Dick Van Dyke, who is 90 years old, is not exactly a mysterious figure. Despite the fact that the venerable actor has been open about his drinking and the adulterous affair that lasted for the final eight years of his first marriage, it seems there is still more to learn about the feelings and reasons that led to the Mary Poppins star’s trying times.
Van Dyke sought treatment for his alcoholism in a hospital for three weeks in 1972. Shortly after that, his wife of 24 years, Margie Willet, with whom he had four children, entered the same facility for treatment of her prescription drug addiction.
Margie willet who had never been fond of Hollywood “or its stars,” used to spend more time at the family’s ranch in the desert in the years that followed.
Early Life
As the ex-wife of renowned American actor Dick Van Dyke, Margie Willett was a well-known American celebrity. She was raised in Illinois, where she first met Van Dyke. After dating for about a month, they were engaged. The couple got married in Los Angeles in 1948.
They didn’t even have enough money for their wedding at the time, which was long before Van Dyke became well-known and wealthy. A charitable radio producer on whose show they decided to be married provided financial support for their wedding and honeymoon. Before her husband’s rise to prominence, their lives as newlyweds were extremely difficult as they both struggled to survive.
They once struggled with addiction, and they sought treatment at the same rehab facility. Margie Willet tended to avoid the spotlight and had no interest in the entertainment industry. Their more than three and a half decade marriage dissolved in 1984 after they welcomed four children.
Their divorce was brought about by Van Dyke’s adultery. She never got remarried after her divorce, and she passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2008.
Rise To Stardom
In 1947, Margie Willett first met Dick Van Dyke in her native Danville, Illinois. It was long before Van Dyke rose to fame and fortune. After only one month of dating, they were engaged, and they moved to Los Angeles to get married. The wedding, which was sponsored by the show’s producer, took place on February 12, 1948, during a live broadcast of the radio program “Bride and Groom.”
They couldn’t even afford to pay for their own wedding because of their financial situation, so when the show’s producer offered to pay for their wedding in exchange for agreeing to get married on his show, they took him up on it. The same kind of producer also covered the cost of their romantic getaway.
Before Van Dyke’s illustrious career began, they were also unable to purchase a home and were forced to live in their car for a period. The couple had addiction issues while they were married. She had a prescription medication addiction, and her spouse had an alcohol addiction. They received therapy at the same inpatient rehab facility. Margie Willett preferred to live a private life while being married to an actor from Hollywood.
The Reason Behind Margie Willet & Dick Van Dyke Divorce
Unfortunately, their romance was doomed to fail. One of Dick’s writings, “Keep Moving,” touched on a few parts of his experience cheating on Margie.
The actor entered a hospital in 1972 to obtain alcoholism therapy. Sadly, Margie had to spend some time at the same hospital soon after for drug addiction to prescription medications.
The wife of Dick Van Dyke began spending more time at the family’s ranch in the desert once she was freed. The actor and Michelle Triola, his agent’s assistant, started dating about that time. He wrote:
“[Michelle] was easy to talk to, she understood me. At the time, Michelle was suing actor Lee Marvin, with whom she had a six-year relationship. I was drawn into a relationship. I was involved with a woman other than my wife. It was unbelievable. I was writhing in guilt.”
Family & Personal Life
Marjorie Willett was Margie Willett’s name when she was born in Danville, Illinois, in 1927. She met Van Dyke there where she was raised in Illinois. Little is known about her parents, siblings, schooling, or personal life because she had a very secluded existence.
Barry Van Dyke, Carrie Beth Van Dyke, Stacy Van Dyke, and Christian Van Dyke are the names of the four kids she had with Van Dyke. She miscarried and lost twins in the early years of their relationship. She shied away from the spotlight and the media so that her kids could enjoy normal lives.
When Van Dyke began an illicit relationship with Michelle Triola, the secretary of his agent, their marriage began to have difficulties. They maintained their liaison a secret until Van Dyke, overcome with shame, told his wife about it in 1976. Triola was sued by her former live-in partner and actor Lee Marvin; he even gave her a six-figure sum. Dick Van Dyke and Margie Willet experienced further serious issues as a result, and the couple divorced on May 4, 1984.
She never remarried after her divorce, and she vanished from public view. Barry Van Dyke, her son, pursued a career in acting like his father. After divorcing, Dick Van Dyke married Triola, and when she passed away in 2009, he remarried Arlene Silver, a considerably younger makeup artist, in 2012. Along with five great-grandchildren named Alex, Ava, Gracie, Jane, and Mia Van Dyke, Willet had five grandchildren named Shane, Carey, Taryn, Wes, and Jessica Van Dyke.
Pancreatic cancer was discovered in Margie Willet in 2007, and she passed away in 2008.
Where is Dick Van Dyke Now?
The actor is currently wed to make-up artist Arlene Silver, who is 46 years his junior. Given that they were married in 2012 and are still together, it appears that Dick Van Dyke’s age has never been an issue in their relationship.
Margie Willet’s death affected the actor deeply and he realized what she meant to him. His love for her could never fade and he still misses her.
