Dick Van Dyke’s wife reassures fans after 99-year-old misses event due to illness
30 June 2025, 12:40
The Mary Poppins star was due to speak at an event on Saturday.
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Dick Van Dyke’s wife Arlene Silver has reassured fans after her husband was unable to make a comedy event last weekend.
The beloved Chitty Chitty Bang Bang star was due to host an edition of his Vandy Camp comedy show at Malibu High School on Saturday, June 28, but Arlene had to send apologies on his behalf when the actor couldn’t make it.
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Introducing herself as “not the Van Dyke you’re expecting,” the 53-year-old make-up artist and performer explained: “I have to inform you that Dick is not up to coming to celebrate with us today. I’m sorry,” (via People).
“When you’re 99-and-a-half years old, you have good days and bad days,” she added. “Unfortunately, today is not a good day for him, and he’s sick that he can’t be here.”
She reassured everyone present for the “whimsical” event that she was “pretty confident” the 99-year-old would be back for the next event “in person”, however.
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For this event, Dick Van Dyke still made a virtual appearance via a livestream to say hello to his fans.
The Mary Poppins star will celebrate his 100th birthday this December, and is preparing to release a book to celebrate all he has learnt from his 100 years of life.
100 Rules for Living to 100 will be released this winter, just a few days shy of Dick’s 100th on December 13, 2025.
The autobiographical collection of stories, life advice and “reflections on how he’s maintained good health and a zest for life” promises to reveal the performer’s “secrets for maintaining your joie de vivre.”
One person who has already learnt a lot from Dick’s attitude to life is his wife Arlene, who praised her husband at Saturday’s event for helping make her “a better person” simply by “being around” and being himself.
