Who is Dee Jay Mathis, James Caan’s ex-wife?

Dee Jay Mathis is an American actress and also the ex-wife of James Caan. Dee Jay Mathis’s ex-husband was an American actor who is known for his early roles in El Dorado, Countdown, and The Rain People before coming into prominence in the 1970s with significant roles in films such as Brian’s Song, Cinderella Liberty, The Gambler, Rollerball, A Bridge Too Far and Alan J. Pakula’s Comes a Horseman.

He gained a much wider audience after he played his signature role in The Godfather, that of hot-tempered Sonny Corleone which got him nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the corresponding Golden Globe. He reprised the role of Sonny Corleone at the end of The Godfather Part II in a cameo appearance.

Dee Jay Mathis: Bio Summary

Who is James Caan’s first wife?

Dee Jay Mathis is the first woman James Caan took to the altar. Although she was the wife of a popular Hollywood actor, not much about Maronesse’s early life is documented. As a result, crucial details such as her actual date of birth and the identity of her parents are not available.

Dee Jay Mathis was an actress

Mathis is known for her career as an actress and has famously starred in Franki and Johnny and The Patsy, the Sun revealed. Although she didn’t achieve her ex-husband, James Caan’s level of fame in the industry, Mathis left a mark in her own way in the industry.

The former love birds have not disclosed any information regarding the circumstances under which they met, fell in love, and got married. However, James Caan and Dee Jay Mathis were married for 5 years. They dated for 2 years after getting together in 1959 and exchanged their vow in 1961 in a beautiful ceremony attended by their friends, family, and loved ones.

Five years down the line, things got sour between the couple even though they looked cute from the beginning of their marriage. Caan and Mathis divorced in 1966. The reason behind their divorce was never made public. Their 5 years of marriage was blessed with a child. Caan and Mathis had a daughter named Tara. Their daughter Tara was born on 5th November 1964. She is 60 years old as of 2024.

ALSO, READ; Tara A. Caan- Facts About James Caan’s daughter

After they called their marriage a quit, Cann moved on very quickly and got married for the second time. Caan’s second marriage was to Sheila Marie Ryan a former girlfriend of Elvis Presley in 1976. That marriage was also short-lived; they divorced the following year but had a son, Scott Caan, who also is an actor, was born on August 23, 1976. Scott Caan’s godfather is Colombo crime family boss Andrew Russo. James Caan and Andrew Russo have been friends since the early 1970s.

Caan once again met and married Ingrid Hajek from September 1990 to March 1994; this marriage also produced a son, Alexander James Caan, who was born in 1991. The Godfather actor married for the fourth time to Linda Stokes on October 7, 1995, they have two sons, James Arthur Caan (born 1995) and Jacob Nicholas Caan (born 1998). They also ended their marriage in 2017, citing irreconcilable differences.

After her divorce, James Caan’s ex-wife, Dee Jay Mathis went out of the limelight to live a private life and also raise her daughter Tara. Much was heard from her since. Mathis has not granted any interviews or made any news headlines in recent years. It is unclear if Mathis ever married again.

ALSO, READ; Ingrid Hajek, James Caan’s ex-wife

What happened to James Caan?

Dee Jay Mathis’s ex-husband Caan passed away on July 6, 2022, at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, at the age of 82. According to reports, he died from a heart attack caused by coronary artery disease. Caan was laid to rest at Eden Memorial Park Cemetery.