Where Is Paul Reubens’ Alleged Wife Chandi Heffner Now?

Chandi Heffner got the title of ‘alleged wife’ of the late actor Paul Reubens famous as Pee-wee after they had a ‘mock marriage’ in the late 80s. Reubens met Chandi via a mutual friend but unlike rumors have it, their romance never bloomed.

Aside from those relationship talks, Heffner became a media talk with her connections to a billionaire family. She is the adopted & later negated daughter of the late Doris Duke, a billionaire & tobacco heiress.

After the mother-daughter relationship became bitter, she was kicked out of the will worth billions of dollars, so where is she now? Let’s get the details.

Key Takeaways

• Heffner and Paul Reubens had a “mock wedding” in the late 80s but were never legally husband and wife.
• Chandi was 35 years old when billionaire Doris Duke adopted her.
• Duke opted out Heffner from her will, a few months before her death.
• Chandi Heffner sued her adoptive mother’s estate for three times and later settled for $65 million in 1995.
• Heffner is now a philanthropist.

Is Chandi Heffner, Paul Reuben’s Wife?

There are many who consider Chandi and Paul as a married couple ever since the claims of their marriage. However, the two didn’t exchange actual vows, instead, it was a “mock marriage”- a parody or let’s say fake marriage.

A “Mock Marriage”: Chandi and Paul’s Marriage was a Prank

Heffner and Reubens had an impromptu mock wedding ceremony when they were attending a dinner party in 1989 at Shangri-la, Duke’s faux-Persian Diamond Head estate.

Jim Nabors, famous for playing Gomer Pyle’s character, even serenaded the alleged couple’s so-called marriage, while Filipino politician Imelda Marcos, who was at the dinner, presided over the ceremony.

Their First Meeting

A mutual friend, Jim Nabors, introduced Reubens to Chandi when they were on the island of Hawaii. The duo instantly connected and became friends but it never went past the platonic adoration.

Who Is Charlene Heffner?

Born in 1954, Charlene Heffner who goes by “Chandi” is a philanthropist. Since 1998, she’s been serving as the founder and President Of CDHIF USA in Waimea, Hawaii, and extended its branch CDHIFI in India.

The non-profit organization provides medical assistance for needy people and animals. She established her organization, on a small scale but today the organization helps more than 80,000 patients and 50,000 animal patients.

Keeping aside her endeavors for social causes, Heffner is also known as the adopted daughter of billionaire Doris Duke and her legal battle to acquire Duke’s estate.

Where Is Paul Reubens’ Alleged Wife Chandi Heffner Now?

As of now, Heffner divides her time between Hawaii and India. Because of her sympathy for animals, she established a ranch in Hawaii for rescued horses, birds, donkeys, pigs, and many other animals.

No denying, it is a finger-lay luxury for Chandi, but she instead keeps herself dedicated to her non-profits CDHIF USA and CDHIFI. In the majority, she also spends her time in India for her India-based organizations. It aims to provide free medical treatment and other assistance to underprivileged families.

Is Chandi Heffner Dating or Married In 2023?

It seems Heffner is not in a relationship as of now. No reports of her getting married came up except for her parody wedding with the late Pee-wee’s Playhouse actor Paul Reubens.

Her Ex-Boyfriend Sued Her For Palimony

In the late 80s, Heffner was reportedly in a relationship with her then-boyfriend James Burns, who was her adoptive mother Duke’s bodyguard. The two met back in 1989 and began dating shortly after.

The two were living together from 1990 through 1993 when Heffner was legally challenging her removal from Miss Duke’s will. They had a deal to split whatever inheritance Heffner might get.

However, after acquiring a lump of $65 million in the settlement, Chandi parted ways with him. So, he filed a palimony suit in Los Angeles Superior Court in July 1996, seeking more than $33 million, or half of the awarded amount.

Chandi Heffner Is Estranged With Her Family Except For Her Sister

Charlene barely talked about her family in the media, but it is known that she was born to William J. Heffner and Barbara Heffner. The Baltimore, Maryland native has two sisters: Claudia Heffner, a former model, and Holly McCloskey.

A 1993 issue of New York Magazine stated Chandi, an attendant of a Catholic School, was estranged from her family except for her sister Claudia Heffner.

How Charlene Heffner Got The Name “Chandi”?

Leaving her family, Heffner went to Hawaii in 1971 where she devoted herself to the Hare Krishna cult. A guru there gave Charlene the name ” Chandi” as it is the name for ” female energy personified” in Sanskrit.

Doris Duke Adopted Chandi At 35

Duke Duke adopted Heffner, in 1989 at the Somerset County Court House in Somerville. At that time, Heffner was 35 years old while Duke was 75.

After she adopted Chandi, Doris took care of her and made her the executor of her will. Not only this but billionaire Duke also purchased a 290-acre horse ranch in the Kohala Mountains of Hawaii which was worth $1.5 million.

Heffner And Duke Met Through Mutual Dancing Instructor

Duke and Chandi met through, Bobby Farrah, their mutual belly dancing instructor. Duke invited Chandi to Shangri-La for reiki, a method of healing by laying out hands, as Chandi had a knee injury.

The two started as friends and soon the relationship between them strengthened which resulted in Heffner’s adoption by Doris. As reported, the late billionaire heiress used to present her extravagant gifts.

Reason Behind The Adoption

As reported, when Doris met Chandi Heffner, she believed her to be the reincarnation of her lost daughter Arden. She gave birth to Arden prematurely on July 11, 1940, in Honolulu (died the following day) with her first husband James H. R. Cromwell.

Moreover, as per the billionaire’s lawyer, Heffner used to say that she ‘didn’t need money, and Doris liked to be around people who weren’t asking for anything’. Also, as she had nobody as an heir to leave her estate, she would eventually adopt her.

Duke Cut Chandi Heffner Off Her Will in 1991, Why?

Everything was going fine until three years into adoption when the mother-daughter relationship began to turn sour in 1991. As Dorisnegated her adoption, she revised her will instructing that her former adopted daughter should not receive any inheritance.

Some sources report that it was Chandi’s relationship with one of Duke’s bodyguards James Burns that led their bond to deteriorate.

A close friend said, ” Miss Duke was not too pleased about this person“.

This can be one of the reasons but officially neither of the party revealed anything about the dispute as asked Duke the only thing she said was “That’s finished.”

Chandi Sued Duke’s Estate

After Doris Duke cut off Chandi Heffner from her will, the latter sued her mother’s estate three times. On April 5, 1993, a few weeks after she filed a lawsuit, her adoptive mom revised her will for the fifth time. It named her butler Bernard Lafferty as the estate’s sole executor.

On October 28, 1993, Duke died at the age of 80, and Lafferty became the sole executor of the Duke’s estate worth $1.3 billion.

According to the will, Bernard was to earn $500K per year & if he bequeathed from the role, he was to get $5 million.

Settled The Lawsuit For $65.8 Million

Following the legal battle of three years, Chandi Heffner finally reached a settlement on December 28, 1996. In exchange for dropping the claims to Duke’s billion dollars estate, she took $65.8 million home.

On December 29 that year, she got $800K, with a $65 million payment due January 5, 1996.

What Is Chandi Heffner’s Net Worth In 2023?

The alleged Paul Reubens’ wife Chandi has a net worth of $20 million as of 2023. She gained this fortune from the inheritance of the Duke’s estate and also from her organization.

Her mother Doris was considered one of the richest ladies on earth with a net worth of $5.3 billion at the time of her death. Her foundation the Doris Duke Foundation is worth over $2 billion as of 2023.