Chuck Norris Has Five Children - But First Met His Daughter When She Was 26

Mar 04, 2022

Chuck Norris is undoubtedly one of the most famous men in the entertainment industry. Known for his impeccable skills as a martial artist, as well as his work as an actor, producer and screenwriter, Norris is an unstoppable force. His best work, though, is his role as a husband.

Norris met his wife Gena O'Kelley in 1997, and the couple quickly moved forward with the next stage of their relationship when they got married just one year later. They went on to have a pair of twins together, as well as having other children from previous relationships. It was clear, though, that Norris and O'Kelley had a romance for the ages, despite their astonishing 23-year age difference.

Norris has had a very busy and popular career starring in a handful of shows and movies, such as "Walker, Texas Ranger," "The Way of the Dragon," "Invasion U.S.A." and "Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos." As an expert in various martial arts systems, Norris was able to implement these skills and use them to become a highly successful action star. However, he put all of that to the side when his wife became sick.

For a few years during the 2010s, Norris put his career on the back burner while he tended to O'Kelley, who struggled with some very serious medical issues that all stemmed from having multiple MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging) taken. As a result of one of the used substances not leaving her body correctly, she contracted a rare type of heavy metal poisoning. Thankfully, the couple weathered this storm together.

Norris is a family man at heart and counts five children his own. However, he never even knew one of them existed until she reached out to him.

Chuck Norris, real name Carlos Ray Norris, was born on March 10 in 1940. Most people know him as the famous Texas Ranger Walker from Walker, Texas Ranger. He played the role for all 8 years of the series. Aside from this role, he also starred in over 20 action movies, is an acclaimed martial artist, wrote several books which saw him on the New York Times bestselling author list twice and even developed his own martial arts form, called Chun Kuk Do. 

One of the most notable things about Norris is his rise to fame among the younger generations. Starting in 2005, during a time when the star was already taking on less and less movie roles, the internet helped spread his name. Most people have already heard about the so-called "Chuck Norris facts". Many younger people who had never heard of him before were suddenly getting to know the star and his work.

In addition to being the father of a million memes, Norris is also known as "Dad" to three sons and two daughters. Two sons were born during his first marriage to his high-school sweetheart Dianne Kay Holechek. Their marriage lasted for 30 years and ended in divorce in 1989. Norris stayed single for several years before marrying his second and current wife, Gena O'Kelley, in 1998. The happy couple welcomed twins in 2001, bringing Norris's total children count to five.

Michael Ray Morris

As Norris's first-born son, Mike Norris has been diligently keeping the karate champ's legacy alive since the 1970s, which is when he started featuring as a performer in fighting films just like his dad. He's appeared in plenty of cult classics and underground gems, including Dragon Fury II and Babylon 5. In recent years, he entered the world of directing with films such as Mission Air, AmeriGeddon and The Crossroads of Hunter Wilde as per his IMDb page.

Eric Scott Norris

Eric Scott Norris is the second son of Norris and Holechek. Eric also went into show biz, but he primarily works behind-the-scenes as a stuntman. He's gradually learned the ropes of Hollywood, and coordinator roles have led to new projects as a director himself, according to his IMDb page. Thus, Eric is not only following in his father's footsteps, but he's copying his bigger brother as well. On the side, the junior Norris is an avid racing enthusiast.

Dina DiCiolli

It came as a total surprise to his fans and family alike when Norris revealed to the world in 2004 that he had once been unfaithful to his first wife. The star went on to write about the event and how it happened in his autobiographical book "Against All Odds; My Story."

While stationed in California during his time with the U.S. Air Force in 1962, Norris had a short fling with a woman he got to know. The result of this fling was his daughter, Dina DiCiolli. Norris never knew about her until she contacted him in the 1990s. Dina herself realized who her father was when she overheard her mother speaking to a friend. Norris explained that her mother "later confirmed to Dina that I was her biological father but that I was married and had children and she shouldn't disrupt my life."

Dina still reached out a few years later after Norris divorced. Norris stated: "I didn't need DNA or blood tests. I went to her, wrapped my arms around her, and we both started crying. At that moment, it was as if I had known her all my life."

Did you know that Chuck Norris was the father to five children? Pass this on to others who want to know more about the karate star.