WATCH: MICHAEL LEARNED SAYS ‘THE WALTONS’ SAVED HER LIFE, CALLS FILM ‘SECOND ACTS’ A GIFT. The U.K.’s DailyMail first reported in 2019 that Learned and Waite "were in love" off-screen.

Michael Learned and Ralph Waite are seen here attending the signing of Mary McDonough's book on April 16, 2011, in West Hollywood, California. Waite died in 2014.