Katharine Wilder

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Thu Aug 10 2023
By   Prajwol

Katharine Wilder is the adoptive daughter of See no evil, hear no evil actor Gene Wilder. Wilder rose to fame after her parents got married.

But now, Katharine is popularly known for being the estranged daughter of Gene Wilder. Many people mistake Wilder for the American actress Kathryn with the same surname. 

How Old Is Katharine Wilder? Know Her Age & Parents

Katharine Wilder was born in the early 1950s. As Gene Wilder said, his daughter was around 22 or 23 years old when she left him. Based on this, Katharine must be in her early 70s in terms of age.

Katharine Wilder with her adoptive father Gene Wilder.
Katharine Wilder with her adoptive father Gene Wilder. Source: Amomama

Wilder was born to Mary Joan Schutz and her boyfriend. Later, she was adopted by the legendary actor Gene Wilder after marrying her mother. 

Katharine Wilder Relationship Status: Is She Dating?

Well, the relationship status of Katharine Wilder is a big mystery. She has kept her dating life behind the curtains. Moreover, Wilder tends to live away from the spotlight.

Katharine Wilder and her father dancing at the Tavern on the Green in. December 07, 1976.
Katharine Wilder and her father dancing at the Tavern on the Green in. December 07, 1976. Source: UGC

Maybe, witnessing her parent's love life and divorce made Katharine lose interest in romance. Gene's adoptive daughter might have remained single. 

Katharine Wilder's Parents Love Life

Katharine Wilder's parents, legendary filmmaker Gene Wilder and Mary Joan Schutz, first met through Wilder's sister. Gene's sister was a friend of Mary. Over the course of the meeting, the two started dating each other.

At that time, Mary Joan and Gene had already split from each other's previous relationship. They found solace in each other's arms. While the two love birds were dating, Katharine used to call Gene father.

katharine Wilder parents, Gene Wilder and Mary Joan Schutz during 41st Academy awards.
katharine Wilder parents, Gene Wilder and Mary Joan Schutz during 41st Academy awards. Source: Pinterest

Emotionally moved by this, the American filmmaker, Gene decided to make Katharine's mother his wife. The romantic got engaged in 1966 and a year later, i.e., on October 27, 1967, Wilder and Schutz walked down the aisle.

Katharine was pretty happy with her new family and was living in her dream world. But, unfortunately, her dream world shattered as her parents, Gene and Mary Joan decided to go separate ways.

Yes, in 1974, after being married for 7 years, the husband-wife duo divorced officially. This not only affected, Gene and Mary Joan's relationship but also Katharine's relationship with her adoptive father forever.

Katharine Wilder Estranged Relationship With Father: Gene & Mary Joan's Divorce Reason

Gene Wilder and Mary Joan Schutz's divorce was finalized on 24 November 1980. Although the pair did not make the divorce reason public, Katharine Wilder believed it was due to Gene's alleged extramarital affair with Madeline Khan, co-star from Young Frankenstein.

Despite the divorce, Katharine was still the apple of the eye for Gene but it was now similar for his daughter. Wilder who once adore her adoptive father, Gene, started maintaining her distance from him and soon stopped talking.

Gene Wilder Hoped Katharine Wilder To Read His Memoir

The late legendary filmmaker, Gene Wilder never stopped caring about his adoptive daughter, Katharine despite having an estranged relationship. In 2002, Gene said that it is pretty sad for him that his daughter left him when Larry King asked if he had children.

"Do I? No. I had a daughter and lost her a long while ago. That's too sad a story to go into."

Gene Wilder's memoir Kiss me like a stranger.
Gene Wilder's memoir Kiss me like a stranger. Source: Amazon

Likewise, the Young Frankenstein actor said that he hopes Katharine read his memoir Kiss Me Like a Strange. Although Gene doubted his daughter would read it, he still wished Wilder to pick it up.

In the memoir, Katharine's adoptive father detailed his marriage and career details. It is unsure if the celebrity daughter read the book or not. If she had, then as Gene said, Wilder must have understood why her parents parted ways.

Katharine Wilder Is The Only Child Of Gene Wilder

Like Sandy Yawn, the Late filmmaker Gene Wilder did not share any biological children even though he married four times in his lifetime. So, despite being adoptive, Katharine is the only child of him. It's not like Gene never wanted and tried for babies.

Gene Wilder's nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman.
Gene Wilder's nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman. Source: Pinterest

Katharine's adoptive father, Gene, and his wife Gilda Radner had numerous attempts to have children. The former couple event went through rounds of the IVF process. But all was in vain which ended up miserably. Gilda had two miscarriages.

Nevertheless, Gene raised his nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman as his own son. Jordan is now a film producer and director.

Where Is Katharine Wilder's Mother Now?

The mother-daughter duo has mastered the art of living privately. As for now, Katharine's mother, Mary Joan Schutz whereabouts are unknown. 

Mary Joan had remained out of the spotlight since her divorce from Gene Wilder. Many suspect Wilder's mother, Mary Joan, is no longer in this world.

Katharine Wilder Net Worth: Did Gene Wilder's Daughter Inherited His Will?

As the legendary American filmmaker passed away in 2016, the question raised who inherits Gene Wilder's Properties and net worth? Gene did not have biological children and the only daughter he had estranged him.

Many people thought Katharine Wilder inherits the millions left behind by her adoptive father making her net worth millions too. But, it does not seem to be the case. 

In 2020, Gene Wilder's estate gained attention as Elon Musk revealed the sale of Wilder's former residence purchased in 2013. Reports indicate Musk sold the property to an LLC overseen by screenwriter-producer Elizabeth Hunter, Jordan Walker-Pearlman's wife.

 

 

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