Suzanne Chase: Chevy Chase’s First Wife and What Is Actually Known About Her
“Suzanne Chase” is the name most often used online for Suzanne Hewitt, the first wife of comedian and actor Chevy Chase. According to Wikipedia, they married on February 23, 1973, in New York City and divorced on February 1, 1976, a marriage of just under three years. Some sources call her Susan Hewitt instead of Suzanne. She has never been a public figure, and very little else about her life is documented.
That short answer is about all the reliable record supports. If you have seen long “full biography” pages about her, with a birth date, a career and a list of achievements, be careful. As explained below, many of those pages are generic or auto-generated, and some describe an entirely different woman. This guide sticks to what can be sourced and tells you plainly where the record stops.
This article is part of our celebrity biographies coverage, where we apply the same rule to every profile: if we cannot source it, we say so instead of filling the gap.
Quick Facts
| Detail | What we know |
|---|---|
| Name most used online | Suzanne Chase (also Suzanne Hewitt, or Susan Hewitt in some sources) |
| Best known as | First wife of comedian and actor Chevy Chase |
| Married | February 23, 1973, New York City (per Wikipedia) |
| Divorced | February 1, 1976 (per Wikipedia) |
| Length of marriage | About three years |
| Children with Chase | None documented |
| Occupation, birth date, hometown | Not publicly documented |
| Public statements | Reported never to have discussed the marriage publicly |
Who Is Suzanne Chase?
She is the woman Chevy Chase married before he became famous. In Wikipedia’s article on Chevy Chase, his first marriage is listed as to Suzanne Hewitt, from 1973 to 1976. Hello! Magazine’s career timeline gives the same years and the same divorce month, February 1976.
“Chase” was never her professional name. People search for “Suzanne Chase” because that was her married surname while the marriage lasted. After the divorce, there is no public record of what name she used.
She is a private person, not a celebrity. That matters for how we write about her: we cover her only through the public facts of the marriage and do not try to track down personal details such as where she lives or works.
Suzanne or Susan? The Name Question
Sources disagree on her first name. Wikipedia’s infobox says Suzanne Hewitt, while the same page’s body text says Susan Hewitt. Hello! Magazine and several entertainment sites use Susan.
We cannot tell you which is correct, because the sources we checked do not explain the difference. It is possible that “Susan” and “Suzanne” are two renderings of the same name, or that one of them is a simple error that spread. Until a primary record settles it, the safest wording is “Suzanne (or Susan) Hewitt,” which is what this article uses.
The Marriage to Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase was born on October 8, 1943, in New York City, according to Wikipedia. He married Hewitt in New York City on February 23, 1973. At that time he was working as a comedy writer and performer and was not yet a household name.
The couple were married for about three years. The sources we reviewed do not say how they met, where the wedding took place beyond the city, or what she did for a living. Anything more specific on those points, such as her family background or a courtship story, has no source behind it.
The date of the wedding appears on Wikipedia and on several entertainment websites that seem to copy it. Because that is effectively one source repeated, we present it as “per Wikipedia” and not as an independently confirmed fact.
What Was Happening in Chevy Chase’s Career
The marriage covers the period just before and during Chase’s rise to fame, which is part of why it gets so much attention.
- 1973: He marries Hewitt.
- October 1975: He joins the original cast of Saturday Night Live, which was a breakout moment for him. Hello! Magazine notes that he won two Emmys and a Golden Globe for his early work on the show.
- Late 1976: He leaves SNL during its second season to pursue film work.
- 1978 onward: He appears in Foul Play (1978), Caddyshack (1980), and later in National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), Fletch (1985), Spies Like Us (1985) and ¡Three Amigos! (1986), among other films.
So the marriage ended in February 1976, about four months after SNL premiered and while its first season was fresh in the public mind. The timing is a fact. Whether it explains anything about the divorce is something nobody has publicly shown.
Why Did the Marriage End?
The only account that has been widely quoted comes from Chase himself. As reported by AOL, he is quoted in the 2007 biography I’m Chevy Chase… and You’re Not as saying: “She had an affair and simply left.”
Please read that carefully. It is one person’s description of events, given decades later, and the article that reports it says Hewitt has never publicly discussed the marriage. There is no response from her, no court record about the cause quoted in the sources we reviewed, and no independent account. So we cannot say that his version is accurate or complete.
You may also see websites that claim the divorce was caused by “unresolved issues” or by his rising fame. Those are guesses by the authors, not reporting. The honest summary is that the marriage ended in February 1976, he has given one account, and she has not responded publicly.
Chevy Chase’s Three Marriages Compared
| Suzanne (Susan) Hewitt | Jacqueline Carlin | Jayni Luke | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Married | February 23, 1973 | December 4, 1976 | June 19, 1982 |
| Ended | Divorced February 1, 1976 | Divorced November 14, 1980 | Ongoing, per Hello! Magazine |
| Length | About 3 years | About 4 years | More than 40 years |
| Children | None documented | None | Three daughters |
All dates in the table are from Wikipedia, with the general years confirmed by Hello! Magazine. Chase has been married to Jayni Luke since 1982, and they have three daughters. The first wife is the only one of the three about whom almost nothing else is public.
If you are searching for the wife who raised his children, that is Jayni, not Suzanne.
What Happened to Her After the Divorce?
This is where the record ends. The sources we reviewed give no information about her later life, such as whether she remarried, where she lived, or what she did for work.
One entertainment site says no public news about a second marriage has been announced and describes her as living a quiet private life. That is an author’s observation and not reporting, so we cannot treat it as a fact. The absence of public information is not unusual. Someone who was never in the spotlight, and who has not given interviews, usually leaves no public paper trail.
We also have no reliable information about whether she is alive. If a website tells you her age, her current city or her death date, ask where it got that information. We found no credible source for any of it.
Did They Have Children?
No children from the marriage are documented. Chase’s three daughters are from his third marriage, to Jayni Luke.
Net Worth, Age and Other Things People Search For
- Net worth: There is no credible figure. She is not a public figure, and there is no documented career or settlement that would allow an estimate. Any dollar amount on a website is invented.
- Age and birthday: Not publicly documented. Anyone giving a precise date has not cited a record.
- Occupation: Not publicly documented.
- Social media: We found no verified accounts. Be wary of profiles that claim to be hers.
Timeline at a Glance
- October 8, 1943: Chevy Chase is born in New York City.
- February 23, 1973: Chase marries Suzanne (Susan) Hewitt in New York City.
- October 1975: Chase joins the cast of Saturday Night Live.
- February 1, 1976: The divorce is finalized, per Wikipedia.
- December 4, 1976: Chase marries Jacqueline Carlin.
- November 14, 1980: That marriage ends.
- June 19, 1982: Chase marries Jayni Luke.
- 2007: The biography I’m Chevy Chase… and You’re Not is published, quoting Chase’s account of the split.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Suzanne Chase?
Suzanne Chase is the name most often used online for Suzanne Hewitt, who was Chevy Chase’s first wife. She is a private person who has not been a public figure.
When did Chevy Chase marry his first wife?
February 23, 1973, in New York City, according to Wikipedia.
When did Chevy Chase and Suzanne Hewitt divorce?
February 1, 1976, according to Wikipedia. Hello! Magazine confirms the divorce took place in February 1976.
How long were they married?
About three years.
Why did Chevy Chase and his first wife divorce?
Chase is quoted in a 2007 biography as saying she had an affair and left. That is his account only. She has not publicly discussed the marriage, so his account is unconfirmed.
Is her name Suzanne or Susan?
Sources disagree. Wikipedia uses both, and other outlets use Susan. We cannot confirm which is correct.
Did Suzanne Chase and Chevy Chase have children?
None are documented. Chase has three daughters with his third wife, Jayni Luke.
Who are Chevy Chase’s other wives?
Jacqueline Carlin (1976 to 1980) and Jayni Luke (1982 to present).
What is Suzanne Chase’s net worth?
There is no credible figure, because she is a private person with no documented career.
What does Suzanne Chase do now?
Nothing about her current life is publicly documented.
Is there a reliable full biography of Suzanne Chase?
No. Only a handful of facts about the marriage are documented. Long biographies online are mostly padded or unsourced.
