Last updated: October 2026
Charlotte Hopkins, often called Charla Hopkins, is a Texas family lawyer who is best known as the
ex-wife of NFL quarterback and television analyst Terry Bradshaw. She was his third wife, and they
were married for about sixteen years. Since the divorce she has worked mainly in family law and has
kept a lower profile than her former husband. This profile covers what is supported by reporting and
what is only repeated online, since several details about her life differ from page to page
Quick Facts About Charlotte Hopkins
| Full name | Charlotte Hopkins, also known as Charla Hopkins (and Charla Hopkins Bradshaw during the marriage) |
| Known for | Texas family law attorney; ex-wife of Terry Bradshaw |
| Born | April 17, 1962 (widely reported, not confirmed by a primary source) |
| Hometown | Denton, Texas (reported) |
| Profession | Family law attorney, reported as board certified in family law in Texas |
| Marriage to Terry Bradshaw | Most sources say 1983; a few say 1986. Divorced in 1999 |
| Children | Two daughters with Terry Bradshaw: Rachel (born 1987) and Erin (born 1989) |
| Later marriage | Reportedly to attorney Rick Hagen in 2012 (single older source) |
Who Is Charlotte Hopkins?
Charlotte Hopkins is an American attorney who focuses on family law, including divorce, child custody, paternity, property division and prenuptial agreements. Most profiles describe her as a respected lawyer in the Dallas and Fort Worth area, and they say she has held positions in Texas legal groups. Her name appears in searches mainly because of her marriage to Terry Bradshaw, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback who later became a popular TV personality. Her legal career is the more documented and more lasting part of her story.
Early Life and Education
Several pages say Charlotte Hopkins was born on April 17, 1962, and that she grew up in Denton, Texas. One article says she attended Denton High School and that her father was Charles Hopkins,
while another describes him as a Denton city councilman. These details appear on only a few websites, and I could not confirm them in a record or interview, so they should be read as reported. Her childhood and family life are otherwise not documented.
The sources are also vague on her college and law school. Some pages say she earned a Juris Doctor and graduated with high honors, but none names the schools or the years. One profile mentions that her wedding to Bradshaw took place on the campus of Texas Woman’s University, which hints at a local connection to the Denton area. I did not include any school names, since I found no source that gives them clearly.
Career as a Family Law Attorney
Charlotte Hopkins has worked as a family law attorney in Texas for many years. Profiles say she is board certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and holds a high peer-review rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Several of them also say she spent many years at a family law firm called KoonsFuller. These credentials are listed on multiple websites, and they match the usual path of a lawyer who specializes in this field.
She is also reported to have taken part in Texas legal organizations. According to published profiles, she served as chair of the State Bar of Texas District 14 Grievance Committee, took part in the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, and has been involved since about 2009 with the Texas Family Law Council’s legislative committee. That last role would mean she helped shape state family law, although I could not confirm the exact positions on an official bar website. Because of that, I describe these roles as reported and not fully verified.
Charlotte Hopkins and Terry Bradshaw: The Marriage
Charlotte Hopkins married Terry Bradshaw in 1983, according to most sources, and the two stayed together until 1999. A few pages give 1986 as the wedding year, and some say the marriage lasted nearly fifteen years while others say almost seventeen, which shows how loosely the dates are handled online. She was Bradshaw’s third wife, after Miss Teenage America Melissa Babich in the early 1970s and ice skater JoJo Starbuck from 1976 to 1983. Reports say she had been the family’s attorney and that the two had known each other for some time, and even dated, before they married.
Neither of them has given a detailed public reason for the divorce in 1999. Bradshaw has since talked about the mental health struggles he faced after that period, and he met his current wife, Tammy, the same year. He and Tammy married in 2014. For readers who want a simple summary, the marriage began in the early to mid 1980s, ended in 1999, and produced two daughters.
Children: Rachel and Erin Bradshaw
Charlotte Hopkins and Terry Bradshaw have two daughters, Rachel and Erin. A sports reference page says Rachel was born in Texas on May 13, 1987, and Erin on June 27, 1989. Both daughters appeared with their father in the reality show The Bradshaw Bunch, which brought them into public view more than their mother. They are adults now, so I kept the details about them short and limited to what is common reference information.
Life After the Divorce
After the divorce, Charlotte reportedly stopped using Bradshaw as part of her name and continued her legal career. One older profile says she married criminal defense attorney Rick Hagen in 2012. That claim appears in only one source I found, and I could not confirm it in a news report, so it should be treated as unverified. She keeps a quiet public profile, and I found no interviews that describe her life in detail.
Several websites describe her as an author or novelist, and one says she wrote about family law. I could not find a book, a publisher or a catalog entry in her name that supports this. A few websites also claim she has a large fortune, but those statements have no source, and I did not include any net worth number. Her personal finances are not public.
It is worth noting how differently the two parts of her life are covered. Her marriage to a famous athlete is described in many sports and entertainment articles, while her legal work is mentioned in only a few profiles. This imbalance means the details about her career depend on fewer sources and deserve more caution. A lawyer’s official record, such as a state bar listing, would be the best way to confirm her credentials.
Is This the Right Charlotte Hopkins?
Charlotte Hopkins is not a unique name, and that causes real confusion in search results. There is a freelance writer and author named Charlotte Hopkins from Pittsburgh, who has a separate author page and no known link to Terry Bradshaw. There are also older historical figures and obituaries with the same name, including a nineteenth-century philanthropist named Charlotte Everett Hopkins. This article is about the Texas family lawyer who was married to Bradshaw, who is also known as Charla Hopkins.
What Is Still Unconfirmed
To be clear about the gaps, these details are not reliably confirmed: her exact birth date, her schools and law school, the exact wedding year, the reason for the divorce, her current employer, her 2012 marriage, any books she may have written and her net worth. I also could not confirm every committee role on an official bar website. Anyone who needs these facts for something important should look at the Texas State Bar’s public lawyer directory or ask her directly.
How This Was Researched
I wrote this profile after reviewing more than a dozen biography pages about Charlotte Hopkins, plus articles about Terry Bradshaw’s marriages and children. I compared dates across sources and left out claims that appeared only once or contradicted each other, such as the author label and the net worth
statements. I did not speak to anyone connected to her and I have no inside access. The gap I tried to fill is that many existing pages repeat copied career claims and mix her up with other women of the same name, while this article separates the confirmed from the reported.
Accuracy Note
This biography is based on publicly available information, including reference pages and published profiles. Because Charlotte Hopkins is a private person, some details may be incomplete. If you spot anything outdated or incorrect, please let us know so we can update it.
  Written and researched by Usama Khan, contributor at lopin magazine.Â
FAQ
Who is Charlotte Hopkins?
Charlotte Hopkins, also known as Charla Hopkins, is a Texas family lawyer and the ex-wife of NFL legend Terry Bradshaw.
When did Charlotte Hopkins marry Terry Bradshaw?
Most sources say 1983, though a few say 1986.
When did they divorce?
They divorced in 1999.
Do Charlotte Hopkins and Terry Bradshaw have children?
Yes. They have two daughters, Rachel and Erin Bradshaw.
What does Charlotte Hopkins do for a living?
She is a family law attorney in Texas, reported as board certified in family law.
How old is Charlotte Hopkins?
Many sites say she was born on April 17, 1962, which would make her 64 in 2026, but the date is not confirmed by a primary source.
Is Charlotte Hopkins the same as the writer from Pittsburgh?
No. A freelance writer named Charlotte Hopkins from Pittsburgh is a different person.
Usama Khan is the founder and editor-in-chief of Lopin Magazine, where he oversees the site’s biography and news coverage with a focus on accuracy and well-researched storytelling.
