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Chuck Norris | Source: Getty Images
Chuck Norris | Source: Getty Images

Chuck Norris Didn’t Need a DNA Test to Accept Daughter He Didn't Know About — He Bonds With His Kids in His Private Ranch

Vanessa Seifert
May 15, 2023
11:00 A.M.

Action hero and martial arts legend Chuck Norris opened up about his daughter, Dina, whom he had while married to his first wife. The actor only found out about her 30 years later and did not even ask for any DNA tests. Now he lives happily with his second wife, Gena, on their mysterious ranch.

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Chuck Norris has had a long and successful career as the most recognized leading man in several action-hero movies. To be exact, he has portrayed a hero in 23 movies and wrote and produced a hit TV show, "Walker, Texas Ranger."

Growing up, Norris did not anticipate being the movie star he was, but he had one person to thank—his mother.

Chuck Norris and his wife Gena O'Kelley in Hollywood in 2002 | Source: Getty Images

Chuck Norris and his wife Gena O'Kelley in Hollywood in 2002 | Source: Getty Images

Norris grew up in poverty with an alcoholic father who moved his family 16 times before the actor was 15. Despite the instability and lack of money, his mother always encouraged him never to give up.

It was because of his Christian mother that Norris constantly believed he had what it took to beat the odds, and he did. Even with millions to his name, his faith stuck with him.

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He remembered when his family faced a crisis that could not be fixed with money but needed him to rely on his faith in God. The actor's wife, Gena O'Kelley, had gone into early labor with their twins. He opened up about this scary night in his memoir, "Against All Odds: My Story."

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At that moment, all the high-profile people he knew and the money he had could not help him, and in both instances of the birth of his children and his poverty-stricken childhood, he stuck to these words: "God has a plan for you," which his mother always said to him.

The action legend had two long-term relationships. He married his high school sweetheart, Dianne Kay Holechek, in 1958 and shares two children with her. But during his first marriage, the actor had an affair with another woman and had another child with her.

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Eventually, Norris and Holechek divorced. Almost a decade after his marriage ended, he tied the knot with O'Kelley in 1998, and they have been married ever since. The couple welcomed twins, to whom Norris is a devoted father.

The actor's firstborn is Mike Norris, whom he welcomed in 1962. Mike was heavily inspired by his father and followed in his footsteps. His first role came when he was a teenager. It was a small part in one of his father's 1979 movies, "A Force of One."

A few years after his first onscreen appearance, he started doing stunt work in many renowned movies like "Rush Hour 3," and in several episodes of his father's show, "Walker, Texas Ranger."

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In addition to his acting and stunt skills, Mike has written and directed a few projects. His latest one was the film "The End of Days: Global Catastrophe." Outside of work, Mike is also a family man. He married his wife, Valerie, in 1992, and they have three children.

The second of Norris and Holechek's children is Eric, who arrived in 1964. Just like his father and older brother Mike, he has done much work in the film industry.

Norris' karate strength and competitive nature have trickled down to his children. Eric has also been part of many films as a stunt man.

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Eric has about 100 stunt credits in films like "The Town," "Agents of SHIELD," and "Sons of Anarchy," but he also dabbled in a bit of acting. He appeared in "Invaders from Mars" and "The Delta Force" as well as on TV shows such as "Prison Break" and "Star Trek: Enterprise."

In addition to acting and doing stunts, Eric is a competitive race car driver. He has participated in 87 competitions and won three. He is also married to his wife, Stephanie, and they have four children.

After divorcing his first wife, Norris and O'Kelley welcomed twins Dakota and Danilee in 2001. The twins stay out of the limelight most of the time, but Dakota starred as Angela Walker in her dad's movie "Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial By Fire" in 2005.

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Dakota and Danilee are both into martial arts, receiving their second-degree black belt in 2015. Norris was proud of his children's achievements and shared the good news on Facebook. He stated that the twins had trained for eight years and finally saw their hard work pay off.

Who Is Chuck Norris' Secret Daughter?

While Norris was still married to Dianne, he had another child with a woman named Johanna after a brief affair in 1962. The child's name was Dina. The actor had kept his affair with Johanna under wraps until he wrote a memoir and went into detail about everything.

He confessed he never disclosed to Johanna that he was married; however, he immediately accepted their daughter when he found out they had one.

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Norris revealed he didn't know that he and Johanna had a child until Dina wrote to him in 1991. The former martial arts legend confessed that his relationship with Dina's mother happened while stationed in California in the US Air Force. According to the actor, he and Johanna only had a brief, passionate interaction at the back of the car.

Meanwhile, Dina discovered that Norris was her father when she mistakenly heard her mother speak about the actor to a friend. This prompted her to contact Norris, who agreed to meet with her and Johanna.

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Even though he only found out years later about Dina, Norris did not doubt that she was his blood. Recalling their first meeting, Norris said:

"I didn't need DNA or blood tests. I went to her, wrapped my arms around her, and we both started crying. At that moment, it was as if I had known her all my life."

"The Missing in Action" star has not only been a dedicated father to all his children but he's been taking care of his wife, who has been suffering from a peculiar illness.

Taking Care of Family on Ranch

Norris and his wife O'Kelley live on a ranch halfway between Navasota and county seat, Anderson. The ranch is not only big, but it is almost magical. The couple discovered that their ranch sat on a well that had been producing water for 23,000 years.

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This well became the foundation for their bottled water company, CForce Water, which started in 2015. The water is packed with the highest PH and is one of the purest and most hydrating water bottles. Norris' water can be found at H-E-B, Tom Thumb, Albertson's, United Supermarkets, and more than 300 convenience stores.

Since discovering the well, the couple built a system that spans 7000 feet with a state-of-the-art pipeline that delivers the cleanest water. The best part is that the water goes untouched since everything happens underground.

Norris’s ranch almost sounds like a mysterious place. Many have wondered how this old-age water filtering system came about in the first place.

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It is suspected that there might have been an active volcano in the area, and the lava hardened into a rock under the ranch. Therefore, the water flowers through to volcanic rock and is transferred into a sustainable aquifer.

Naturally, water coming from wells is packed with minerals, and it comes in its purest form with the help of good old mother nature.

To have a home sitting on an ice age water purifier is something that Norris and O'Kelly consider "a gift from God." The couple has big visions for their business. They hope to use the actor's celebrity status to get internationally distributed and become a big household name.

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The proceeds of this business will also be donated to the Kickstart Kids Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps build children's character through karate. Norris started this foundation in 1990 with the help of former American president George H.W. Bush.

The actor knows that his journey of making CForce Water a household name will not be easy as he already has big competitors like Fiji, Smart Water, and Evian. But he has proven from childhood that nothing will discourage him from this goal.

Aside from his entrepreneurial aspirations, Norris has also been taking care of his wife, who has been suffering from nerve pain and kidney problems.

Chuck Norris' ranch | Source Youtube.com/TODAY

Chuck Norris' ranch | Source Youtube.com/TODAY

The couple believes O'Kelley's illness came from an injection she got before a scan. The mother of two said minutes after the shot, she started to feel a burning sensation throughout her body, which has not been the same since then.

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The 83-year-old actor has dedicated all his time to taking care of his wife. He's also invested millions of dollars in trying to find the best cure for her condition.

The father of five reiterated, "I've given up my film career to concentrate on Gena, my whole life right now is about keeping her alive; I believe this issue is so important."

Chuck Norris' ranch | Source Youtube.com/TODAY

Chuck Norris' ranch | Source Youtube.com/TODAY

The couple said they had spent over $2 million on the illness, and O'Kelley admitted that the experience has been "infuriating and heartbreaking," especially because she and her husband kept it a secret for so long. But they are determined to get to the bottom of it.

O'Kelley also revealed that she spent five months on an IV, helplessly laying in bed. But one person who never left her side was her husband. As they lay beside each other, the mother of two said, “I prayed that I would live to raise my children."

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Norris is an all-around family man. He's devoted to his duties as a husband and a father. On Father's Day, he wished all the dads well on Facebook and wrote, "Being a father is one of God's greatest blessings a man can experience."

Chuck Norris' ranch | Source Youtube.com/TODAY

Chuck Norris' ranch | Source Youtube.com/TODAY

The actor also dedicated a special Father's Day tribute to someone who has helped him on his faith journey—Dr. Ed Cole.

Cole is known as "The Father of Christian Men’s Movement,” which has guided many men on their Christian journey, including Norris. The actor spoke highly of the kind love he felt through Cole's presence in his life and can count many instances where he has shown him deep love.

For instance, Norris remembered he and his wife were having a hard time, and Cole drove from Dallas through a thunderstorm to deliver a simple yet important message that he and his wife needed.

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Chuck Norris' and his family at his ranch | Source Youtube.com/TODAY

Chuck Norris' and his family at his ranch | Source Youtube.com/TODAY

Norris said, "…God had laid on his heart to encourage us to get grounded in the Bible in order to discern between the genuine and the counterfeit in life."

He also credited Cole for helping him become a better father and husband to his five children and will forever be grateful for the positive influence Cole had in his life.

Norris did not have an easy life when he was growing up, and now he and his wife are fighting an unknown illness. However, he has not lost faith through the ups and downs and continues to dream big with his growing water company.

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