 In 1924, he married actress Yvonne Pavis, but divorced in 1925, and in the same year, he married actress Dolores Johnson (1903–1957), with whom he had a son, John Derek, who was himself an actor and director.In 1931, he and Johnson were divorced, and abandoned his son as a five years old child, but returned to him sometime later.Harris died on March 31, 1948 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California at the age of 51.