Who was Christopher Reeve’s first wife?

The late great Christopher Reeve passed away on Oct. 10, 2004, from a cardiac arrest (which his then-wife, actress and singer Dana Reeve, believed was caused by an adverse reaction to a drug). In the final years of his life, following an accident during an equestrian event in 1995 that left him paralyzed, Christopher and Dana Reeve raised money and awareness for spinal cord injury research, and aid to individuals and families living with the condition, through their charitable foundation.

Reeve was, of course, most famous for his iconic performances as Clark Kent, aka Superman, whom he played in four films between 1978 and 1987. However, he also appeared in many other theatrical movies, starting with his first credit in 1978’s Gray Lady Down, as well as the likes of Deathtrap (1982), The Aviator (1985), Street Smart (1987), The Remains of the Day (1993), Speechless (1994), Village of the Damned (1995), and various made-for-TV films, including Anna Karenina (1985), The Great Escape II: The Untold Story (1988), The Rose and the Jackal (1990), Bump in the Night (1991), Nightmare in the Daylight (1992), The Sea Wolf (1993), Above Suspicion (1995), A Step Toward Tomorrow (1996), In the Gloaming (1997), and Rear Window (1998).

Reeve’s small-screen career also included appearing on shows as variable as The Muppet Show, Saturday Night Live, Carol & Company, Tales from the Crypt, Frasier, Sesame Street, The Practice, and Smallville (as per IMDb).

Regarding Reeve’s personal life, his most well known relationship was with the aforementioned late Dana Reeve (née Morosini, 1961-2006), to whom he was married from 1992 until his sad passing. They had one son, William Reeve, born in 1992. However, Reeve had another long-term relationship before he met Dana. But who was that with, and how long did it last?

Who is Gae Exton?

Reeve had a 10-year relationship with modeling executive Gae Exton. Exton’s IMDb profile says that her only film or television credit is the 1979 television special The 50th Anniversary Gala for USC’s Film Department, in which she appeared as herself. She was born in London on Jan. 10, 1951, and is still alive, making her 73 as of 2024.

The couple’s relationship started in 1977, when Reeve was filming the first two Superman movies in England. According to Ability Magazine, the actor stepped on her toes while getting lunch at the commissary of Pinewood Studios. He was wearing his Superman costume at the time. Reeve was immediately enamored with Exton, pursuing her relentlessly until she agreed to go on a date with him (he even took her to the screening of Superman organized for the late Queen Elizabeth II).

Exton and Reeve’s relationship lasted long enough for many people to believe they were married. However, that’s not the case. They did, however, have two children together: prominent producer, director, screenwriter, and activist Matthew Reeve, born in 1979, and Alexandra Reeve Givens, born in 1983.

According to Famous Birthdays, Reeve and Exton split in February of 1987, and their relationship remained amicable after that.