Stacey Weitzman built a career in public relations years before she became known as Henry Winkler’s wife. Her firm represented Beverly Hills retail clients in the 1970s, and one of those accounts is what put her in the same room as Winkler in the first place.
She is best known today for her four-decade marriage to the “Happy Days” actor, her work co-founding the Children’s Action Network, and her role raising three children across two marriages. Beyond the headlines about her husband, Weitzman has a career and a personal history that stand on their own.
Quick profile summary:
- Businesswoman and former public relations firm owner
- Married to actor Henry Winkler since 1978
- Mother of three: Jed, Zoe, and Max
- Co-founder of the Children’s Action Network
- Breast cancer survivor
Stacey Weitzman at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Stacey Furstman Weitzman Winkler |
| Born | November 15, 1947 |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Businesswoman, former PR firm owner |
| Education | University of Southern California |
| Spouse | Henry Winkler (m. 1978) |
| Previously married to | Howard Weitzman (m. 1969–1976) |
| Children | Jed Weitzman, Zoe Winkler, Max Winkler |
| Known for | Wife of Henry Winkler, PR career, philanthropy |
Early Life and Education
Childhood and Family Background
Stacey Furstman was born on November 15, 1947, and raised in West Los Angeles. Her mother, Belvy, taught art and later worked as an elementary school teacher in Santa Monica. Her father, Edward Furstman, served in the U.S. Army before working as a dentist and teaching at USC’s dental school. She grew up with one brother, Scott.
Education at the University of Southern California
Weitzman stayed close to home for college and graduated from USC. Her time there laid the groundwork for the public relations career she would later build in Los Angeles.
Early Interests and Career Aspirations
Weitzman gravitated toward public relations early, a field that suited her connections in Los Angeles retail and entertainment circles. That path eventually led her to open her own firm rather than work under someone else’s name.
Career Journey
Launching Her Public Relations Firm
After finishing school, Weitzman started her own PR firm and built a client roster among Los Angeles retail businesses. This wasn’t a side project attached to her personal life; it came years before she met Winkler and long before “Happy Days” turned him into a household name.
Notable Clients and Business Success
One of her firm’s clients was a Beverly Hills clothing store connected to Henry Winkler’s family. That business relationship is directly responsible for how she and Winkler met, since he came in as a customer while she handled the shop’s public relations work.
Acting Career
Weitzman took on a handful of acting credits over the years, though she never pursued performing as a full-time career.
Movies
She appeared in the drama film “The Touch.” She is also reported to have worked as a casting department intern on the 1995 film “Safe” earlier in her career.
Television Appearances
Weitzman voiced a character on the animated series “As Told by Ginger.”
Other Professional Ventures
Outside her PR firm and occasional acting work, most of Weitzman’s public-facing career since the late 1970s has centred on philanthropy rather than business expansion, a shift that lines up with when her family started growing.
How Stacey Weitzman Met Henry Winkler
Their First Meeting in Beverly Hills
Weitzman and Winkler met in 1976 at a Beverly Hills clothing shop that was one of her PR firm’s clients. Winkler was already a rising star from “Happy Days” at the time.
The Jacket That Started Their Love Story
Winkler came into the shop looking for a sport coat. Weitzman, working the account professionally, ended up helping him find one. What started as a retail interaction turned into the beginning of a relationship that has lasted decades.
Their First Date
Public details of their earliest dates aren’t well documented, but Winkler has spoken about what drew him to her early on. He once described finding someone “intellectual enough to have her own life, and open enough to be in love with me.”
From Dating to Marriage
The two dated for roughly two years before marrying, moving from a chance meeting at a retail shop to a long-term commitment relatively quickly by Hollywood standards.
Marriage to Henry Winkler
Wedding Ceremony in 1978
Weitzman and Winkler married in May 1978 at a synagogue in New York City. Winkler was in the middle of his “Happy Days” run at the time, meaning the marriage began while he was one of the most recognised actors on television.
Building a Strong Marriage
Their marriage has outlasted the vast majority of Hollywood pairings from the same era. In a 2019 red carpet interview, Weitzman was asked about the secret to a lasting relationship and pointed to commitment as the deciding factor, calling herself “the luckiest.”
Their Shared Interests and Daily Life
Weitzman has largely stayed out of the spotlight compared to her husband, appearing publicly mostly to support his projects and industry events rather than build a media presence of her own.
Lessons Behind Their Lasting Relationship
What stands out about their marriage isn’t a dramatic story; it’s consistency. Both have spoken about supporting each other’s separate careers and interests rather than one person’s career absorbing the other’s identity.
Stacey Weitzman’s Children and Family
Daughter Zoe Winkler
Zoe Winkler was born in 1980, the first child Weitzman and Winkler had together.
Son Max Winkler
Max Winkler was born in 1983 and has gone on to work as a film director and writer in his own right.
Son Jed Weitzman
Jed Weitzman was born in 1971 during Weitzman’s first marriage to entertainment lawyer Howard Weitzman. Henry Winkler became his stepfather after marrying Weitzman in 1978.
Life as Grandparents
Henry Winkler has spoken publicly over the years about enjoying his role as a grandfather, though the family has kept most of the day-to-day details of grandchildren private.
Family Values and Relationships
Across interviews, both Weitzman and Winkler have described their household as one built around blending three children from two marriages into a single close-knit family, rather than treating Jed differently as a stepchild.
Philanthropy and Community Work
Co-Founding the Children’s Action Network
Weitzman is credited as a co-founder of the Children’s Action Network, an organisation focused on foster care and adoption advocacy that dates back to around 1990.
Supporting Adoption and Children’s Welfare
Through the Children’s Action Network, Weitzman worked on finding homes for children in foster care and helped support broader child welfare campaigns, including efforts tied to providing immunisations to more than 175,000 children.
Other Charitable Efforts
Weitzman has generally avoided attaching her name prominently to her charitable work, choosing to put her PR background to use behind the scenes rather than in front of cameras.
Stacey Weitzman’s Breast Cancer Journey
Diagnosis and Treatment
Weitzman is a breast cancer survivor. Specific details about her diagnosis and treatment haven’t been made public, and she has largely kept that chapter of her life private rather than turning it into a media story.
Recovery and Resilience
What is known is that she came through the experience and has continued her public and philanthropic life since. Beyond that, there isn’t verified public information about her recovery to report responsibly.
How the Experience Strengthened Their Family
Facing a health crisis together is the kind of event that tends to test a marriage, and by all accounts Weitzman and Winkler’s relationship held up through it, consistent with the long-term stability they’ve shown in other parts of their life together.
Personal Life
Hobbies and Interests
Weitzman keeps a low public profile and hasn’t built out a public persona around specific hobbies or interests the way many celebrity spouses do.
Public Appearances
She appears alongside Winkler at industry events, award shows, and red carpets tied to his career, but rarely gives interviews focused on herself.
Friendship, Family, and Personal Values
People close to the couple describe their circle as loyal and long-standing. One notable example is actress Marlee Matlin, who has spoken about the Winkler family’s support during a difficult period in her life.
Stacey Weitzman’s Net Worth
Primary Sources of Income
Weitzman’s financial history is tied to her PR firm’s earnings decades ago, combined with the shared household finances she has built with Winkler since 1978.
Business and Entertainment Earnings
Her occasional acting credits weren’t a significant income source; they were minor, infrequent roles rather than a career.
Financial Overview
Stacey Weitzman’s personal net worth has never been publicly disclosed. Online estimates for her vary enormously, from around one million dollars to figures in the tens of millions, and some of that confusion comes from articles that appear to describe an entirely different person. Henry Winkler’s net worth has been reported at around $40 million, but that figure belongs to him, not necessarily to a confirmed individual number for Weitzman. Readers should treat any specific net worth figure attributed to her with caution.
Interesting Facts About Stacey Weitzman
Lesser-Known Facts
- She met Henry Winkler through her own PR client, not through mutual entertainment industry connections.
- Her son Jed was four years old when she married Winkler.
- She graduated from USC before building her PR career.
Career Highlights
- Built and ran her own public relations firm in Los Angeles.
- Represented a Beverly Hills retail client that indirectly led to meeting her husband.
- Took on a small number of acting roles, including a voice credit on “As Told by Ginger.”
Inspiring Moments from Her Life
- Co-founding the Children’s Action Network and contributing to child welfare and immunisation efforts.
- Maintaining a 45-plus year marriage in an industry known for short ones.
- Continuing her public and philanthropic life after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Where Is Stacey Weitzman Now?
Current Lifestyle
Weitzman continues to live a relatively private life, staying out of the entertainment press cycle that follows her husband.
Recent Public Appearances
She still accompanies Winkler to select red carpet and industry events tied to his ongoing acting career.
Family Life Today
With Jed, Zoe, and Max all grown, Weitzman’s public life today centres less on raising a young family and more on supporting her husband’s career and her long-running philanthropic interests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Stacey Weitzman?
Stacey Weitzman is an American businesswoman, former public relations firm owner, and philanthropist, best known as the wife of actor Henry Winkler.
How old is Stacey Weitzman?
She was born on November 15, 1947.
What does Stacey Weitzman do for a living?
She previously ran her own public relations firm and has since focused on philanthropy, including her work with the Children’s Action Network.
Who is Stacey Weitzman’s husband?
She has been married to actor Henry Winkler since May 1978.
How did Stacey Weitzman and Henry Winkler meet?
They met in 1976 at a Beverly Hills clothing shop that was one of her PR firm’s clients, where Winkler had come in to buy a sport coat.
When did Stacey Weitzman get married?
She married Henry Winkler in May 1978 at a synagogue in New York City. She was previously married to Howard Weitzman from 1969 to 1976.
How many children does Stacey Weitzman have?
Three: Jed Weitzman, Zoe Winkler, and Max Winkler.
Is Jed Weitzman Henry Winkler’s biological son?
No. Jed was born in 1971 during Weitzman’s first marriage. Henry Winkler became his stepfather after marrying Weitzman in 1978.
Did Stacey Weitzman have breast cancer?
Yes, she is a breast cancer survivor, though specific details of her diagnosis and treatment have not been made public.
What is Stacey Weitzman’s estimated net worth?
Her personal net worth has not been publicly disclosed, and online estimates vary widely and are unreliable.
What movies and TV shows has Stacey Weitzman appeared in?
She appeared in the film “The Touch” and voiced a character on the animated series “As Told by Ginger.”
What charitable organisations has Stacey Weitzman supported?
She is a co-founder of the Children’s Action Network, which focuses on foster care, adoption, and child welfare initiatives.
Where is Stacey Weitzman now?
She continues to live privately, occasionally appearing at public events with Henry Winkler while focusing on her philanthropic work.
Final Thoughts
Stacey Weitzman’s story goes well past being the woman standing next to Henry Winkler at award shows. She built a PR firm before she ever met him, raised three children across two marriages, co-founded an organisation that has helped real families, and did all of it while mostly staying out of the spotlight she could easily have chased.
Her marriage has lasted longer than most in Hollywood not because of a dramatic love story, but because of steady, ordinary commitment over decades. That, combined with her business background and her philanthropic work, is a more complete picture than the “celebrity wife” label suggests.
