Detail	Information
Full name	Stacey Cooper Furstman
Born	November 15, 1947
Birthplace	Los Angeles, California
Age	78 (as of 2026)
Education	University of North Carolina
Profession	Businesswoman, publicist, former actress
Spouse	Henry Winkler (m. 1978); previously married to Howard Weitzman (1969–1976)
Children	Jed Weitzman, Zoe Winkler Reinis, Max Winkler
Net worth	Not publicly disclosed

Who Is Stacey Weitzman?

Stacey Weitzman is an American businesswoman and philanthropist best known as the wife of actor Henry Winkler, the star who made Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli a household name on Happy Days. But reducing her to a footnote in her husband’s career misses most of the story. Before she ever met Winkler, Weitzman ran a successful fashion public relations firm. Since then, she has survived breast cancer twice, helped raise three children, opened her home to a friend in crisis, and co-founded a nonprofit that has supported hundreds of thousands of children in foster care.

Early Life and Family Background

Birth, Birthplace, and Family

Stacey Weitzman was born Stacey Cooper Furstman on November 15, 1947, in Los Angeles, California. She grew up in West Los Angeles alongside her brother, Scott, in a household that valued both academics and the arts.

Her Parents — Belvy Cooper and Edward Furstman

Weitzman’s mother, Belvy Cooper, taught art at Beverly Hills High School before moving into elementary education at Franklin Elementary in Santa Monica. Her father, Edward Furstman, was raised in La Crosse, Wisconsin, served four years in the U.S. Army, then trained as a dentist and went on to teach at the USC School of Dentistry. Her parents had actually met years earlier on the steps of Royce Hall at UCLA.

Education at the University of North Carolina

As a young woman, Weitzman dreamed of studying fashion design. Her father steered her toward business and economics instead, and she ultimately enrolled at the University of North Carolina. She also trained in dance and ballet growing up — a detail that hints at the creative instincts she’d later channel into her PR career.

Is Stacey Weitzman Related to Stuart Weitzman?

No — this is one of the internet’s most persistent mix-ups. Stacey Weitzman shares no family connection to Stuart Weitzman, the shoe designer. Her maiden name was Furstman; “Weitzman” comes from her first husband, entertainment attorney Howard Weitzman, and she simply kept the name after their divorce and through her later marriage to Henry Winkler.

Career Before Fame — Fashion PR and Early Acting

Her Fashion Public Relations Firm

Long before red carpets and tabloid coverage, Weitzman built her own fashion public relations firm and made a name for herself in Los Angeles’ competitive style scene.

Clients: Van Cleef & Arpels, Jag, and Jerry Magnin

Her client roster included the luxury jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels and the clothing label Jag. She also handled PR for a Beverly Hills boutique owned by Jerry Magnin — Henry Winkler’s uncle — a connection that would soon change her life.

Brief Acting Credits

Weitzman also dipped into the entertainment industry directly. She worked as a casting department intern on the 1995 film Safe, then took on small roles in the 2001 series As Told by Ginger and the 2005 drama Touch, before eventually scaling back to focus on her growing family.

First Marriage: Stacey and Howard Weitzman

Meeting and Marrying Howard Weitzman

Weitzman married entertainment lawyer Howard Weitzman on October 19, 1969, after meeting him the year before.

Birth of Son Jed Weitzman

Their son, Jed Weitzman, was born in 1971. He would later graduate from Georgetown University and build his own career as a talent manager, staying largely out of the public eye.

Divorce and Life After

The marriage ended in divorce in 1976. Howard Weitzman went on to become a prominent criminal defense attorney, picked up a few acting credits of his own, and remarried in 1981.

How Stacey Weitzman Met Henry Winkler

The Purple Parachute Pants Story

In 1976, Weitzman was managing the PR account for Jerry Magnin’s Beverly Hills clothing store — the same store Winkler wandered into looking for a sport coat. He later said what caught his eye first wasn’t fame or flattery; it was her red hair and the purple parachute pants she happened to be wearing that day.

Their First Date Over Ginger Ale

Weitzman helped him pick out a coat, and he returned a week later — technically to collect it, but really to see if she was still there. He invited her for a soda, and the two shared ginger ales at a shop across the street. Winkler later described falling for someone who was “intellectual enough to have her own life, and open enough to be in love with me.”

Dating Henry Winkler and Handling His Fame

Dating one of television’s biggest stars at the height of Happy Days mania came with unusual challenges — public recognition, constant attention, and a level of scrutiny Weitzman had to learn to navigate in real time as their relationship deepened.

Stacey Weitzman and Henry Winkler’s Wedding

The 1978 Ceremony Details

The couple married on May 5, 1978, at a Manhattan synagogue — the very same one where Winkler had celebrated his bar mitzvah years earlier.

Blending Families

Weitzman’s young son Jed moved with her into Winkler’s Hollywood Hills home, along with her two Yorkshire terriers. Winkler embraced the role of stepfather immediately, and the family began building the blended household that would eventually include Zoe and Max.

Stacey Weitzman’s Breast Cancer Journey

2001 Diagnosis, Lumpectomy, and Chemotherapy

Weitzman was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001. She underwent a lumpectomy followed by chemotherapy.

Cancer’s Return and the 2007 Double Mastectomy

The cancer returned years later, leading to a double mastectomy in 2007. She has been cancer-free ever since.

How the Diagnosis Affected Her Marriage

The ordeal put real strain on the marriage, as Winkler reportedly struggled to stay emotionally present during her treatment. The couple worked through that period in therapy and came out with a stronger foundation.

Her Advocacy for Early Detection

Weitzman now speaks publicly about the importance of self-examination and regular mammograms, drawing directly on her own experience to encourage other women to stay proactive about their health.

Stacey Weitzman and Henry Winkler’s Children

Jed Weitzman

Weitzman’s firstborn managed dyslexia growing up, graduated from Georgetown University, and built a career in entertainment management.

Zoe Winkler Reinis

Born in September 1980, Zoe graduated from Loyola Marymount University and became a nursery school teacher. She later founded This Is About Humanity, an organization supporting families separated at the border.

Max Winkler

Born August 18, 1983, Max followed his father into entertainment as a director, screenwriter, and producer, with credits on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, New Girl, Fresh Off the Boat, and American Horror Story.

Grandchildren

The family has since grown to include five grandchildren, who regularly fill the Winkler household with noise and visits.

Opening Their Home to Marlee Matlin

In the mid-1980s, after Marlee Matlin won an Oscar for Children of a Lesser God while privately struggling with addiction, Weitzman and Winkler invited her to live in a guest wing of their home. Matlin stayed for two years while working toward sobriety and has since called the Winklers a second family.

The Children’s Action Network

How and Why They Founded It

In 1990, Weitzman and Winkler co-founded the Children’s Action Network alongside other Hollywood couples, including Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, with a focus on foster care and adoption.

The Heart Gallery Project

One of the group’s signature initiatives, the Heart Gallery, used a traveling photo exhibit to put real faces to children awaiting adoptive families.

Impact on Foster Care and Adoption

Weitzman has spent decades lobbying policymakers and organizing briefings on behalf of children in the foster system. The network has also helped connect more than 175,000 children with free immunizations through a broader national campaign.

The Secret to Their 45+ Year Marriage

Asked about their lasting marriage during a 2019 red-carpet interview, Weitzman called herself “the luckiest” and credited commitment over luck, describing it as “stubborn staying.” In a separate 2019 interview with People, she explained that growth — not sameness — is what has kept the relationship alive: neither of them is the person they married decades ago, but their core values never shifted. They also give each other space; Winkler heads to Idaho for fly fishing while Weitzman spends time with friends, and they reconvene for grandkids, movies, and family dinners.

Stacey Weitzman’s Net Worth

Weitzman’s personal net worth has never been officially disclosed. Online estimates place it around $1 million, tied to her years running a fashion PR firm and her brief acting work — separate from Henry Winkler’s own estimated net worth of roughly $40 million. The two figures are frequently confused online, but they reflect entirely different careers and income sources.

What Is Stacey Weitzman Doing Now?

Weitzman still lives in Los Angeles in the same home she and Winkler have shared for decades. She remains active with the Children’s Action Network, continues to appear alongside Winkler at public events, and spends much of her time centered on family and advocacy — a quieter chapter shaped by the resilience she’s built since her cancer diagnosis.

Conclusion

Stacey Weitzman’s life reaches far beyond her decades-long marriage to a television legend. She built a career on her own terms, beat cancer twice, opened her home to someone in crisis, and helped launch an organization that has changed thousands of children’s lives. Her nearly five-decade partnership with Henry Winkler is just one chapter in a much larger story of resilience and quiet impact.

Stacey Weitzman FAQs

Who is Stacey Weitzman?

She is an American businesswoman and philanthropist, best known as the wife of actor Henry Winkler.

How old is Stacey Weitzman?

Born November 15, 1947, she is 78 years old as of 2026.

How did Stacey Weitzman meet Henry Winkler?

They met in 1976 at a Beverly Hills clothing store, where she worked in PR and he came looking for a sport coat.

Is Stacey Weitzman related to Stuart Weitzman?

No. Her last name comes from her first husband; her maiden name was Furstman.

What is Stacey Weitzman’s net worth?

It’s not publicly confirmed, though estimates place it around $1 million.

Did Stacey Weitzman have breast cancer?

Yes — diagnosed in 2001, with a recurrence leading to a double mastectomy in 2007. She has been cancer-free since.

Who was Stacey Weitzman’s first husband?

Entertainment lawyer Howard Weitzman, whom she married in 1969 and divorced in 1976.

How many kids does Stacey Weitzman have?

Three: Jed Weitzman, Zoe Winkler Reinis, and Max Winkler.