- John Wayne's granddaughter, Jennifer Wayne, never had a chance to meet her grandpa.
- She got married with the ring that John gave his 20-years-younger wife, which she wore even after his death.
- Jennifer showed off John's great-granddaughter in an adorable Easter outfit.
The legendary actor John Wayne will forever have the title of the "Duke" and inhabit the image of a cowboy or rugged outlaw in many of his fans' minds. But for Pilar Wayne, the actor is emblazoned in her memory as a loving husband, family man, and father.
John met Pilar (nÊe Pallete) on a movie set in 1952. The two were filming at the edge of a jungle in Peru, and the Peruvian native had just finished a scene when a director introduced the two. John had strutted up to Pilar right after she had done a dancing scene, and she was still catching her breath when the actor complimented her work.
John Wayne and Pilar Palette on their way to Tripoli, Lebanon, 1956 | Source: Getty Images
Pilar responded, winded but relaxed, and after the nonchalant introduction, the pair would go on to spend many more years in each other's company.
Both of them had been married before. John had been married to two women, sharing four children with his first wife, Josephine Alicia Saenz.
Unfortunately, Jennifer never had the chance to meet her grandfather.
John Wayne, Aissa Wayne, and Pilar Pallette, 1956 | Source: Getty Images
Pilar had also been married before she met John, having given her hand to an American airline executive. The union was brief, lasting only eight months before the actress decided to move on. Her marriage to John would last much longer, spanning 27 years and including three children they raised together. Pilar recalled:
"He was strong, generous and kind, with lots of sense of humor. He was fun to be with--everybody wanted to be with him. Plus, he was a fascinating man. Extremely intelligent."
John Wayne and Aissa Wayne in Brackettville, Texas, 1960 | Source: Getty Images
Portrait of John Wayne, circa 1960 | Source: Getty Images
Even after John's death in 1979, Pilar wore the 15-carat diamond ring her husband had given her. She also insisted that, although he "wasn't perfect," John was an excellent dad and husband. He was devoted to his family, never shooting without them, and it was unfortunate that he missed the birth of his granddaughter, Jennifer Wayne.
John's Granddaughter He Never Met
The oldest of the three children John shared with Pilar was a daughter named Aissa Wayne. She was born on March 31, 1956, in Burbank, California. The Duke reportedly adored Aissa, and her own daughter, Jennifer Wayne, has heard all the stories of how the entertainment icon raised his family.
Jennifer married Austin Moody in Santa Rosa Beach less than two weeks after they were engaged.
John Wayne with Aissa Wayne, circa 1976 | Source: Getty Images
Aissa Wayne and Jennifer Kuhle on April 8, 2006 in Beverly Hills, California | Source: Getty Images
Unfortunately, Jennifer never had the chance to meet her grandfather. She missed meeting him by three years, having been born in 1982. Nonetheless, her mom, Aissa, ensured she knew what a loving and softhearted man her granddad was by telling her stories about her own childhood.
Jennifer recalled one of the sweetest stories her mom had told her about her grandfather. Aissa had laughingly shared how her dad had accidentally woken up her childhood best friend instead of her during a trip.
Jennifer Wayne and Pilar Wayne on September 12, 2012 in Beverly Hills, California | Source: Getty Images
Jennifer Wayne on November 12, 2005 in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
John always woke his family up with the phrase, "Get up! You're burnin' daylight!" He also knew Aissa usually slept on the bottom bunk. However, at that time, Aissa gave her friend the bottom bunk, and John had no idea.
When the actor came in, ready to hit his daughter on the bum and roar his famous phrase, a strange head poked up from beneath the covers instead of Aissa's. For years, the family kept laughing at his utter embarrassment over his faux pas.
Jennifer also happily shared that John made it a family rule for anyone who passed him in the house to stop and give him a kiss. According to Jennifer and her mother, the Duke everyone knew as a no-nonsense action star was a sweet, loving man when it came to his family.
Now, Jennifer is doing her part to keep the Wayne family name going since the "El Dorado" star's granddaughter has started a family of her own. In 2021, she shared images of her cowboy-themed wedding and also showed her ring, which she fittingly inherited from her grandmother, Pilar.
John's Great-Granddaughter Lily
Jennifer married Austin Moody in Santa Rosa Beach less than two weeks after they were engaged. The two perform in the same band, Runaway Jane, and now also share a baby. In April 2022, Jennifer made an Instagram post to welcome her first baby, Lily Maria Moody, to the world.
Jennifer revealed she had wanted to be a musician since she was 18 years old.
The post consisted of ten photos showing both Jennifer and Austin holding their new baby and cooing lovingly at her. The first image showed the proud new mom clutching little Lily in her arms, and the caption read, "Welcome to the world Lily Maria Moody. 4-18-22. We love you so so much. đđđ."
Jennifer shared more adorable pictures of her new baby on April 10, 2023. The first image showed Lily in the arms of a giant Easter Bunny, and her mom captioned the Instagram post, "Lily's first Easter đ," followed by a bible verse. The rest of the images showed a proud granny Aissa holding the little one.
The Easter snapshots also showed the rest of the Wayne relatives gathering to celebrate the religious holiday over the weekend. Little Lily posed with numerous smiling family members, from uncles and aunts to cousins. The Wayne family is close-knit and supportive, a fact made evident by Jennifer's aunt's advice.
Jennifer revealed she had wanted to be a musician since she was 18 years old. At that stage, she had little in the way of guidance, but her aunt, Marisa Wayne, stepped in and encouraged her dreams. Jennifer stated, "She has been really helpful to me, and really inspiring to me, always letting me know I can do it."
Considering that Jennifer and Austin both hope to promote their band and expand their musical repertoire, John's granddaughter decided to move to Nashville a while ago. There, the artists can get as close as possible to America's country music community while raising their kids in a "family-friendly" environment.
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