Why Gilbert Gottfried Didn't Get Married Until He Was 51
The world got the sad news on April 12 that beloved comedian and actor Gilbert Gottfried had died. Gottfried's friend and publicist, Glenn Schwartz, confirmed that the star had died from type II myotonic dystrophy, a genetic muscle disease that can cause an abnormal heartbeat, per NBC News. The star's family also confirmed the sad news via a post on the star's Twitter account, which shared that he had passed away aged 67 after what they described as a "long illness." They added, "In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children. Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert's honour."
Gottfried's immediate family members included his two children, daughter Lily and son Max, and his beloved wife, Dara Kravitz. Gottfried and Kravitz have a bit of an unconventional love story though, as the comedian and actor got married for the first time quite a bit later on in life — at the age of 51 in fact — and the two actually dated for around a decade before heading down the aisle. But what took so long?
True love
Gilbert Gottfried met his wife, Dara Kravitz, at a 1997 Grammys party, but it actually took them quite a while before making things official. They didn't get married until 2007 — and even then things went under the radar. Gottfried somewhat reluctantly confirmed the news of the small ceremony on "The Howard Stern Show" and revealed he and Kravitz were expecting a daughter. He also made it clear he's not exactly the most romantic guy in the world, which could explain why he waited so long to walk down the aisle, sharing they had their honeymoon in San Francisco because he was already performing there.
Gottfriend's friend Penn Jillette also had a theory on why he took so long to tie the knot, saying, per The New York Times, "there were navigation issues in keeping close to him." But Kravitz clearly saw past all that, recalling that she was intrigued during their first meeting when he dropped food on the table and put it back on his plate. "I looked at him, like, 'Who is this guy?' He looked sad and lost and childlike. I thought he was adorable," she shared. And, as they say, the rest is history, with Kravitz admitting, "I knew I'd never find anyone else like him."
The twosome's romance remained very private throughout their years together — until they appeared on "Celebrity Wife Swap" in 2013, that is. The hilarious episode gave us an insight into the laughter-filled relationship the two shared.