Catherine Hawn- What happened to Dean Martin’s ex-wife?

Catherine Hawn is the ex-wife of Dean Martin. Catherine Hawn’s ex-husband was an American singer, actor, and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin who was nicknamed “The King of Cool” gained his career breakthrough together with comedian Jerry Lewis, billed as Martin & Lewis, in 1946. After their partnership ended in 1956, Martin went on to pursue a solo career as a performer and actor.

Catherine Hawn: Bio Summary

Who was Catherine Hawn, Dean Martin’s ex-wife?

Catherine Hawn was born on 30 November 1947 in Steubenville, Ohio, United States of America. According to Briefly, she worked as a receptionist in Beverly Hills, California before she met her husband Dean Martin. Catherine Hawn was a receptionist at Rodeo Drive. Rodeo Drive is a hair salon.

During her time with Dean Martin, Catherine Hawn had the opportunity to appear on ‘The Merv Griffin Show’ as Mrs. Dean Martin according to her IMDB profile. ‘The Merv Griffin Show’ is an American talk show starring Merv Griffin. Her episode was aired on 23^rd November 1973.

How did Dean Martin and his Wife Catherine Hawn meet?

Dean’s eldest son, Ricci Martin revealed details of how his step-mom and his famous father met in the memoir titled That’s Amore: A Son Remembers Dean Martin. According to the book, one of Dean’s family friends, Frank Calcagnini played Cupid for Kathy and Martin, setting them up on a date. Frank is the guy who also dated Martin’s former wife Jeanne Biegger, right after their divorce.

ALSO, READ; Jeanne Biegger- What happened to Dean Martin’s ex-wife?

After Frank set up Catherine and Dean on a date, the duo instantly bonded over common interests and their relationship began. Less than a month after Dean’s second marriage had dissolved, Catherine Hawn became the third and last woman the singer took to the alter. The former couple exchanged their vows on April 25, 1973, in a beautiful ceremony attended by their friends, family, and loved ones. Cathy was 26 years old at that time.

Knowing Dean Martain aka “The King of Cool”, who was one of the richest stars at the time, it is not surprising to hear that he splurged a staggering $50,000 – $100,000 for their nuptials. If adjusted for inflation, the figure now measures up to $350,000 to $600,000.

In addition, reports also had it that, the former couple’s wedding had a lot of decorative materials directly shipped from Europe. The lilacs were ordered from France and there was a total of 22 cages of white doves for the over-the-top ceremony.

ALSO, READ; Dean Martin Children: Meet The 8 Children Of Dean Martin

Many of Dean’s star friends attended the holy matrimony including legendary singer Frank Sinatra. At the time, The legendary singer even explained the wedding to an outlet as ‘the most beautiful wedding I’ve ever seen.’

During their time together Hawn immensely enjoyed her celebrity wife status and was even featured on several magazine covers such as Movie World alongside her superstar hubby.

 Though they looked cute from the beginning of their relationship, the union only lasted three years before Martin initiated divorce proceedings. Dean Martin and Cathy Hawn had no biological children of their own but Martin adopted Hawn’s daughter, Sasha. 

Before Catherine Hawn, Martin was married to Elizabeth Anne “Betty” McDonald in 1941. The couple had four children. Martin and McDonald divorced in 1949 and Dean gained custody of their children. Martin next married Dorothy Jean “Jeanne” Biegger, a former Orange Bowl queen from Coral Gables, Florida. Their marriage lasted 24 years (1949–1973) and produced three children.

ALSO, READ; Elizabeth Anne McDonald: What happened to Dean Martin’s first wife?

What happened to Dean Martin’s Ex-wife?

After they called their marriage a quit, Catherine Hawn somehow disappeared from the limelight to live a private life away from the cameras of Hollywood. Her last appearance in public would be during Dean’s funeral in 1995. According to his obituary published by Variety, Dean’s ex-wives Catherine Hawn and Jeanne were also present at the ceremony. Is Cathrine Hawn still alive? Yes, Catherine Hawn is still alive as of 2024.

ALSO, READ; Dean Martin Grandchildren: How Many Grandchildren Does He Have?

Is Catherine Hawn related to Goldie Hawn?

Catherine Hawn and Goldie Hawn are not related by blood though they share the same last name. While Cathy Hawn gained the public’s attention because of her marriage to the legendary Dean Martin, Goldie Hawn is a celebrated Hollywood actress who has an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film Cactus Flower.