People Magazine May 1987: "Purl has just ended a 10-month romance with Perry (Riptide) King, a friend of 10 years. “We went out on a double date, of all silly things, with my sister and her beau,” says Purl. “It was funny because this was my pal Perry, and suddenly my sister was sort of urging us on with Cupid’s arrows in her quiver.” After knowing each other for years, she and King began to believe that “maybe there was something more.” But there wasn’t. The failed romance, adds Purl, “was so frustrating because it’s not as if he paints his toenails green and I can’t stand it. We just found out that our friendship is the strongest part of our relationship, and that’s how it should remain. It was mutual and sad. It’s always difficult, I think, when two people go into a relationship with the best of intentions and discover that it’s really not the best road to take in life. However, I think both of us, having gone through divorce, are grateful we realized this before going through divorce again.”