Dan Aykroyd and Donna Dixon have split after nearly 40 years of marriage.
The Hollywood couple announced the news in an exclusive statement to People magazine. Though they didn’t share any details on what led them to the decision, Akroyd and Dixon confirmed they remain “legally married” and will continue a “loving friendship.”
“After 39 years as a couple we are now on separate life paths. We remain legally married, co-parents, co-workers and business partners,” the said. “This is our choice in loving friendship.”
Akroyd, 69, and Dixon, 64, got married in 1983, just months after they met on the set of Michael Pressman’s Doctor Detroit. During their relationship, the couple welcomed three children together: 24-year-old Stella Irene August Aykroyd; 28-year-old Belle Kingston Aykroyd; and 32-year-old Danielle Aykroyd, who is professionally known as singer Vera Sola.
Dixon spoke about her marriage during a 2010 appearance on Fran Drescher Show, explaining what immediately attracted her to the Ghostbusters star and how they managed to make it work for decades.
“Well, remember what makes a great relationship is starting with friendship,” she said told the host, who also starred in the 1983’s Doctor Detroit. “Who do you want to go through life with, but your best friend?”
Akroyd and Dixon have appeared together in total of five films together, 1983’s Twilight Zone: The Movie, 1985’s Spies Like Us, 1988’s The Couch Trip, and 1994’s Exit to Eden. Several years before meeting Dixon, Akroyd was briefly engaged to actress Carrie Fisher.
