Dick Van Dyke was 80 years old when he met his current wife, Arlene Silver, at a SAG awards event in 2006. Arlene was 34 at the time and soon became good friends with Dyke, who she also worked with as a makeup artist. Their friendship lasted for years as Dyke was engaged in previous relationships until his last lover, Michelle Triola, died from lung cancer.
Arlene was really supportive of the aged film star, who had four children with his late ex-wife Margie Willet before moving on to Michelle for nearly four decades. She admitted to being scared of public opinion about their age difference during their recent chat with Entertainment Tonight.
Dick Van Dyke and wife Arlene can’t stop gushing about each other
Arlene and Dyke’s friendship blossomed into something more, and Arlene has never regretted her decision to partner up with the screen icon so far. According to Arlene, it is hard to tell they are up to 46 years apart, thanks to their fun interactions and playful moments.
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Dyke is thankful to have remained childlike, noting that this has helped his relationship with Arlene flourish greatly. He often nudges her to show off her musical prowess in public, including one time when he set her up to perform in front of 1,500 people.
The controversial age gap
Dyke has remained active throughout his Hollywood career, taking on projects and attending public events with Arlene, including Carol Burnett’s handprint ceremony at the TCL Chinese Theater last month. He wore a white shirt, a beige blazer, and pants, and he strutted the venue with his stylish cane in hand.
Dyke credits his youthful spirit to regular exercise and a loving partner like Arlene, who has made him the happiest man in the world. He believes their age gap is hardly obvious because Arlene is wise for her age, even though he is emotionally immature.