton is also known for his film roles in movies like The Notebook, My Sister’s Keeper and, of course, Off and Running, in which he starred alongside wife Lauper.
How Long Have Cyndi Lauper and David Thornton Been Married?
The couple got engaged after working together. Thornton recalled proposing to Lauper with more than one engagement ring during their 1992 interview with The Independent.
“There was an antique Roman ring with the stamp of Eros and finally an English ‘regard’ ring with a curve of different gems across the finger. That was the one she chose,” he said. “She made me go on one knee before she would accept me.”
They exchanged vows in November 1991. The late Little Richard officiated the ceremony.
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Does David Thornton Have Any Kids?
Lauper and Thornton only share one son, Declyn Wallace Thornton Lauper, who was born in November 1997.
“My son went to good schools, but I missed out on a few things when I was on the road,” Lauper said of her son during a past interview with Vanity Fair. “People said I was so career-driven, but once the kid came, I looked at how I can support everything: make a record, tour—and my husband would say, ‘Go to Europe, I’ve got him.’ I took my son on tour sometimes, but he needed his own space.”
Why Was David Thornton Sued in March 2026?
A woman alleged that Thornton “enabled” her alleged sexual assault. The unnamed victim claimed that Thornton and Lauper’s son assaulted her after she “refused to perform oral sex on him.”
The woman wanted to leave but Declyn allegedly took her phone and threatened to break the device if she did not” comply, the court documents claim. He allegedly “pushed her onto his bed with his genitals exposed, held her arms down, and forcibly smothered his genitals over her mouth.”
