Dan Aykroyd and his wife Donna Dixon announced Friday that they were separating after 39 years of marriage.
The Ghostbusters star, 69, and his wife, 64, are now on “separate paths in life,” they said in a statement to People.
Despite going their separate ways, Aykroyd and Dixon remain legally married for now, insisting they still have a “loving friendship”.
‘Separate lives’: Dan Aykroyd, 69, and his wife Donna Dixon, 64, announced Friday they were separating after 39 years of marriage, although they remain legally married; Seen in Hollywood in 2016
“After 39 years as a couple, we are now going our separate ways. We remain legally married, co-parents, employees and business partners,” the former couple shared in their statement.
‘This is our choice in loving friendship.’
The pair were introduced on the set of the cult comedy Doctor Detroit, which Dan directed and Donna played a supporting role.
The film was made in 1982 and they married in 1983, the year of its release.
The end: “After 39 years as a couple, we are now going our separate ways. We remain legally married, co-parents, employees and business partners,” the former couple wrote. ‘This is our choice in loving friendship’; Seen in Hollywood in 2015
The pair would continue to co-star in subsequent films, including the omnibus horror film Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) – although they did not appear in any scene together – and the comedies Spies Like Us (1985), The Couch Trip ( 1988) and Exit to Eden (1994).
Dan and Donna had three daughters: 32-year-old Danielle Aykroyd, who performs as a singer-songwriter under the name Vera Sola, along with Belle, 28, and Stella, 24.
Before beginning his long-term relationship with Donna, Dan was briefly engaged to the late Carrie Fisher, whom he popped the question during filming of 1980’s The Blues Brothers, although she later called it off after reuniting with her ex Paul Simon.
In a 2014 interview with the Tampa Bay Times, Aykroyd explained what intrigued him about his wife.
“You have to find the right person — look them in the eye, let them look back and know their soul,” he said. ‘She’s an understanding Southern woman who doesn’t mind dealing with the boys from time to time. I call her the White Goddess. And I am the green demon.”
Work Romance: After meeting in Doctor Detroit in 1983, Dan and Donna starred in Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), Spies Like Us (1985), The Couch Trip (1988), and Exit To Eden (1994); Dan and Donna appear together in The Couch Trip
Comedy Icon: Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Aykroyd is best known for his early stint on Saturday Night Live before transitioning to a successful film career that spanned the Ghost Busters franchise; Seen in London in 2003
Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Aykroyd is best known for his early stint on Saturday Night Live before moving on to a successful film career that spanned the Ghost Busters franchise, in which he starred with Bill Murray, Harold Ramis and played Ernie Hudson.
He had his greatest commercial success in the 1980s, but he has continued to work steadily in recent decades.
In 2007, he branched out into selling spirits by founding Crystal Head Vodka, a high-end vodka bottled in a glass skull.
Born in Alexandria, Virginia, Donna got her start as a model and pageant queen.
After competing at Miss USA 1976 and Miss USA World 1977, she branched out into acting, with an early role being her starring role in the comedy Bosom Buddies, starring Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari.
Pageant star: After competing at Miss USA 1976 and Miss USA World 1977, she branched out into acting, with an early role being her starring role in the comedy Bosom Buddies, starring Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari; seen together in New York City in 1998