Donna Dixon’s Spouse of 39 Years Called Her ‘White Goddess’ Yet Hoped Another Woman Kept His Ring

Donna Dixon’s husband of almost four decades was dumped by his fiancée, but even after he married Dixon, he continued to hope that his ex had kept his engagement ring. Here are a few details about what went down between the parties involved.

Before Donna Dixon married Dan Aykroyd, they found and lost people they had planned to marry. On her part, Dixon had said yes to a member of the band KISS, Paul Stanley, after dating for some years. They broke up just before she started working on “Doctor Detroit,” where she met Aykroyd.

On his part, Aykroyd had been previously engaged to late actress Carrie Fisher. The pair first met when she hosted Saturday Night Live in 1978.

Dan Aykroyd and Donna Dixon are seen on April 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, CA. | Source: Getty Images

However, they did not fall for each other until they met again on the set of “Blue Brothers.” Aykroyd portrayed Elwood Blues in the hit movie, and Fisher played the murderous ex-fiancee of Jake Blue (John Belushi).

Belushi had attempted to matchmake them before filming had taken off, and according to Fisher, it had worked. Things between them became more intense when the actor saved her life when she accidentally inhaled a brussel sprout during dinner.

Carrie Fisher circa 1980 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

Ten minutes after performing the Heimlich maneuver on her, Aykroyd had asked her to marry him. She said yes, partly because she thought it would be great to have a man who had such skills on hand.

Their relationship was a quirky one that was loved by all. She reportedly called him “tuna neck” while he called her his “showboat.” Together, they had many unforgettable experiences, including one that saw them try LSD.

Dan Aykroyd as Tom Snyder, Carrie Fisher as Linda Blair during “Tomorrow” skit on November 18, 1978. | Source: Getty Images

According to Aykroyd, it happened just before the holidays when they flew to Reno, “rented a wagon and checked in for three days of full-on weeping to Christmas classics.” Their romance took the world by storm but ended as abruptly as it began.

The pair called off the engagement while on a trip to Martha’s Vineyard, and on the morning that followed, Fisher flew back to New York to meet her ex-boyfriend, Paul Simon. Aykroyd would later reveal that it had to do with a home they spent the night in during their trip.

Carrie Fisher and Paul Simon. | Source: Getty Images

Fisher and Simon got married in 1983, but the marriage ended less than a year later. They got back together again but split for good in 1991, after which she met Bryan Lourd.

They welcomed a daughter named Billie in 1922, but their relationship ended shortly after. The actress was still single when she passed away from cardiac arrest in 2016. Besides Fisher, Aykroyd has been romantically linked in the past to Rosie Schuster, Lorne Michaels, and Nicolette Larson.

THE FAMILY HE RAISED WITH DIXON

Billie Lourd, Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds pose during TNT’s 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images

Donna Dixon and Dan Aykroyd first ran into each other while working on the “Doctor Detroit” set in 1983, and they got married that same year. They would go on to appear in a series of other feature films, including “Spies Like Us” (1985), “The Couch Trip” (1988), and “Exit to Eden” (1994).

As a couple, they welcomed three children, Belle, Stella, and Danielle, whom they raised while they lived in a 5,000-sq.-ft., Cape Cod-style home. It was built in 1951 and contained five bedrooms, 5.5 bathrooms, six different fireplaces, and a large country-style kitchen complete with staff quarters.

The house is set on lush, isolated, and densely foliated grounds as large as three-quarters of an acre, which was ideal for their small family.

It was leased out to some high-profile stars like John Goodman and Rosie O’Donnell for a few years in the past before it was put on the market for $4.2 million in the late 2000s.

The only interview where Aykroyd spoke about her publicly dates back to 2014 and features him praising Dixon. He said: “You gotta find the right person — look them in the eye, have them look back, and know their soul.”

He also mentioned how great she was as a mother to their three daughters and referred to her as the “White Goddess.” He called himself the “green goblin,” but he also seems to have a great relationship with his daughters.

His words screamed love for Dixon, but Aykroyd still had a tender heart for his former fiancée Carrie Fisher. When she passed away, he chose to write an emotional essay that saw him recount her role in his life.

He talked about how he gave her a sapphire ring for their engagement while she gifted him a Donald Roller Wilson oil painting which he admitted was with him for years until his kids grew afraid of it. He spoke well of Fisher, stating that she was not a “shallow” woman and hoping she kept his sapphire ring.

SEPARATED BUT MARRIED

Actor Dan Aykroyd, actress Donna Dixon and daughters Danielle Aykroyd and Belle Aykroyd attend the world premiere of ‘Jumanji’ on December 10, 1995 at Sony Studios in Culver City, California. | Source: Getty Images

In April 2022, Aykroyd and Dixon announced that they were going their separate ways after almost four decades of marriage. The announcement stunned many, but not as much as the fact that they would not be divorcing despite their separation.

According to PEOPLE, they plan to remain legally married and still share a “loving friendship.” In their joint statement, they said:

“After 39 years as a couple we are now on separate life paths. We remain legally married, co-parents, co-workers, and business partners.”

Actor Dan Aykroyd, actress Donna Dixon and daughter Danielle Aykroyd attend the premiere of ‘My Girl’ on November 3, 1991 at the Cineplex Odeon Cinema in Century City, California. | Source: Getty Images

Aykroyd was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and is best known for his early work on Saturday Night Live before he started appearing on the big screen.

His successful film career includes the “Ghost Busters” franchise, while his most significant commercial successes were recorded in the 1980s.

In 2007, he dipped his finger into liquor sales by founding Crystal Head Vodka, a high-end vodka packaged in a glass skull. Dixon was born in Alexandria, Virginia, and was first known as a model and pageant queen.

Actors Dan Aykroyd and Donna Dixon arrive at the premiere of Sony Pictures’ “Ghostbusters” at TCL Chinese Theatre on July 9, 2016 in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images

She transitioned to the big screens after competing in Miss USA 1976 and Miss USA World 1977, with her earliest role being her major part in the comedy “Bosom Buddies.”

Fans hope that regardless of where their different parts now take them, the pair never lose that “loving friendship” they still share.

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