Jeff Dunham’s first wife was Paige Dunham whom he married from 1994 to 2010, however, he is currently married to Audrey Murdick and has a total of five children – two biological daughters with his first wife who they named Ashlyn Dunham and Kenna Dunham, Bree, whom he adopted after their marriage, and twin sons from his second marriage (Jack Steven and James Jeffrey).
Comedy has come a long way, giving birth to different styles of presentation. Jeff Dunham has managed to carve out a pretty comfortable niche for himself as both a comedian and a ventriloquist. The style he brings to the table has certainly won him some well-deserved attention and has even landed him roles on some really great shows.
As of 2006, Dunham was among the highest-paid comedians in the world earning an annual income of $30 million. In addition to his incredible talent, Dunham also has his ex-wife Paige Dunham (nee Brown) to thank for his rise to fame. She was hugely involved in his career until their split in 2008 and subsequent divorce in 2012. Together, they built a family of three kids.
Jeff Dunham Bio and Profile Summary
Age/Date of Birth: | 62 years old (18 April 1962) |
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Height: | 6 feet (1.83 m) |
Ethnicity/Race: | White |
Nationality: | American |
Wife or Girlfriend: | Audrey Murdick (m. 2012), Paige Dunham (m. 1994–2010) |
Parents: | Father: Howard Dunham Mother: Joyce Dunham |
Net Worth: | $140 million |
Paige Dunham Was Jeff Dunham’s Wife For About One and Half Decade
Jeff Dunham and Paige’s romance date back to the 90s when the two met for the first time at the Comedy Corner in West Palm Beach, Florida, Paige who was originally born in Savannah, Georgia on March 13, 1968, and was raised in Amelia Island, Florida had moved to West Palm Beach with her family during her high school years and had remained there until adulthood, completing her high school education there at Glades Day School in Palm Beach.
After a whirlwind romance that lasted for three months, Dunham and Paige (nee Brown) were engaged. Two years after their meeting, they got married on May 19th of 1994 in Los Angeles, California. After their marriage, Paige immediately became involved in Jeff Dunham’s fledgling career, putting her degree in business which she earned from Clemson University in South Carolina to use. In the same year that they were married, Paige started an online fan club for her husband. The fan club would prove pivotal in helping the comedian win the 1997 American Comedy Awards for Best Male Stand Up Comic boosting his career to new heights.
Additionally, Paige Dunham would pitch ideas for new shows at meetings and also contribute to materials for his acts. She also wrote newsletters and started an online shop for Jeff Dunham’s merchandise which she created and managed. That was not all, Paige was also responsible for publishing Dunham’s 2003 book, Dear Walter which was based on one of the comedian’s most popular characters. She had established Brasma Publications under which the book was published and also hired an illustrator to make inputs.
Paige was not all just about properly utilizing her husband’s fame for profit, but also put conscious efforts into giving back to society. In 2006 she established the Jeff and Paige Dunham Foundation. The foundation took a dollar from each ticket sold at Dunham’s show and channeled it towards philanthropic activities. Proceeds from Dunham’s memorabilia sold on eBay as well as income from meet and greets she hosted were directed to the same cause. The couple famously donated $35,000 to the Hurricane Katrina relief.
Why Did Dunham And His First Wife Paige Divorce?
It all seemed like the perfect marriage; couples working hand-in-hand and living their dream as they went by, but sometimes, having couples work together can be tricky. By 2008, Dunham’s career had grown to its peak and he was busy travelling the country for shows and with time, this began to take a toll on his marriage as the pair no longer had enough time to spend together. In 2008, the comedian filed for a divorce from his wife after about 14 years of being married. Paige filed for the same and in the same year, their divorce was finalized and they both went their separate ways.
After their divorce, Paige kept her husband’s name and rebranded the foundation she started in his name to Paige Dunham Foundation. She still runs it to this day with a focus on children’s charities. Since her divorce, she has become an advocate for divorced women and has also added film producer to her repertoire. Paige Dunham now helps women navigate the difficulties that come with divorce and break-ups. She has also produced some films including “The Face of Love” (2013) and “Last Days in the Desert” (2015). Paige Dunham’s net worth is estimated at $20 million.
Dunham and Paige Had Three Kids Including An Adopted Daughter
When Jeff Dunham met Paige, she was a single mother raising her daughter Bree whom she had on August 29, 1991, with a man whose identity has since remained undisclosed. After her marriage to Dunham, the comedian adopted the girl who became their first child. Bree maintains a very private life, however, her Facebook page says that she is the community manager at the American Cancer Society and that she interned at the World Affairs Council of Montana. She graduated from the University of Montana in 2015.
Since Bree was already an adult when her parents divorced, there was no case for a custody battle and she most likely split her time between both parents. She is now married and goes by the name Bree Hemphill. Due to the fact that Dunham occasionally shares photos of her on his Instagram page, it is obvious that they have remained close and that the divorce did not have a huge effect on their relationship. In an Instagram post shared in August 2020, the comedian wished his stepdaughter a happy birthday and revealed that she shared the same birthday as his current wife Audrey and that Bree had welcomed her first child, a son, four months earlier.
Paige and Jeff Dunham had two biological children of their own. About a year after their marriage, they welcomed their first biological daughter Ashlyn Dunham on September 11, 1995. Their second biological daughter Kenna Dunham was born on June 19, 1997. Kenna graduated from Campbell Hall High School in North Hollywood, California in 2015. She also attended Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Not much is known publicly about Paige and Dunham’s biological daughters as they have kept a low profile.
Here are Jeff Dunham’s Kids With First Wife Paige
Name: Bree Dunham
Born: August 29, 1991
Name: Ashlyn Dunham
Born: September 11, 1995
Name: Kenna Dunham
Born: June 19, 1997
Paige Was Sued By Dunham’s New Wife Audrey Dunham
Paige Dunham stayed away from the spotlight after her divorce from Jeff until 2015 when it was reported that Jeff’s new wife Audrey had filed a lawsuit against her for cyberpiracy. As the story goes, before Audrey (nee Murdick) officially married Jeff and legally took on his surname, Paige went ahead of her and registered the domain names AudreyDunham.com, AudreyDunham.net, AudreyDunham.us, and AudreyDunham.biz. This was obviously in a bid to prevent Audrey who is a fitness model, nutritionist, and competition bodybuilder from taking her business online.
After making the discovery, Audrey who is also a blogger and pastry chef asked Paige to transfer the domain names to which Paige asked for tens of thousands of dollars in return. Audrey would then sue demanding damages up to $100,000 per domain name stating unfair competition.
Dunham Has Two Additional Kids With Second Wife Audrey Dunham
After Jeff filed for divorce from Paige, he began dating Audrey in 2009, they got engaged on Christmas day of 2011, and on October 12, 2012, they got married at Sunstone Vineyards and Winery in Santa Ynez, California.
In 2015, the news that they were having twin boys surfaced, and on October 11, which happens to be a day before their marriage anniversary, their sons Jack Steven and James Jeffrey were born, two hours apart, bringing the number of Jeff Dunham’s children to 5 including his adopted daughter Bree.
Profile Summary | |
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First Name: | Jeffrey |
Last Name: | Dunham |
Also Known As: | Jeff |
Sex/Gender: | Male |
Profession: | Ventriloquist, stand-up comedian and actor |
Famous For: | 'Late Show with David Letterman', 'Comedy Central Presents' |
Colleges/Universities Attended: | N/A |
Educational Qualifications: | N/A |
Religion: | Presbyterian |
Birthday & Zodiac |
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Age/Date of Birth: | 62 years old (18 April 1962) |
Zodiac Sign: | Aries |
Birth Place: | Dallas, Texas, United States |
Nationality: | American |
Ethnicity/Race: | White |
Country of Residence: | United States of America (USA) |
Physical Attributes |
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Height: | 6 feet (1.83 m) |
Weight: | 78 kg (171lbs) |
Eye Colour: | Blue |
Hair Color: | Brown |
Other Body Measurements: | N/A |
Relationships | |
Marital Status: | Divorced |
Spouse/Partner: | Audrey Murdick (m. 2012), Paige Dunham (m. 1994–2010) |
Family and Relatives |
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Father: | Howard Dunham |
Mother: | Joyce Dunham |
Children: | Kenna Dunham, Jack Steven Dunham, Ashlyn Dunham, Bree Dunham, James Jeffrey Dunham |
Siblings: | N/A |
Other Relatives: | N/A |
Net Worth | |
Estimated Net Worth: | $140 million |
Salary: | N/A |
Source of Wealth: | Showbiz |