How old is Dee Dee Benkie? All about Paul Sorvino's wife as Goodfellas star dies aged 83

Goodfellas star Paul Sorvino passed away on July 25, 2022, at 83. He reportedly took his last breath at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and died due to natural causes following a battle with a string of health issues over the past few years.

His daughter, Oscar Award-winning actress Mira Sorvino, announced the news of his demise on social media:

Sorvino's wife Dee Dee Benkie (55) also confirmed the news of his passing in an official statement that read:

“Our hearts are broken. There will never be another Paul Sorvino, he was the love of my life, and one of the greatest performers to ever grace the screen and stage. I am completely devastated. The love of my life & the most wonderful man who has ever lived is gone. I am heartbroken.”

Benkie and Sorvino tied the knot in 2014, and the former reportedly remained by her husband's side at the time of his death. In addition to Benkie, Paul Sorvino is also survived by his children Mira, Amanda, and Michael, as well as several grandchildren.

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Paul Sorvino's wife Dee Dee Benkie was a prominent politician

Paul Sorvino and Dee Dee Benkie tied the knot in 2014 (Image via Getty Images)

Dee Dee Benkie is a former radio personality and actress with a prominent career in politics. She reportedly served as the chairman of the Republican National Convention and was also an aide to former US President George W. Bush.

She was born on November 9, 1966, in Indiana as Denessa Purvis Benkie and is currently 55. As per IMDb, Benkie has been part of several national and global TV and radio programs for networks like Fox News, BBC, CBS, Comedy Central, and Al Jazeera, among others.

Benkie also starred in films like Bad Impulse, My Jurassic Place, Price for Freedom, Acts of Desperation, Bad Blood, Sicilian Vampire, and Welcome to Acapulco. She even appeared in the award-winning documentary Electoral Dysfunction.

The media personality won an Emmy Award for hosting the international talk show Fresh Outlook on EBRU TV. She also received the Best Talk Show Host award in Indianapolis from NUVOnewsweekly for contributing to the Six-Thirty PM news magazine.

Benkie also ventured into stand-up comedy and is known for performing at the famous Vitellos supper club. The former actress first met Paul Sorvino in 2013 during their Fox News interview for Your World With Neil Cavuto.

Speaking about their meeting, Sorvino once told the LA Times that he was mesmerized the first time he came across Benkie:

“She took the chair after me... I went nuts as soon as I saw her. She's wearing this beautiful blue dress, and she had an aura around her. I said ‘Oh my God, that- this is gonna be it for me.’”

Sorvino and Benkie's whirlwind romance began when they eloped the following year and got married at the Lincoln Center in New York City in 2014. The couple shared their love story with the world in 2015 after reappearing on the Fox News show they first met.

The Law & Order actor told Neil Cavuto at the time:

“We eloped standing in front of the fountain at Lincoln Center where I have sung at the MET, and I have sung at the New York City Opera.”

Sorvino also shared that the pair informed their family about their secret wedding after the ceremony was over, while Benkie confirmed that their loved ones were happy:

“The plan was, if we told one person, we’d have to tell everybody. As soon as the ceremony was over, I started calling my family and telling them.”

The pair also shared that they went on their first date at Del Frisco's steakhouse before Benkie gushed about her husband:

“He’s the true renaissance man... wonderful cook, very sweet, so smart, he sings, plays the piano.”

Following their wedding, Dee Dee Benkie took Paul Sorvino's last name and became the stepmother to his three children.

Benkie and Sorvino also published the bestselling cookbook Pinot, Pasta & Parties together and appeared on several talk shows and magazine features like The Talk and Forbes.