Arlene Silver’s Longtime Relationship with Dick Van Dyke despite Their 46-Year Age Gap

Arlene Silver "brought a lot of light" into Dick Van Dyke's life after the passing of his first wife; years after they met, the couple's romance blossomed despite their 46-year age gap.

Dick Van Wyke was in awe of Arlene Silver the first time he saw her; the actor and the make-up artist started as friends and worked together before their relationship evolved into something more. The couple often shared pictures and videos of each other on their social media.

They tied the knot in 2012 and have been happily married since. Dick Van Wyke's wife's age was once a concern, but the actor said the age gap was no problem as he loved other qualities about her.

January 28, 2007

Van Dyke and Silver met at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in 2013; Van Dyke said Silver "stopped [him] dead" with her beauty and charm. He had been talking to actress Cate Blanchett when Silver walked passed and decided that for the first time in his life, he would go up to a woman he didn't know and introduce himself.

Silver said she knew Van Dyke from his role in "Mary Poppins"; he sat beside her wearing a bow tie and a big smile while she was powdering her nose when he introduced himself, and they began to talk. Van Dyke said:

"We became great friends, and we're still great friends."

He was still married to his first wife of thirty years at the time and hired Silver as his make-up artist. They worked together for a while, and when his wife died in 2009 after a battle with lung cancer, Silver was there to support him.

Silver would visit Van Dyke after work to check on him; she would bring over food, cook for him and help him around the house with dishes. During this time, their friendship changed into something more, and Van Dyke said he "fell in love pretty hard."

February 29, 2012

On February 29, 2012, the couple tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at a chapel in Malibu near Van Dyke's home; Silver opted for a purple-red dress from Anthropologie over a traditional white one, and Van Dyke wore a black suit for the special occasion.

His publicist complimented Silver and said she was a likable person and that she had a good relationship with her husband. He said she brought light into Van Dyke's life and revealed that he had never seen Van Dyke happier.

September 8, 2012

In September, Silver and Van Dyke had a seafoam circus-themed event to celebrate their marriage; the event was extravagant, with a gymnast performance, a big top circus tent, and hula-hooping. Silver took to social media to share pictures from the celebration, including a snap of her hula-hooping in a white dress on the dance floor.

December 2015

For Van Dyke's 90th birthday, he celebrated with his wife on a trip to Disneyland. Fans joined in on the celebration, and Arlene shared a picture of fans that gathered to sing happy birthday to her husband. At The Grove in central Los Angeles, a flash mob of dancers held a performance wearing a costume and singing songs from "Mary Poppins" in honor of Van Dyke.

March 2, 2019

Silver shared a post on her Instagram page dedicated to her husband, commemorating seven years of marriage. She wore the same dress she married in, and the couple smiled as they cut into a cake.

Silver revealed their relationship was a leap of faith that paid off as their life was filled with laughter and kindness. She wrote in her caption in dedication to her husband:

"I love you so dang much; it hurts."

June 5, 2021

The couple knew how to keep each other entertained and created a TikTok account in 2022. They joined popular social media trends, and their first video was of Van Dyke dancing to "Loser" by Beck. Their content included videos of their cats and Van Dyke serenading Silver.

June 6, 2021

June 6 was a special day for Van Dyke as he was honored at the 43rd annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington D.C. Julie Andrews gave an emotional speech about Van Dyke's lifelong works and impressive acting career.

Later that day, Silver posted a video of herself, Van Dyke, and actor Chita Rivera's daughter, Lisa, singing "Class" from "Chicago." Rivera and Van Dyke performed on Broadway together in 1960. Van Dyke had said of his relationship with Silver:

"I'm just having the time of my life."

February 14, 2022

On Valentine's Day, Silver performed as well as directed a cover of "Everybody Loves A Lover" by Doris day with her husband; the video included Eric Bradley, Bryan Chadima, and Mike Mendyke, and a trumpet solo by Tony Guerrero.

March 6, 2022

Van Dyke revealed his initial worry about how people would react to his relationship with Silver; he never thought he would find love after the passing of his first wife. When Van Dyke found it again, he didn't want people to think of Silver as a gold digger after his money.

Fortunately, "no one ever took that attitude," he said. As for them, their age gap did not bother them. Silver said when they began as friends, she didn't care about his age, which never changed as the relationship progressed. She said:

"He is the most perfect human being. He's just like a happy pill."

Dick Van Dyke and Silver shared an attitude; they had a shared love for singing and dancing, which he said they did almost every day, which was therapeutic for him. He enjoyed how she went with the flow, calling her a "delight."