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Chuck Norris family: Who is his wife Gena O’Kelley, ex-Dianne Holechek and kids?
Chuck Norris has died at 86, leaving behind his wife Gena O’Kelley and children.
Chuck Norris, the legendary martial artist and action star best known for leading the hit series Walker, Texas Ranger passed away at the age of 86.
He was hospitalized in Hawaii on a Thursday, and the following morning his family confirmed his death. "While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace," his family said in Instagram post.
Chuck Norris' love story- his wife
At the time of his death, Norris had been married to Gena O'Kelley for over 26 years. The two first crossed paths in Dallas in 1997 while Norris was out on a dinner date with someone else entirely.
The very next day, O'Kelley appeared on the set of Walker, Texas Ranger for a small role, and that was all it took. As Norris wrote in his 2004 book Against All Odds: "I invited her to dinner that night... I wanted to get to know Gena better, so I asked her to return to Dallas as soon as possible. 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."
The couple married on November 28, 1998, and built a life together that went well beyond the spotlight.
And in 2001, Norris and O'Kelley welcomed twins, a son, Dakota Alan and a daughter, Danilee Kelley who were born on August 30.
Also Read: Chuck Norris cause of death update: What happened to Missing in Action actor? All on health issues
Chuck Norris' ex-wife: Dianne Holechek
Before Gena, Norris was married to his high school sweetheart Dianne Holechek for 30 years. The two began dating as teenagers at North High School in Torrance, California, in the mid-1950s. They married in 1958 when she was just 17 and he was 18.
In a 1985 interview, Norris recalled: "We went together for almost two years, and she was 15 when I started dating her. I was 16 at the time, and then I married her when she was 17." Before the wedding, Norris even got a tattoo of her name on his arm.
The couple had two sons together, Mike who was born in 1962 and Eric who was born in 1965.
During their marriage, Norris also had an affair in 1962 with a woman named Johanna, as reported by Unilad citing his 2004 book ‘Against All Odds: My Story.' Years later, in 1991, Johanna’s daughter Dina contacted Norris and said she was his biological daughter. They later met and built a relationship.
Despite building a family and career together, Norris and Holechek announced their separation in 1988 and finalized their divorce in 1989.
Holechek died on December 21, 2025 and Norris announced her death on a Facebook saying, “am deeply saddened to share that my ex-wife, Dianne, has passed away.”
Chuck Norris' kids
Norris had five children in total: Mike, Eric, and Dina from earlier years and twins Dakota and Danilee with Gena O’Kelley.Ac
Mike followed his father into acting and stunt work after appearing in films like ‘Rush Hour 3’ and ‘Where the Heart Is’.
Norris is remembered not just for his career, but also for his strong connection with his family, including both his current wife and his former wife.
