Kelly Anne Welbes Abagnale could not have imagined the quiet guy she met and started dating was a convicted felon and an undercover FBI Agent. This is the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr, whose exploits would later be known worldwide, and how he met his wife.

The life and crimes of Frank Abagnale Jr were portrayed on the big screen in the Steven Spielberg film Catch Me If You Can. Jr's crime spree as a forger started when he was 16 and lasted for five years.

Kelly Anne Welbes Abagnale's profile summary

Who did Frank Abagnale marry?

Frank married Kelly Anne Welbes Abagnale on 6 November 1976 and celebrated 47 years of marriage in 2023. They currently live in Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

Frank Abagnale Jr's wife was born on 26 June 1954 in Galveston, Texas, USA, to Maxine and Louis Welbes, and she has two brothers, Timothy and Robert. Her father was a US Army engineer, and her mother was a professor. Both have since passed on. There is no information on the whereabouts of her brothers.

Kelly Anne Welbes Abagnale's job

There are conflicting reports that Kelly was a nurse when she met the convicted felon who would later be her husband. It is also alleged she was working as a grocery cashier. Furthermore, sources claim she holds a Master's degree in child psychology.

Kelly Anne and Frank Abagnale's children

Kelly Anne Welbes Abagnale shares three children with her husband: Scott, Christopher and Sean. They also have seven grandchildren.

The eldest son, Scott, is an FBI Special Agent in the Crisis Negotiations Unit. Chris co-owns a fashion boutique with his wife, and Sean is a video game producer.

Kelly Anne Welbes' husband, Frank Abagnale Jr.

The 75-year-old's parents were Paulette and Frank Sr. They met in Algiers, where Frank Sr was stationed as an army personnel during World War II. After the war, he married Paulette and moved to New York, where he started a successful business.

The family had a good life until financial problems. Paulette, unhappy due to a lack of money, filed for divorce after 22 years of marriage. Frank Jr was 14 when his parents split up, and he lived with his father for a short while. He ran away when he was 16 after a judge asked him to choose which parent he would like to live with.

How many siblings did Frank Abagnale have?

He had three siblings: two brothers, Jean-Paul and Richard, and one sister, Linda. Richard died in 2007, but the whereabouts of the other two siblings are unknown.

Frank Abagnale and his mother

Frank saw his mother seven years after running away. Paulette died on 7 November 2014, and her cause of death has not been disclosed. As for his father, the forger never saw him again after he ran away. Senior died in a slip-and-fall accident while Junior was in prison in March 1972.

How much time did Frank Abagnale get?

Kelly Anne Welbes Abagnale's husband served time in multiple countries. He spent six months in prison in a French prison and another six months in a Swedish prison. Finally, he was extradited to the USA and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, but he only served four before he was released.

Who is the real Carl Hanratty?

According to reports, the character of the FBI Agent Carl Hanratty from the movie Catch Me If You Can is fictional. He represents a combination of FBI Agents assigned to Jr's case.

The relationship portrayed in the movie between Jr and Carl Hannratty is based on the real-life friendship between Frank and FBI Agent Joseph Shea.

Is Frank Abagnale friends with Joseph Shea?

In an interview, the author shared that he and Joseph were close friends for 30 years until he died on 27 October 2021. Shea is also the one who got him released from prison and working for the government.

How long did Frank Abagnale work for the FBI?

For over 47 years, Frank consulted, advised and worked for the FBI as an expert on fraud documents, forgery, and cheque swindling. He also gives lectures at the FBI Academy.

Did Frank Abagnale Jr marry Brenda?

According to Jr, he was never engaged to Brenda Strong, a flight attendant for Eastern Airlines. They only dated while he was living in Louisiana.

Kelly Anne Welbes Abagnale will always be credited as the woman who helped convicted forger Frank Abagnale Jr turn over a new leaf. Although not much is transparent about her past before she met him, as of 2023, the couple are parents and grandparents living quietly.

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