Dick Van Dyke, who is 90 years old, is not exactly a mysterious personality. Despite the fact that the respected actor has been candid about his drinking and the extramarital affair that lasted for the final eight years of his first marriage, it seems there is still more to learn about the emotions and reasons that led to the Mary Poppins star’s difficult times.
Van Dyke sought therapy for his alcoholism in a hospital for three weeks in 1972. Shortly after that, his spouse of 24 years, Margie Willet, with whom he had four children, entered the same facility for therapy for 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-spouse of renowned American actor Dick Van Dyke, Margie Willett was a prominent 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 generous 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 challenging as they both struggled to make ends meet.
They once grappled with addiction, and they sought care at the same rehab facility. Margie Willet tended to avoid the limelight and had no interest in the entertainment industry. Their over three and a half decade union dissolved in 1984 after they welcomed four children.
Their divorce was influenced by Van Dyke’s adultery. She never got remarried after her divorce, and she succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2008.
Rise To Stardom
In 1947, Margie Willett first met Dick Van Dyke in her hometown of 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 financed 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 due to their financial situation, so when the show’s producer offered to fund their wedding in exchange for agreeing to get married on his show, they accepted. The same 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 lead a private life while being married to an actor from Hollywood.
The Reason Behind Margie Willet & Dick Van Dyke Divorce
Regrettably, their romance was destined 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 receive 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 around 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 birth name when she entered the world 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 offspring 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 commenced an illicit relationship with Michelle Triola, the secretary of his agent, their marriage began to have difficulties. They kept their liaison clandestine until Van Dyke, overwhelmed with shame, divulged it to his wife in 1976. Triola was sued by her former live-in partner and actor Lee Marvin; he even awarded 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 detected in Margie Willet in 2007, and she passed away in 2008.
Where is Dick Van Dyke Now?
The actor is currently married to makeup 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 deeply impacted the actor and he realized what she meant to him. His love for her could never fade and he still misses her.
