When you think of the legendary "Duke," you probably picture him on a horse, squinting into the desert sun, or maybe taking down a room full of outlaws. But behind the silver screen grit, John Wayne’s personal life was just as sprawling as a Western landscape. Naturally, a lot of folks are still curious: is John Wayne wife still alive?
The short answer? Yes. His third and final wife, Pilar Pallete, is indeed still alive.
As of early 2026, Pilar is 97 years old. She isn't just "around," either; she’s been living a remarkably full life in California, far removed from the dusty trails of her late husband's films. But if you’re looking for a simple "yes" or "no," you’re missing the wildest parts of the story. Wayne didn't just have one wife, and the women who shared his life weren't exactly background characters.
The Woman Who Survived the Duke: Pilar Pallete
Pilar Pallete wasn't just another Hollywood starlet. Born in Peru, she was a senator’s daughter and an actress in her own right when she met Wayne in the early 1950s. They tied the knot in 1954, on the very same day his second divorce was finalized. Talk about a whirlwind.
They stayed married for 25 years, which, by Hollywood standards, is basically an eternity. They had three kids together: Aissa, Ethan, and Marisa. If you’ve ever flown into the John Wayne Airport in Orange County or followed the John Wayne Cancer Foundation, you’re seeing the legacy she helped preserve.
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The 1973 "Separation"
Here’s where things get kinda messy. Even though they remained legally married until Wayne passed away in 1979, they didn't actually live together for those last six years.
Pilar moved out in 1973.
While they never officially divorced, Wayne spent his final years with his former secretary, Pat Stacy. Despite the physical distance, Pilar has always maintained that they were still "married" in spirit. In recent years, she’s been quite vocal about her love for him. She spends a good chunk of her time painting, and her favorite subject? You guessed it. Duke.
The Wives Who Came Before: Josephine and Esperanza
To really understand the question of whether a "John Wayne wife" is still alive, you have to look at the whole roster. Duke had a specific "type"—all three of his wives were of Hispanic descent, a fact he was always very proud of.
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- Josephine Alicia Saenz (1933–1945): His first wife. She was the daughter of a Panamanian consul. They had four kids, but the marriage crumbled under the weight of Wayne's burgeoning stardom and his reported wandering eye. Josephine passed away in 2003 at the age of 94.
- Esperanza Baur (1946–1954): This one was... intense. A Mexican actress often nicknamed "Chata," her marriage to Wayne was famous for being "volatile chemicals in a jar," as he put it. There were rumors of affairs and one infamous night where she reportedly tried to shoot him when he came home late from a wrap party. She died quite young, at age 40, from a heart attack in 1961.
So, when people ask about his wife being alive, they are almost exclusively talking about Pilar.
What is Pilar Pallete Doing in 2026?
Honestly, she’s doing great. She’s essentially a full-time artist now. If you look up her work, it’s actually quite impressive—lots of vibrant colors and, occasionally, portraits of the man who defined her life for a quarter-century.
She has remarried a couple of times since Wayne’s death—once to Stephen Stewart and later to Jesse Upchurch—but she eventually reverted to using the name Pilar Wayne in her professional art life. It’s the name the world knows, and clearly, it’s the connection that means the most to her.
Why We Still Care About the Duke's Family
It’s not just about celebrity gossip. The Wayne family is a massive machine. His son, Ethan Wayne, runs John Wayne Enterprises and the Cancer Foundation. His granddaughter, Jennifer Wayne, is a country music star in the band Runaway June.
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The fact that Pilar is still with us at 97 feels like a final, living link to the Golden Age of Hollywood. Most of the people who knew the "real" Marion Morrison (Wayne's birth name) are gone. She is the keeper of the stories that didn't make it into the biographies.
Facts to Remember:
- Pilar Pallete is currently 97 years old (born September 3, 1928).
- She was John Wayne's third wife.
- She lives in California and is a professional painter.
- She and Wayne had three children.
- Technically, they were never divorced, making her his legal widow.
If you’re interested in seeing what she’s up to, you can actually check out her artwork online. It’s a pretty cool way to see how she’s processed the legacy of being the wife of the world's most famous cowboy.
To keep up with the Wayne family legacy, you should look into the John Wayne Cancer Foundation. It was his dying wish to use his name to help find a cure, and the family—including Pilar’s children—still runs it to this day. Checking out their annual "Grit Series" runs or donating is the most direct way to honor what Duke and his wives built together.