Who Was Chuck Norris’ Wife? His Relationship With Gena O’Kelley & Past Marriage
Chuck Norris died at the age of 86 on March 19. Less than two weeks after his 86th birthday, he experienced an undisclosed medical emergency and was hospitalized in Hawaii. His family announced his death on Instagram.
“While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” the family’s statement said.
That family includes his wife, Gena O’Kelley, whom he was married to for 27 years at the time of his death. Scroll down to learn more about the pair’s relationship, Norris’ past marriage to a high school sweetheart, and more.
Who was Chuck Norris’ wife?
When Norris and O’Kelley, who have a 23-year age difference, met when she was working as a model and actress. In addition to appearing on Norris’ show Walker, Texas Ranger, she also starred in an episode of Yes, Dear, in 2003, and Biography in 2005.
In 2015, Norris and O’Kelley founded their company CForce, “a full-service [water] bottling facility that offers co-packing, raw bottle sales, and branded product,” according to its website. The water is “filtered through volcanic rock before being deposited into a deep, sustainable aquifer,” which makes it “rich in natural electrolytes” and provides “clear, clean water with a high pH and deliciously smooth taste.”
O’Kelley now serves as CEO of the company, which is located on the Norris family ranch in Texas. She also worked with Norris on his nonprofit, Kickstart Kids, which “teaches character through karate to middle and high school students.”
How did Chuck Norris meet his wife?
Norris and O’Kelley met in 1997. He was out to dinner with another woman during their first meeting. However, the next day, she played a small part in Norris’ show Walker, Texas Ranger, and he asked her out to dinner that night.
“I wanted to get to know Gena better, so I asked her to return to Dallas as soon as possible,” Norris wrote in his 2004 memoir. “She came back a couple of weeks later, and our friendship grew into a dating relationship. Before long, I felt myself falling head over heels in love.”
They tied the knot on November 28, 1998.
What happened to Chuck Norris’ first wife?
Norris’ first wife was Dianne Holechek. They were high school sweethearts and married in 1958 as teenagers. The former couple was together for 30 years when they separated in 1988, and their divorce was finalized the following year.
Holechek died in 2025 at the age of 84. She had been diagnosed with dementia years earlier. Norris and Holechek remained on good terms after their separation and he wrote on Facebook that he was “deeply saddened” by news of her passing.
“After being married for 30 years, we were able to find a way to remain close friends, and those years of friendship meant the world to me,” Norris wrote. “Dianne was an incredible person. She was kind, intelligent, and lived life to the fullest. Her presence in my life will never be forgotten. She was also a loving and devoted mother to our sons, Mike and Eric, who were always her greatest pride.”
He continued, “Even as our lives took different directions, we continued to care deeply for one another, and I will forever cherish the memories we built together.”
How many kids did Chuck Norris have?
Norris was a father to five children. With Holechek, he shared sons Mike and Eric, born in 1962 and 1965, respectively. He and O’Kelley welcomed fraternal twins, son Dakota and daughter Danilee, in 2001.
In 1962, Norris also fathered a daughter named Dina, whom he did not meet until 1990 when she was 26. She was born after his affair with a woman named Johanna, which happened while he was serving in the United States Air Force.
“To my shame, I never told Johanna that I was married,” he admitted in his memoir, adding that he accepted Dina as soon as he learned about her existence. “I didn’t need DNA or blood tests,” Norris wrote. “I went to her, wrapped my arms around her, and we both started crying. At that moment, it was as if I had known her all my life.”
