Karen Boyer, the widow of the iconic comedian Gene Wilder, has unveiled intimate details of his final moments in a documentary released in theaters on March 15.
In the film titled “Remembering Gene Wilder,” Boyer recounted the poignant exchange she had with Wilder just before his passing. According to People magazine, Boyer revealed that as Ella Fitzgerald’s rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” played in the background, Wilder expressed his trust and love for her. “He sat up in bed and said, ‘I trust you,’ and then he said, ‘I love you.’ That’s the last thing he said,” Boyer shared.
Boyer also shared touching anecdotes about Wilder’s life after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, leading up to his final moments. The couple was married from 1991 until Wilder’s passing in 2016 at the age of 83.
Recalling a memorable moment, Boyer recounted how Wilder, who hadn’t walked alone for a long time, expressed a desire to go swimming just days before his death. “He dove into the pool like he used to… and said, ‘That’s good.’ He went back to bed, and I think he just wanted to get in the pool one more time,” she shared.
Gene Wilder was celebrated for his iconic roles in films such as “Bonnie and Clyde,” “The Producers,” and “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” Boyer, a speech consultant, met Wilder while working on the movie “See No Evil, Hear No Evil” in 1989, and their relationship blossomed after some time, following the passing of Wilder’s third wife, Gilda Radner, in 1989.
