The two first met on the sets of Fox News and got married in 2015.
Paul Sorvino, known for his roles in Goodfellas and Law & Order, has passed away at the age of 83 from natural causes, his wife said in a statement. Per The List, he has been suffering from health issues over the last several years.
"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," said Sorvino's wife, Dee Dee Benkie, in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter. She was right beside him when he took his last breath.
Apart from the official statement, Benkie also shared a heartbreaking tribute to her late husband on her Twitter handle. "I am completely devastated. The love of my life & the most wonderful man who has ever lived is gone. I am heartbroken," she wrote, along with three photos of them together.
I am completely devastated
— Dee Dee Sorvino (@deedeegop) July 25, 2022
The love of my life & the most wonderful man who has ever lived is gone . I am heartbroken ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/0wBSG3uTgD
Before settling down with political strategist Benkie, Paul Sorvino was married twice. The couple first met on the sets of Fox News, where Benkie appeared after Sorvino.
"She took the chair after me ... I went nuts as soon as I saw her," he said, per Fox News. "She's wearing this beautiful blue dress and she had an aura around her ... I said, 'Oh my God, that — this is gonna be for me.'"
Soon they had their first date, at the famous Del Frisco's steakhouse. During the course of their romantic evening, Sorvino recalled feeling an instant connection with Benkie, a former political aide to President George W. Bush.
"At a certain part, I realized she didn’t hate me," he joked. When asked why Benkie chose Sorvino, she had an immediate response. "He’s the true renaissance man," she said, adding that he's a "wonderful cook, very sweet, so smart, he sings, plays the piano … "
NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Sorvino, who acted on both sides of the law in 'Goodfellas' and on 'Law & Order,' has died at age 83. pic.twitter.com/Da0Es6W6RB
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) July 25, 2022
The two got married in 2015, in a simple ceremony.
"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," he said.
The wedding was very intimate and they only let their family know after the ceremony. "The plan was, if we told one person, we’d have to tell everybody," Sorvino said. "As soon as the ceremony was over, I started calling my family and telling them."
Sorvino and Benkie remained married until his death. He is survived by three children from his previous marriage.
Paul Sorvino, Actor in ‘Goodfellas’ and ‘That Championship Season,’ Dies at 83 https://t.co/SJpmqtEfjB
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) July 25, 2022
References:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/paul-sorvino-dead-goodfellas-1235185779/
https://twitter.com/deedeegop/status/1551631748953522176
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Emma McIntyre / Staff
