‘Leave my family out of it’: What Charles Cullen’s wife said about him, and where she is now

She once requested a restraining order against him


Netflix’s latest true crime series The Good Nurse follows the story of serial killer Charles Cullen and how he was later convicted for his crimes. In the early 2000s, Charles admitted to killing up to 40 of his patients while he worked as a nurse and was brought to justice by his friend Amy Loughren.

In 2006, Charles was convicted of 29 murders and was handed 11 life sentences and agreed to work with investigators to identify his victims if they didn’t give him the death penalty. Currently, Charles is still in prison in New Jersey. One thing mentioned in the Netflix movie is Charles’ divorce from his wife Adrienne. The two divorced before he started working at Somerset Hospital and they had two children together. But what happened to Charles Cullen’s wife and children, and where are they now?

When was Charles Cullen married?

In June 1987, Charles Cullen married his now ex-wife Adrienne Taub after they began dating while he was in nursing school. They had two children together, their first daughter Shauna in 1987, and Saskia three years later. However, as public records show, their family began to break down in 1993 as Adrienne filed for a divorce.

Why did Charles and Adrienne divorce?

In her divorce filing, Adrienne claimed that Charles was prone to “bizarre” and “abusive” conduct like harming their two dogs. Adrienne accused her former husband of spending hours in their basement, beating their Yorkshire terriers. She wrote: “I was awakened many nights by the screams of these dogs.” She went onto say that Cullen once zipped one of the dogs up in a bowling ball bag for urinating in the house.

via Netflix

Cullen’s ex-wife went as far as to request a restraining order against him. Adrienne alleged that the former nurse had left their children with a babysitter for a whole week, burned one of their books in the fireplace and spiked other people’s drinks with lighter fluid. However, the restraining order was denied after Cullen said she was exaggerating.

In 1994, the divorce was finalised and Adrienne was granted the physical custody of their children.

So, where are Charles Cullen’s wife and children now?

In 2003, when Cullen’s murders came to light, Adrienne was living in Roselle Park, New Jersey. Reporters constantly hounded Adrienne and her family but her sole priority was protecting her children. In her statement, she said: “You can imagine what we’re going through. Leave my family and children out of it. I have nothing to say.”

Adrienne, Shauna and Saskia have all stayed out of the spotlight since and there are no precise details on where they are today. Saskia and Shauna would now be in the 30s and it is widely assumed they have legally changed their names.

The Good Nurse is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

Related stories recommended by this writer:

The Good Nurse Amy Loughren says she missed her friendship with serial killer Charles Cullen

The Good Nurse on Netflix: The chilling true story of Charles Cullen who killed 40 patients

Everything you need to know about Amy Loughren, the nurse who brought down Charles Cullen

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