Heavy A Hallmark alum has found new love with the widow of a famous actor
Just over a year since the devastating death of his wife, actor John Schneider, who rose to fame as Bo on “The Dukes of Hazzard” in the early 80s and has appeared in multiple Hallmark Channel movies, revealed that he has fallen in love again — a turn of events he never expected.
During an appearance on “Grace Begins, The Podcast” on May 29, 2024, Schneider said, “God sent a widower to a widow and a widow to a widower who (gets) it, who understands. Because I tell you what, I was ready to give it up, all of it — everything.”
Gesturing to his new girlfriend, who was sitting off-camera, Schneider, 64, continued, “Then just when I thought the very notion of dating or holding another hand was repulsive, I met this one, that crazy Dame over there.”
TV Insider has identified Schneider’s new love as actress and podcast host Dee Dee Sorvino, who actor Paul Sorvino’s third wife, married to him from 2014 until his death in 2022, per IMDb.
John Schneider Says He ‘Didn’t Want’ to Find New Love After Wife’s Death
In February 2023, Schneider announced that his wife, Alicia Allain, had died at age 53 following a four-year battle with breast cancer. According to WDBD, Allain revealed on FOX News in 2020 that she’d been diagnosed with Stage 4 HER2-negative cancer and that in her first PET scan, her body lit up “like a Christmas tree.”
After Allain’s death, Schneider shared a Christmas photo of them together on Facebook along with a lengthy message, writing, “This is a time of unimaginable sorrow for me. Grief is much too small a word. I’ve heard it said that ‘with great love comes great sorrow.’ I had no idea what that meant until now.”
Schneider, who has appeared in Hallmark movies including “Come Dance at My Wedding” and “Love By the Book,” told Cathy Cardenas and Catherine Sutherland, the hosts of “Grace Begins,” that he never imagined he would find love again with someone else, but that his new girlfriend kept him from spiraling, calling their connection “a miracle.”
“I can honestly say I didn’t want it,” he said. “I was done. And if that hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have been here, there’s not a chance in the world.”
John Schneider Sang Dee Dee Sorvino’s Praises in the Fall of 2023
GettyJohn Schneider and Dee Dee Sorvino attend the 11th Annual Unbridled Eve Kentucky Derby Gala at The Galt House Hotel on May 3, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Schneider and Sorvino have been seen in public together since the fall of 2023, including at the French Riviera Film Festival in early October, where he told FabTV they’d found a common bond through their grief.
“I’m excited about supporting my friend here,” he said, pointing to Sorvino.
When the reporter asked him to describe the inspiration for his latest album, which was released in November, Schneider said, “Well, it’s not happy. It’s called ‘We’re Still Us.’ It’s about grief, and we’re friends who are mourning. So the new album is for those who understand what that’s about. I’m happy about it, but it’s not a fun, puppy dogs and fluffy clouds kind of a thing.”
In December, Schneider told Fox News that Sorvino was one of the people he opened up to about his grief, after meeting her four and a half months prior.
“I have found that helping other people, talking to other people who have experienced loss is a great, great way to strengthen yourself,” he said at the time. “It’s a great way to get a grip on yourself. So I do that as often as possible, and I encourage people to do the same.”
Explaining his bond with Sorvino, he said, “Paul has been gone about a year and a half so she’d been on this road longer than me.”
The two were also seen together in October 2023 at a party for Aspiring Magazine, though it’s not clear when their friendship turned romantic. On May 3, the couple also attended a Kentucky Derby gala together.