Dick Van Dyke Misses Comedy Event Due to Illness at 99

Published: June 29, 2025

Dick Van Dyke, the legendary actor, was forced to miss a comedy event this weekend due to illness. The 99-year-old actor was supposed to host the Vandy Camp event alongside his wife Arlene Silver at the Arlene & Dick Van Dyke Theater at Malibu High School on Saturday, June 28.

Silver, 53, took to the stage to inform the attendees that Van Dyke would not be able to attend the event, saying, "I have to inform you that Dick is not up to coming to celebrate with us today. I'm sorry." She explained that Van Dyke was not feeling well, stating, "When you're 99 and a half years old, you have good days and bad days ... and unfortunately, today is not a good day for him, and he's sick that he can't be here."

Despite his absence, Silver was optimistic that Van Dyke would be able to attend their next Vandy Camp event, saying, "I'm pretty confident that he'll be here in person." Van Dyke did appear on a livestream on June 28.

A Celebration of Childhood and Comedy

Silver spoke in-depth about Van Dyke's love of Vandy Camp, which is more than just a celebration of her husband's work. "It is a celebration of your childhood, all of our childhoods, the music that's in the fabric of all of us, [and] Dick Van Dyke is a big part of that," she said. She praised Van Dyke's fans, saying they "are the greatest human beings I've ever known" and that the event is a "wonderful opportunity to have you all in the same room and meet each other."

Silver also spoke about how being around Van Dyke has made her a better person, saying, "Being around him just as a human being has made me a better person." She praised Van Dyke and their musical group, The Vantastix, for giving her "so much confidence to be able to stand up here right now."

A Celebration of Childhood and Comedy

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