Suzanne Chase is the name commonly used for Susan Hewitt, the first wife of comedian and actor Chevy Chase. They married in New York City on February 23, 1973, and divorced on February 1, 1976. Their marriage covered the period when his comedy career moved toward Saturday Night Live and later Hollywood success. 

Public interest in Suzanne comes mainly from her place in this celebrity history. Her own biography, acting career, and public identity are often described inaccurately. IMDb maintains separate profiles for Susan Hewitt and an actress named Suzanne Chase, so the two should not be treated as the same person without evidence.

Who Is Suzanne Chase?

Suzanne Chase (Susan Hewitt) at a Glance

Suzanne Chase became part of Hollywood history through her marriage to Chevy Chase. People also identified her as Susan Hewitt, while entertainment biographies use both names when discussing his first wife. She was reportedly born in 1949 in the United States, although her public identity does not rest on a documented entertainment career. Media attention has remained focused on the marriage rather than on an independent biography.

Early Life and Background

Susan Hewitt’s early years remain outside the public record. Her parents, siblings, family background, education, classmates, and childhood social circle have not been publicly documented in dependable detail.

She has not used interviews or social media to discuss her childhood experiences or formative years. Reporters therefore have little confirmed material about her early life before she became known as Suzanne Chase. Her continued privacy has kept those personal details away from celebrity coverage.

Suzanne Chase and Chevy Chase’s Relationship

How Suzanne Chase and Chevy Chase Met

No dependable interview describes the couple’s first encounter. Claims that they met through comedy projects, aspiring comedians, or a shared entertainment-industry social circle remain unsupported.

At the time, Chevy Chase was still building his career through comedy writing and performance. Hollywood fame had not yet made him a major subject for entertainment journalists. Their early romance later became part of the wider record of his celebrity relationships rather than a story either person discussed publicly.

Their 1973 Wedding

Suzanne Chase married Chevy Chase in New York City on February 23, 1973. The wedding ceremony took place more than two years before he became an original performer on Saturday Night Live.

No confirmed account identifies the family members, friends, or celebrity guests who attended. Their married life began while he was still seeking stable work in the entertainment industry and developing his comedy career.

Married Life Before Fame

This was Chevy Chase’s first marriage, and it lasted almost three years. Much of their domestic life happened before his broad public success, so their shared responsibilities and private relationship dynamics received little press attention.

His professional ambition was growing, but financial stability in the entertainment world was not guaranteed. He worked through a period of career uncertainty before joining Saturday Night Live in 1975. No reliable account explains Suzanne’s level of support, their personality differences, or how success changed the marriage.

Why Suzanne Chase and Chevy Chase Divorced

The Separation and Divorce

The couple divorced on February 1, 1976, ending a marriage that had lasted just under three years. They had no publicly reported children together.

Chevy later made an affair allegation in Rena Fruchter’s 2007 biography, I’m Chevy Chase… and You’re Not. He claimed that his wife had an affair and left. Susan Hewitt has never publicly answered that account, so it remains his description of the relationship breakdown rather than a jointly confirmed explanation.

What Is Verified vs Internet Speculation?

The marriage date, divorce date, and Susan Hewitt’s position as Chevy Chase’s first wife appear consistently in established biographical records. The 2007 biography provides the main public source for the affair allegation.

Claims about secret disputes, financial pressure, personality clashes, or other causes lack official confirmation. Public records establish the separation, but they do not provide a complete private narrative. A factual account should present the allegation as Chevy’s statement rather than as proven history.

Suzanne Chase’s Career and Public Life

Acting Career and Film Credits

IMDb has an actress profile named Suzanne Chase with credits for Shake Well Before Using and A Trip Down Mammary Lane. The same filmography includes Amateur Lesbians 8 and a role identified as Sorority House Mother.

That page covers productions and video credits from 1990 and 1991. IMDb separately lists Susan Hewitt only through archive footage in the 2025 documentary I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not. No reliable evidence connects Chevy Chase’s first wife to the actress’s movie credits or creative projects.

Public Recognition and Media Attention

Suzanne’s public identity comes from being a former celebrity spouse rather than a continuing Hollywood personality. She has not maintained a visible schedule of interviews or public appearances.

Entertainment reporters sometimes include her in stories about Chevy’s marriages. However, photographers and the entertainment press have produced little recent material focused on her own life. Most media attention still treats her as a brief part of Chevy Chase’s personal history.

Life After Divorce

Choosing a Private Life

After the divorce, Suzanne Chase largely disappeared from public life. She did not build a known Hollywood career, attend regular media events, or use verified social media accounts to discuss the marriage.

Public records do not clearly establish a later remarriage or additional children. Photographs and news reports about her are also limited. Her current status receives attention mainly when publications revisit Chevy Chase’s relationship history.

Where Is Suzanne Chase Now?

As of 2026, Suzanne Chase reportedly remains in the United States and continues to live privately. She has not given recent interviews or made confirmed public appearances.

There is no verified social media profile that provides dependable updates about her current location. Her media absence means public information about her daily life remains limited to older marriage records and brief biographical references.

Why Suzanne Chase Remains a Topic of Interest

Public curiosity continues because Suzanne was Chevy Chase’s first wife during the period just before his rise to fame. Their marriage connects her to the early history of one of Hollywood’s best-known comedy performers.

Her limited public profile has also created mystery. Celebrity culture often renews interest in former spouses when documentaries, biographies, anniversaries, or career retrospectives bring old relationships back into media coverage.

Chevy Chase’s Life After Suzanne Chase

Second Marriage to Jacqueline Carlin

Chevy Chase married actress Jacqueline Carlin on December 4, 1976. The marriage began several months after his divorce from Suzanne.

Carlin was linked to his move from New York to Hollywood after his early Saturday Night Live success. Their second marriage ended on November 14, 1980. They did not have children together.

Marriage to Jayni Luke and Family

Chevy met production coordinator Jayni Luke while making Under the Rainbow in 1981. They married in Pacific Palisades on June 19, 1982, making Jayni his third wife.

Their first daughter, Cydney Chase, was born on January 4, 1983. Caley Chase followed on January 19, 1985. Their third daughter, Emily Evelyn Chase, was born on September 29, 1988. The family has remained together for more than four decades.

Chevy Chase’s Career During and After the Marriage

Chevy joined Saturday Night Live in 1975 and became an early television success. His Hollywood film career expanded with Caddyshack in 1980. He then played Clark Griswold in National Lampoon’s Vacation in 1983.

Fletch followed in 1985 and became another major comedy role. By the late 1980s, he was reportedly earning about $7 million per film and had become one of the era’s most visible movie stars. His television and film career later included many returns to the characters that built his celebrity.

Verified Facts, Public Records, and Common Misconceptions

What Is Actually Known About Suzanne Chase?

The clearest verified facts come from established biographies and entertainment databases. Susan Hewitt married Chevy Chase in 1973 and divorced him in 1976. People identify Suzanne Chase as another name used for his first wife.

IMDb lists Susan Hewitt in archive footage from the 2025 documentary about Chevy. Interviews and media reports do not establish a larger public career for her. Available documentation supports a short marriage history, not the detailed personal biography repeated on many celebrity pages.

Common Myths and Conflicting Information

A reported 1949 birth year often appears in internet biographies, but an exact birth date is not firmly established. Her age should therefore not be presented with false precision.

The names Susan Hewitt and Suzanne Chase refer to Chevy’s former wife in modern celebrity coverage. Susan Chase also appears as an alternative name on the separate actress profile, which may have encouraged mistaken identity. The Hollywood filmography belongs to that actress unless stronger documentation proves otherwise.

Timeline of Suzanne Chase’s Life

Chronological Timeline

The timeline separates Suzanne’s confirmed marriage from the acting career attached to another profile. It also places the divorce within Chevy’s move from television to Hollywood while keeping later filmography claims separate from Susan Hewitt’s public record.

Conclusion

Suzanne Chase, born Susan Hewitt, is best known as Chevy Chase’s first wife. Their marriage lasted from 1973 to 1976, before his biggest Hollywood successes. Her own acting career has not been verified, and IMDb treats her separately from the actress linked to several adult video productions. 

Her privacy has left a limited public biography, but the marriage remains part of Chevy’s celebrity history. A reliable profile should focus on confirmed dates, the divorce record, and the clear distinction between Susan Hewitt and other people named Suzanne Chase.

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FAQs

Who is Suzanne Chase?

Suzanne Chase, born Susan Hewitt, is an American woman best known as Chevy Chase’s first wife and a private former celebrity spouse.

Was Suzanne Chase Chevy Chase’s first wife?

Yes, Suzanne Chase was Chevy Chase’s first wife. They married on February 23, 1973, and finalized their divorce on February 1, 1976.

Why did Suzanne Chase and Chevy Chase divorce?

Chevy Chase alleged in a 2007 biography that an affair caused their separation, but Susan Hewitt has never publicly confirmed his account.

Did Suzanne Chase and Chevy Chase have children?

No publicly documented children were born during Suzanne Chase and Chevy Chase’s marriage; his three daughters are from his marriage to Jayni Luke.

Was Suzanne Chase an actress?

No verified evidence connects Susan Hewitt to the IMDb actress credited in Shake Well Before Using, A Trip Down Mammary Lane, or related productions.

Where is Suzanne Chase now?

Suzanne Chase reportedly lives privately in the United States and has no confirmed recent interviews, media appearances, or verified social media presence.

How old is Suzanne Chase?

She was reportedly born in 1949, which would make her about 77 years old in 2026, though no verified exact birth date is public.

Is Suzanne Chase’s real name Susan Hewitt?

Yes, Susan Hewitt is the name listed in Chevy Chase’s marriage records, while Suzanne Chase is the name commonly used in celebrity biographies.