Where Is Jill Whelan Today? A Look at Life After The Love Boat

When the Pacific Princess set sail in the late‑1970s, a young Jill Whelan made a splash as Vicki Stubing, the captain’s bright‑eyed daughter. Over the next decade she appeared in roughly 190 episodes of The Love Boat, and even popped up in the TV movie A Valentine Voyage in 1990. The role opened doors, landing her a bit part in the cult classic Airplane! and guest spots on shows like Vega$, Matt Houston, and The Young and the Restless.

After a brief return for the spin‑off The Love Boat: The Next Wave, Jill stepped back from the spotlight. From 1999 to 2012 she barely acted, except for a short‑film cameo. When she finally resurfaced, it was in indie thriller 6 Degrees of Hell and later guest‑starring on The Bold and the Beautiful, Criminal Mind, and even lending her voice to the kids’ hit Phineas and Ferb. She also chatted on the Still Here Hollywood podcast in 2024 and appeared in Freddie Prinze Jr.’s thriller The Girl in the Pool that same year.

On the personal side, Jill’s married three times. She wed Brad St. John in 1993, and they welcomed son Harrison before parting ways in 2001. A second marriage to Michael Chaykowsky brought son Grant, but that union ended in 2014. In 2017 she tied the knot with former NFL quarterback Jeff Knapple. Today the family calls Arizona home, where Jill says she enjoys the growing community, the culture, and having her mother nearby. “We’re recruiting everybody else, and we’re recruiting hard,” she told People recently, a nod to her upbeat, hands‑on spirit.

While the cruise‑ship days are behind her, Jill still dips a toe back into acting when the right project lands on her lap. Yet most of her energy now flows toward her two sons, local charitable events, and simply soaking up life away from the relentless glare of Hollywood. It’s a different kind of adventure, one that seems to suit her just fine.