What Happened To Joe Buck's First Wife, Ann Archambault?

Ann Archambault is almost synonymous with ESPN commentator Joe Buck, regardless of how long it's been since they split. Buck and Archambault married in 1993 and divorced in 2011. The two childhood sweethearts dated sporadically since middle school, Buck told St. Louis Magazine. But the nature of his work had him on the road a lot, something his then-wife Archambault told the outlet about. "He was gone a ton when we were first married," she told the magazine. "Because I was so young and we didn't have kids, it worked out." Later in their marriage, they welcomed two children, Natalie and Trudy. After their divorce, Buck remarried a few years later to journalist Michelle Beisner-Buck.

There are quite a few sites that attribute Archambault to another woman named Ann Buck, who was an NFL cheerleader. The truth is, that's not the same woman. Archambault largely stays off social media and out of the media. She is certainly not alone among celeb spouses who hated the spotlight. 

Since her divorce from Buck, there hasn't been a lot of information available about what she's been up to. That said, there are some hints to her life nowadays through her daughter Natalie's social media. These peeks into their lives mostly show how close the girls are to their mom through the years, from teens to career-driven adults. 

As we mentioned, since the divorce in 2011, Ann Archambault has mostly stayed out of the public eye. Even so, her daughter, actress Natalie Buck, will share glimpses of their lives together on social media from time to time. For instance, in December 2012, she shared an adorable snap from her childhood on Instagram with mom Archambault and dad Joe Buck when she was a little tyke. She captioned it, "When I was the favorite. Still am though." To which user acbsailor, who we believe is Archambault, replied, "Xoxo." 

In 2013, there is a precious photo on Instagram (seen above) of Natalie with her sister Trudy and mom Ann, which she captions: "My best friends. I love youu!" Here, she tags the account believed to be Archambault, who replied, "Made my day." We love seeing these gals supporting each other. 

We can also perceive a hopefully peaceful connection between Buck and Archambault post-divorce. In what appears to be a graduation photo from May 2014 on Instagram, Trudy and Natalie are seen with both of their parents smiling joyfully. Here, the account believed to be Archambault replies, "Love u, babe!! So proud of u!!" Even as a mostly off-line Mama, Archambault has found ways to show her support for her girls on social media. 

Even as her daughters carve out their own paths, Ann Archambault remains their biggest fan from behind the scenes. During a September 2018 trip to see Natalie Buck in NYC, they shared a meal at Lilia Ristorante, a moment Natalie captured on Instagram with a heartfelt "Don't go please" directed at her mom. Archambault, under her Instagram handle acbsailor, responded with a touching, "It's so hard leaving you Nattie Bu. Keep being the strong beautiful woman you are... we're so proud of you."

The bond between Archambault and her daughter is undeniable, as evidenced by Natalie's repeated Instagram pleas for her mom's return after each visit. In February 2019, she posted another sweet snap with the caption, "come back," to which Archambault replied with affection, "let's back that up a bit...miss you, Natalie Elizabeth."

That said, the icing on the cake was a charming Instagram birthday tribute Buck wrote for her mom in 2019. With a series of photos of her mom, she wrote with clear admiration of Archambault — not forgetting a reminder to visit. "To the woman who makes the coziest home, who teaches us the value of friendship, teaches us to hug and love, Happy Birthday. You are our strong, beautiful Queen. We love you so much. Come back up."