Meet Dee Jay Mathis, James Caan’s Ex-wife

Dee Jay Mathis is the former wife of James Caan, the late iconic American actor. She was born in 1941 and is a former dancer and actress.

Their romance began in the late 50s when they were both striving to pull off a breakthrough in the entertainment industry. They dated for a while and eventually got married in 1961. Dee and James had one child together, a daughter named Tara. Their marriage lasted for half a decade as they divorced in 1966.

Mathis was the first wife of James Ca an who went on to become an incredibly successful actor. He also subsequently got married to three women. The same can’t be said of Dee who disappeared from the limelight after the divorce. She has been living a quiet life since then and has stayed off the radar. The death of Caan in July 2022 resurrected her name and has left many curious about her whereabouts and what she has been up to.

What is Dee Jay Mathis’ Age?

Dee Jay Mathis is 83 years old at the moment. According to records, she was born in the year 1941 and is a year younger than her late ex-husband. It is no secret that James Caan was born on the 26th of March 1940. He died at the age of 82 on the 6th of July 2022. While he was born in New York City, Dee’s place of birth was in Union, a town you would find in New Jersey.

Of course, Dee is a citizen of the United States of America and she belongs to the Caucasian ethnic group. Although she became known as Dee Jay Mathis, her name at birth was Dorothy Jeanne Mathis. Outside of these facts, there is hardly anything else to tell about her early life, upbringing, and family background. Some reports suggest she is the only child of her parents but others indicate that she has at least one sister. If she indeed has a sister, her name is not known. This is also the case for her parents who must have passed on.

It is believed that James Caan’s first wife spent most of her early life in New Jersey. Though her educational attainments are not known to the public, she must have at least completed her high school education. What is certain is that she decided to pursue a career as an entertainer at some point during her teenage years. She was particularly drawn to dancing and other forms of performing arts. To actualize her dream, she relocated to Los Angeles in the 50s seeking opportunities in the industry.

She Became James Caan’s Wife in 1961

Dee Jay Mathis and James Caan got married in 1961 after dating for just over a year.  They reportedly began dating sometime in 1959 after they met in Los Angeles. At the time, neither of the two was famous. While Dee had recently moved to Los Angeles to kick start her career, Caan was a struggling actor attending acting school. Possibly buoyed by their Hollywood dreams, they became friends and it soon turned into a romantic relationship.

They dated for just over a year before they decided to become life partners and got engaged. They eventually exchanged marital vows sometime in 1961. Their wedding took place in Los Angeles and was witnessed by close friends and family members.

How Long Was Dee Jay Mathis James Caan’s Wife

Dee Jay Mathis and James Caan’S union only survived five years. They welcomed their only child together, a daughter named Tara, three years into their marriage, precisely on the 5th of November 1964.

Barely two years after the birth of their daughter, Mathis and Caan decided to end their marriage. Their divorce was quite a shock to many as it was believed that they were happily married. Because of this, people were curious about what might have led to the end of their marriage.

Why Did James Caan and Dee Jay Mathis Get Divorced?

It is unclear what led to their divorce but reports have it that they amicably ended their marriage. Neither of the two commented on why they parted ways but there have been speculations regarding the issue. According to some reports, their relationship deteriorated as James Caan’s career picked up. After his breakthrough, Caan began receiving more roles and his busy schedule got in the way of what he had with Dee and they drifted apart.

There are claims of infidelity as well. It is said that James became involved with other women after he gain mainstream popularity, neglecting his wife. It is imperative to specify that these are just speculations. Dee, to the best of our knowledge, never accused James of cheating. Whatever happened between them was never shared with the public and has remained a secret.

What Does James Caan’s Former Wife Do for a Living?

Dee Jay Mathis has stayed off the radar for so long that it is hard to tell what she currently does for a living. Be that as it may, she was once active in the entertainment industry as a dancer and an actress. She made appearances in a few television and stage shows. One of her notable works was the Mitch Miller Show; she performed in the show as a dancer around 1959.

That same year, she performed as a member of the original dancing ensemble of a stage production titled First Impressions. In addition to that, she reportedly held an understudy position for Kitty Bennett, one of the characters of the play. In all, she was able to make a mark in her own little way in the entertainment industry. But compared to her late ex-husband, her career leave much to be desired.

James Caan was active in the industry for over 60 years and portrayed numerous characters across multiple movies and television shows genres. He had a highly-decorated career and was active until the year he passed. His roles in productions like The Godfather, The Gambler, Funny Lady, Rollerball, Misery, Brian’s Song, and The Glory Guys earned him nominations for coveted awards like the Golden Globe, Academy Award, Primetime Emmy Award, and Saturn Award.

Dee Jay Mathis’ Movies

Title	Year	Role
Jeepers Creepers: Reborn	2022	fabricator: UK (as Nicola Mallett)
Strigoi	2009	special makeup effects artist
Mutant Chronicles	2008	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
Lump	2006	makeup designer
Dracula (TV Movie)	2006	special makeup effects artist
Creep	2004	makeup artist
Homecoming (Short)	2003	makeup designer

 

TV Series

Title	Year	Role
Holby City	2000–2010	prosthetics supervisor prosthetics assistant special makeup effects artist
Dead Ringers	2006	special makeup effects artist
Jonathan Creek	2004	trainee make-up & hair

Where is Dee Jay Mathis Now?

Dee Jay Mathis’ whereabouts has remained unknown to the public but it is believed that she lives somewhere in the United States of America. She disappeared from the limelight after her divorce from James Caan and has stayed off the radar since then.

But given that she was only 25 years old when she divorced James Caan, it is possible that she got married again and had more kids. While she fully embraced living a quiet life after her divorce from her first husband, James Caan became more popular.

He went on to marry three more women: Sheila Marie Ryan from 1976 to 1977, Ingrid Hajek from 1990 to 1995, and Linda Stokes from 1995 to 2017.