When people ask "Who is Gene Wilder married to?" they’re usually looking for one specific name: Gilda Radner. It makes sense. They were the comedy power couple of the 1980s, two frizz-haired geniuses who seemed like they were vibrating on the same weird, wonderful frequency. But here’s the thing—the story most people tell about Wilder’s love life usually cuts to black way too early.
The truth is, while Gilda was the "Technicolor" love of his life (her words, not mine), she wasn't his only wife. Not by a long shot. Gene Wilder was actually married four times. And honestly? The woman he was married to the longest—the one who was there for his final breaths and helped him through the terrifying fog of Alzheimer's—is a name many casual fans don't even know.
That woman was Karen Boyer.
The Four Women Who Shared the Wonka Magic
Wilder wasn't exactly a playboy, but he spent a huge chunk of his life searching for a specific kind of connection. He didn't just want a companion; he wanted "unconditional love." That's a tall order for anyone, especially a man who once described himself as "neurotic" and "sad" behind the scenes.
- Mary Mercier (1960–1965): Before he was Willy Wonka, Gene was a stage actor in New York. He married Mary, an actress and playwright, right as his career was starting to simmer. It didn't last. They were young, and the marriage fizzled out after five years.
- Mary Joan Schutz (1967–1974): This was a pivotal one. During this marriage, Wilder adopted Mary’s daughter, Katharine. It’s a bit of a tragic footnote in his life—after the divorce, he and Katharine became estranged. In his memoir, Kiss Me Like a Stranger, he talked about how that separation haunted him for decades.
- Gilda Radner (1984–1989): This is the "movie star" romance. They met on the set of Hanky Panky in 1981. Gilda was married to someone else at the time, but she later said her life went from black and white to Technicolor the moment she saw him. Their marriage was a whirlwind of deep laughter and deep pain, ending with Gilda’s tragic death from ovarian cancer.
- Karen Boyer (1991–2016): The final chapter. They were married for 25 years.
Who Is Gene Wilder Married To? Meet Karen Boyer
So, how does a guy who just lost the "love of his life" to a brutal disease find his way back to happiness? Basically, he went to work.
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While prepping for the 1989 film See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Wilder needed to learn how to play a character who was deaf. He met Karen Boyer (sometimes referred to as Karen Webb), who was a speech consultant and clinical supervisor in lip reading. She was brought in to coach him.
It wasn't a "love at first sight" lightning bolt like it was with Gilda. They didn't even go on a real date for over a year after they first met. But when it finally happened, it stuck. Wilder once told Larry King that by their third date, he knew. He described it like a "flower that's blooming."
The Longest Marriage You Never Heard About
If you look at the numbers, Wilder’s marriage to Karen lasted five times longer than his marriage to Gilda. They lived a quiet, largely private life in an 18th-century farmhouse in Connecticut. While Gilda’s era was defined by the glare of the spotlight and the intensity of SNL fame, the "Karen era" was about peace.
Karen wasn't a celebrity. She wasn't a "funny woman" in the professional sense. She was his rock. In his 2010 memoir, he dedicated the book to her, saying, "To Karen, without whom I would be floating like a cork in the ocean."
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The Tragic Final Days
One of the most moving parts of the 2024 documentary Remembering Gene Wilder involves Karen opening up about his battle with Alzheimer’s. She kept his diagnosis a secret for three years. Why? Because he didn't want to disappoint people. He didn't want children to see "Willy Wonka" and feel sad.
Karen recalled the moment she knew something was wrong. It wasn't some big dramatic event; it was small. He struggled to remember the title of Young Frankenstein, which was basically his favorite thing he'd ever done.
The most heartbreaking detail she shared was about his final day. They were listening to Ella Fitzgerald’s "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Gene had barely spoken for days. But as the song played, he reached out, took her hand, and said his final words: "That’s good."
Why the Gilda Story Overwhelms the Karen Reality
It’s easy to see why the public stays obsessed with the Gilda Radner marriage. It has all the elements of a Hollywood tragedy. They were both icons. They were both funny. Her death led Gene to become a massive advocate for cancer screening, co-founding "Gilda’s Club" and testifying before Congress.
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But it’s a bit unfair to Karen Boyer to treat her like a footnote. In a 1996 interview with The Telegraph, Wilder said that for the first time in his life, he had "unconditional love" with Karen. That’s a powerful statement from a man who had been through the wringer both professionally and personally.
What You Should Take Away From This
When we talk about who is Gene Wilder married to, we’re really talking about the different versions of a man.
- The young actor (Mary Mercier)
- The father figure (Mary Joan Schutz)
- The comedic soulmate (Gilda Radner)
- The man who finally found peace (Karen Boyer)
Wilder’s life proves that there isn't just one "great love." There are different loves for different seasons. If you want to honor his memory, don't just watch Willy Wonka or Blazing Saddles. Take a look at the work Karen Boyer has done with the "Pure Imagination Project" to fight Alzheimer's. She’s keeping his legacy alive in a way that’s just as important as the movies themselves.
If you’re interested in the full, unvarnished story of their time together, I’d highly recommend tracking down a copy of his memoir, Kiss Me Like a Stranger. It’s honest, a little bit weird, and deeply human—just like the man himself.
To truly understand Gene Wilder's legacy, it is helpful to look into the work of Gilda's Club for cancer support or the Pure Imagination Project for Alzheimer's awareness, as these organizations represent the living impact of the two most significant relationships of his life.