Catherine Hawn: “The King of Cool” Dean Martin’s Third Wife, Held a Luxurious Wedding for Her, Why Did They Divorce after 3 Years?
Catherine Hawn, born on November 30, 1947, became widely known after her marriage to the legendary entertainer Dean Martin.
Before entering the glamorous world of Hollywood, Catherine maintained a private life, working as a receptionist at a hair salon in Beverly Hills, California.
However, that didn’t last for long. Her life took a dramatic turn when she caught Dean Martin’s eyes after having met him through mutual friends.
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But how long did their marriage last? And was Catherine Hawn able to return to her private life after the divorce, or was it long gone? That’s what we’re about to find out!
Catherine Hawn: Life With the Sensational Dean Martin
Dean Martin was already a renowned public figure when he met Catherine Hawn. He owned the stages as a singer, actor, and comedian, gaining himself the well-deserved nickname, The King of Cool.
The couple met in the 1970s, and their budding romance didn’t go unnoticed by the media. Shortly after, they decided to marry, but that wasn’t Martin’s first rodeo.
He was married twice before he met Catherine to Elizabeth Anne McDonald and Jeanne Biegger. In fact, Martin divorced Jeanne Biegger the same year he married Catherine Hawn—in 1973.
Catherine and Dean’s wedding took place on April 25, 1973, and it was extravagant, to say the least. It’s said to have cost about $100,000, which was a significant amount of money back in the day.
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Some of the wedding’s luxurious details were lavish decor, flowers flown from France specially for the day, and 22 cages of white doves that got released during the ceremony. The wedding was attended by many Hollywood elites, including Frank Sinatra.
The End of a Spectacle
When they got married, Dean Martin was 55 years old, while Catherine Hawn was 26 years old. This age gap, along with their different lifestyles, led to many issues between them.
Martin had seven children from his previous relationships, which built an emotional distance between him and Hawn as a result of scattered priorities.
Hawn also had a daughter called Sasha, and although Martin adopted her legally after the marriage, it did little to save their relationship from an inevitable end.
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What further contributed to the emotional gap between Martin and Hawn was his lingering feelings for his ex-wife, Jeanne Biegger. Although he didn’t act upon them while married to Hawn, he reconciled with Biegger shortly after the divorce, showing how attached he was to her.
Although their wedding was a spectacle to be remembered, their marriage faded like sunlight at the end of the day. Dean Martin’s charm and commitment to being a family man weren’t enough to salvage his and Hawn’s fracturing relationship.
Catherine Hawn: Life After Separation
After three years of a problematic marriage, Dean Martin and Catherine Hawn decided to part ways, and their divorce was finalized in 1976. Although their relationship had become public because of Martin’s fame at the time, they didn’t disclose the reason for their divorce.
That said, many reports suggested that the main reason for their separation was Martin’s feelings for Jeanne Biegger.
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While Martin returned to his glamorous fame life after the divorce, Hawn retreated back into the shadows, seeking some quiet after the loudness of her divorce. Unlike many celebrity ex-wives before her, Hawn didn’t pursue any careers in the entertainment field or look for a way back into the spotlight.
There’s very little information regarding Hawn’s life after the divorce, but it’s a known fact that her daughter, Sasha, maintained a healthy relationship with her adoptive father, Martin, and his biological children.
It isn’t even known whether Hawn returned to her old job as a receptionist or not. Catherine Hawn’s last public appearance was at Dean Martin’s funeral in 1995.
Conclusion
If it hadn’t been for her short marriage to Dean Martin, we probably would have never heard the name Catherine Hawn. However, although the marriage shone a spotlight on her life, it was as fleeting as most celebrity marriages.
Today, Catherine Hawn is remembered as the third wife of Dead Martin, a woman who, for a brief moment, was part of a legendary Hollywood love story.