Mary Joan Schutz, Gene Wilder’ ex-wife; Facts about her life

Mary Joan Schutz is one of the ex-wives of the late American actor, comedian, and director Gene Wilder. He is famous for his iconic role as Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). His other notable works include The Producers (1967) and Blazing Saddles (1974).

On the other hand, the celebrity spouse is only recognized for her marriage to Gene. She is very private and has been living a life away from the media so much that there isn’t a hint of information available regarding her personal or professional life.

Keeping all that aside, today we will be taking a look into the relationship between Mary and her then-hubby. When did they marry? Did they share any kids? Why did their relationship end? and many more!

So, without wasting much time let’s get started and learn everything there is to know about Mary Joan Schutz.

Mary Joan Schutz Prefers To Live A Private Life; Her Early Life And Age

As we said earlier, Mary is notoriously private when talking about her life. She hasn’t revealed much about her personal life including her age and information on her parents.

On the other hand, her late ex-hubby was born Jerome Silberman on June 11, 1933, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. He was the son of Jeanne Silberman and William J Silberman.

Regarding Schutz’s ethnicity, she is believed to be of Caucasian descent and is American by nationality. Wilder was of mixed race, born in the house of Russian-Jewish immigrants, and was an American citizen.

What Does Mary Joan Schutz Do For A Living?

Mary is very private and hasn’t shared anything about her personal life; the same thing can be said about her professional life. It is still a mystery to date what the ex-celebrity spouse does for a living.

In contrast, her ex-partner in crime was an American actor, comedian, and director. Gene Wilder started his career appearing in an episode of the TV series The Play of the Week. Later he made his film debut playing a hostage in Bonnie and Clyde (1967). His first major role was in the movie The Producers for which he won Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

He became even more renowned for his performance as Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). His other works include Young Frankenstein (1974), Blazing Sandles (1974), Silver Streak (1976), and  See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989).

Mary Joan Schutz And Gene Wilder Were Married For Seven Years, How Was Their Relationship?

The celebrity ex-wife met the love of her life in 1965. Mary was a friend of Gene’s sister. The duo eventually started dating just a couple of months after the actor divorced his first wife Mary Mercier. They were married for five years from July 22, 1960, to 1965.  Schutz and the Young Frankenstein actor dated for almost two years before deciding to take their relationship to a new level.

The pair officially became husband and wife on October 27, 1967. They had a very private wedding surrounded by their closest friends and family members. The duo was having a blast as everything seemed to go well in their relationship when all of a sudden they decided to separate after seven years into their marriage in 1974. Their divorce was finalized on 24 November 1980.

Did They Share Any Children During Their Marriage?

Mary and Gene were together for seven years but they didn’t have any kids during that time. However, Mary Joan Schutz had a daughter named Katharine. When her daughter started calling her soon-to-be husband, dad, the actor decided to do the right thing by marrying Mary in 1967. Gene also adopted Katharine the same year he married her mother.

The daughter-father duo had a great bond and understanding but it all ended when Katharine became suspicious that Gene was having an affair with his Young Frankenstein co-star, Madeline Kahn. Katharine and the actor eventually became estranged from one another,

A Little About Mary Joan Schutz’s Daughter: Katharine Wilder

Katharine Wilder is an actress and program manager. She was born in June 1960 to Mary Joan Schutz and her former husband whose name is yet to be known. Katharine came to the limelight after being adopted by Mary Joan’s former hubby, Gene Wilder.

She has also made a name for herself by appearing in a handful of movies and TV series including Frontier, Two Head Creek, Anatomy of a Scandal, and Dangerous Liaisons.

Where Is Mary Joan Schutz Now? Did She Marry After Her Divorce With Gene Wilder?

Gene’s ex-wife is an enigma She is a private individual who keeps her personal and professional life under wraps. Her life after her separation from Gene is a total mystery. It is unclear whether she is in a relationship or is married. Mary is a woman who values her privacy and chooses to live her life on her own terms. So, until Mary comes forth to talk on the subject matter herself we can’t say for sure that she is married or single right now.

On the contrary, her late husband Gene was married four times in his lifetime. He was married to Mary Mercier for five years from 1960 to 1965. He later married the lady of the hour Mary Joan herself from 1967 to 1974. Likewise, he was married to Gilda Radner from 1984 to 1989 until Radner’s death from ovarian cancer. In 1991 Wilder married a clinical supervisor Karen Boyer. The duo was together until Wilder’s death in 2016.

Mary Joan’s Ex-Husband Died From Complications Of Alzheimer’s Disease

The Blazing Saddles actor died on August 29, 2016, at his residence in Stamford, Connecticut. He was suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. Gene was diagnosed with the disease three years before his death and decided to keep it secret because he didn’t want his fans to be worried about it.

He is survived by his wife Karen who became a caretaker for the actor during his last moments and is currently working as an advocate with a non-governmental organization to find a cure and spread awareness about the disease.

Mary Joan Schutz’s Net Worth

It is pretty unclear what Mary Joan does for a living and thus we are unable to determine her net worth. Likewise, we also don’t have any information about her current whereabouts.

On the other hand, her ex-lover Gene Wilder had a total net worth of $20 million. He had earned a fortune from his career as an actor, comedian, director, and singer.