Downey and his Chinese-born wife, Audrey Lee, were married in May 1975. They met at Yale after his return from China when he was taking a summer class in Russian (to test his self-study in prison) and she was working on an advanced degree in chemistry.Roessner, Barbara T. (August 11, 1983). "Downey, Reagan, Bush Discuss China Journey". Hartford Courant (Hartford, Connecticut). pp. C2. Retrieved May 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. She was born just miles from the prison in Shenyang where Downey was first kept and came to the United States shortly after his capture. They had one son, Jack Lee Downey, in 1980.
