David Claessen is Whoopi Goldberg’s ex-husband. But more than that, Mr. Claessen is a distinguished Dutch artist, cinematographer, and director. His career has seen him work with some of the big names in the entertainment industry, and he is, in every sense, “a big name” himself when it comes to film directing.
Summary of David Claessen’s Bio
- Full name: David Edward Sauerbier von Hochfeldt
- Gender: Male
- Date of birth: 6th March 1959
- David Claessen’s Age: 65 years old
- Ethnicity: Caucasian
- Nationality: Dutch
- Zodiac Sign: Pisces
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Religion: Christianity
- Marital Status: Married
- David Claessen’s Wife: Taiye Selasi (2013 to present), Karen Green (1992-2002), Whoopi Goldberg (1986-1988)
- David Claessen’s Height in Inches: 5 feet 9 inches
- David Claessen’s Height in Centimetres: 175cm
- David Claessen’s Net worth: $1 million
- Famous for: being one of Whoopi Goldberg’s Ex-husbands
- David Claessen’s Instagram: @david.claessen
- Twitter: @dclaessen
How Old is David Claessen?
David Claessen is 65 years old in 2024. He was born into an ethnically diverse family that had their abode in Haarlem, Netherlands, in 1959, specifically on the 6th of March. David’s father, who is from Massachusetts, was a retired two-star general in the US Army, while his mother is most likely an Asian as she is reportedly from Surabaya, Indonesia.
As of this year, David Claessen is 65 years old and has had quite an adventure pursuing and attaining some of his life goals, including getting married to Whoopi, who, at the time, was the love of his life (albeit briefly).
Growing up, Mr. Claessen was probably raised in his birth country, but he has not specifically given an insight into what his childhood life was like. Be that as it may, it is on record that at a time, he schooled at The Netherlands Film Academy (NFA) in Amsterdam. The school was established (in 1958) a year before he was born in 1959. NFA boasts of notable alumni like Jan de Bont, Theo van de Sande, Paul Verhoeven, and others.
David Claessen Shot His First Film in 1981
While still studying at the NFA in Amsterdam, David Edward Sauerbier von Hochfeldt worked on his first film, The Hamburger Theory. The film was a remarkable success, and it ended up earning David top honors at the Munich and Tours film festivals that year.
As time went on, David got an opportunity to work as a camera operator for French film director Henri Alekan for the film A Strange Love Affair and also on Zed and Two Naughts with Sacha Vierny. Working with these two great men at such a time in his career gave David Claessen an opportunity to learn from some of the best and get the much-needed morale boost to aspire higher in his cinematography career.
He Had His Career Breakthrough in The 80s
In realization of this dream, in 1983, he landed the role of Director of Photography for the French Film Haute Mer, which was directed by the legendary Argentinean director Eduardo Cozarinsky. It was after this project that David Claessen began considering seeking greener pastures in the USA, and he did find more than that as he relocated in 1986.
He first met Whoopi Goldberg while working on the documentary titled Who Are They? In the years that followed, David landed gigs primarily on commercials with companies like Cadillac, Google, and Nike. He also secured jobs on music videos with artists like Snoop Dogg, Aaliyah, Jay Z, Britney Spears, and others.
In the ’90s, dogged David Edward Sauerbier von Hochfeldt didn’t put all his eggs in one basket as he also began working on films with notable artists. Some of his most prominent film works at that time were with the likes of Tyler Perry (Diary of A Mad Black Woman), Julie Dash (Daughters of the Dust and The Rosa Park Story), and Darren Grant (Make it Happen).
David Claessen Movies and TV Shows
| Title | Role | Year of Release |
| Back to School Mom | Cinematographer | 2015 |
| The Hustle | Cinematographer | 2013 |
| Back Nine | Cinematographer | 2010 |
| In The Drink | Cinematographer | 2010 |
| Make It Happen | Cinematographer | 2008 |
| Diary of a Mad Black Woman | Director of Photography | 2005 |
| The Rosa Parks Story | Cinematographer | 2002 |
| Love Song | Cinematographer | 2000 |
| Cool Crime | Cinematographer | 1999 |
| Getting In | Cinematographer | 1994 |
| The Battle for Gold | Cinematographer | 1988 |
| The Telephone | Cinematographer | 1988 |
| Haute Mar | Cinematographer | 1985 |
| Freek de Jonge: Stroman en Trawanten | Cinematographer | 1984 |
David Claessen and Whoopi Goldberg Met and Married in 1986
David Claessen, as earlier mentioned, met Whoopi Goldberg while working on a film in 1986. Though tidbits of how they quickly took a liking to each other have not emerged, and perhaps never will, we know for certain that by September 1986, the two had officially become one husband and wife.
For the Dutch cinematographer, it was his very first marriage, while for the American actress, it was her second, as she had previously married Alvin Martin in 1973 but divorced him in 1979. While they seemed like a couple who would spend forever together, tragedy soon struck their union, as barely two years into the marriage, the couple called it quits.
For Whoopi, we have come to learn that she never loved the men she married, but on the part of Mr. Claessen, no disclosure has been made as to why their marriage failed in less than 24 months. Apparently, Whoopi’s revelation is enough to stifle the love that might have led David into the marriage.
David Claessen is now Married to Taiye Selasi
Following the dissolution of his marriage with Whoopi Goldberg, David Claessen remained single in the few years that followed, but by 1992, he became the husband of Karen Green. She is a London-based photographer and writer.
The duo got married on the 16th of May and remained until the 22nd of October 2002, when they divorced. About 11 years after his marriage with Karen ended, Mr. Claessen married Taiye Selasi, a British-American writer and photographer, on the 13th of August 2013 and has remained married to her to date.
Though neither of the couple readily gives an insight into what happens in their home, it is believed that they are having a blossoming marital life as they have not been involved in any marital controversy, at least none that we know of.
How Many Children Does David Claessen Have?
While married to Whoopi Goldberg, David Claessen did not have any child with her. Similarly, when he was with Karen Green, he didn’t have any child with her either, as reports have it, and neither is he reported to have had a child with his third wife.
However, he has been seen a couple of times sharing pictures on his Instagram page with a young girl (as shown above). It is being speculated that she might probably be his child, but he has not shared any information about her or another publicly.
Where Is David Claessen Now?
Currently, David Claessen lives in New York, and because of the nature of his job, he frequents big cities like Rome in Italy, Los Angeles in California, and others. He is also still carrying out his job as a cinematographer, as his portfolio evidently shows.
He is also believed to be living happily with his 3rd and current wife, Taiye Selasi. The couple rarely shares any content about their marriage on social media, not even vacation pictures.
FAQs
Who is David Claessen?
David Claessen is Whoopi Goldberg’s ex-husband. Mr Claessen is an accomplished Dutch artist, cinematographer, and director who was born on 6th March 1959
How Many Spouses Has David Claessen Married?
David Claessen has married three spouses, namely Taiye Selasi, Karen Green, and Whoopi Goldberg. A timeline of these marriages is given below;
- Taiye Selasi (13th of August 2013 – date)
- Karen Green (16th of May 1992 to the 22nd of October 2002)
- Whoopi Goldberg (1st of September 1986 to October 1988)
How Many Children Does David Claessen Have?
It is not known how many children David Claessen has. He has, however, shared pictures of himself with a young girl who may be his daughter.