Shanks' eldest child is Tatiana, who was born in 1998. Shanks and his on-screen wife, Vaitiare Bandera also known as Sha're, conceived while they had a fling.
Apparently it didn't work out romantically, since the two weren't together long after the child was born.
A few years down the line in 2001, Shanks had a guest-spot on the series Andromeda. He fell in love with the star of the show, Lexa Doig, who would later guest-star in a recurring role for Stargate SG-1. They were married in 2003 and proceeded to have two children, Mia who was born in 2004, and David who was born in 2006.
It was a risky move to make, especially twice, but it seemed to work out since he is the father to three children and married to at least one of the mothers!
