• Paige Dunham is an executive film producer and motivational speaker, as well as the founder of The Paige Dunham Foundation.
• She was married to Jeff Dunham, and is responsible for much of his success.
• She has a daughter, Bree Aleece Brown, and two daughters with Jeff, Ashlyn and Makenna.
• Her net worth is estimated to be around $20 million.
• She is a supporter of numerous children’s charities and humanitarian causes.



Known for movies

Short Info

Net Worth$45 million
Date Of BirthApril 18, 1962
SpouseAudrey Murdick, Paige Dunham, Las Vegas, NV, United States, Fresno, CA, United States, Oakland, CA, United States
FactJune 2009: His rep has confirmed that he and his wife are in the process of getting a divorce.


Introduction

Sometimes, working together can ruin one’s marriage, and this is apparently what happened to the famous business duo, Jeff and Paige Dunham. You all most likely know Jeff from his comedy skits and puppet Walter, but how much do you know about his ex-wife, Paige, and did their marriage end on good terms?

Early life and education

Paige Dunham was born Paige Brown on 13 March 1968, in Savannah, Georgia USA – nothing is known about her parents or possible siblings.

Posted by Paige Dunham on Tuesday, April 22, 2014

She grew up on Amelia Island, Florida, but when she was in middle school she moved with her family to West Palm Beach, Florida, where she finished her high school classes, while learning to dance at her family’s dancing school. After matriculation, Dunham enrolled at Clemson University located in South Carolina, US, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business. She had a daughter, Bree Aleece Brown, with an undisclosed man, and raised her as a single parent during her first years.

Marriage to Jeff Dunham

After returning to West Palm Beach with her daughter, Paige met the stand-up comedian Jeff Dunham, who was known for his comedic puppet characters. It isn’t known when exactly the two started dating, but their wedding was held on 13th August 1994 in Los Angeles, California, to where the new family relocated; Jeff adopted Dunham’s daughter and became her legal guardian. In 1995, the couple welcomed their first daughter together, Ashlyn Evelyn, and two years later, their second daughter, Makenna Paige was born.

However, the two began to have marriage problems around the time their business began to thrive. In 2008, Jeff filed for separation, but Dunham filed for divorce and the process ended in 2012. That same year, Jeff remarried to personal trainer, certified nutritionist and competition bodybuilder, Audrey Murdick, and the two became parents of twin boys, James Jeffrey and Jack Steven, in October 2015.

Career

During her marriage with Jeff, Dunham wasn’t just his wife but also his co-worker; in fact, she is said to be responsible for most of his success at the time.

She was helping him to write material and make show ideas, and also ran the merchandise shop and online store that brought them a lot of income. She was the one responsible for the creation of the database of Jeff’s fans in 1994, and this helped Jeff win the Best Male Stand-Up Comic Award at the American Comedy Awards in 1997. Paige was the one creating newsletters and other promotional work, and in 1999 she launched Brasma Publications as a continuation of the family business – it published the book “Dear Walter” in 2003, which was a collection of questions asked by Jeff’s audiences, together with live answers given by Walter, a grumpy old puppet controlled by Jeff.

Paige Dunham

Dunham launched the Jeff and Paige Dunham Foundation in 2006, which focused on helping people in need. For a while, $1 from a ticket sale of Jeff’s comedy shows, and 100% of the profit from their eBay store went to the foundation. That same year, their foundation and Ronald McDonald House of Houston presented a $35,000 check to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund.

After the end of her marriage in 2012, Dunham became a motivational speaker for women who are going through the divorce process.

She also has her own charity organization, The Paige Dunham Foundation.

Dunham works as an executive film producer too; her movies include the romantic film “The Face of Love” that aired in 2013, as well as the history movie “Last Days in the Desert” in 2016.

Personal Life

Dunham is a supporter of numerous children’s charities and humanitarian causes.

She is a fan of running, and she thinks of it as a therapeutic hobby for her. She even ran the San Francisco half-marathon, and raised $6,000 that she donated to the National Institution for Mental Health.

In 2015, Jeff’s wife Audrey filed a lawsuit against Dunham, because Dunham registered various domains under the name ‘Audrey Dunham’ without permission – even before Audrey took her husband’s last name! Audrey sued for damage of $100,000 per domain name, and filed a claim of unfair competition. As of May 2020, the lawsuit outcome still isn’t known to the public.

Dunham is fairly active on various social media platforms. She has official Instagram and Twitter accounts that she frequently posts on.

Net worth

Dunham made a fortune while working behind the scenes with her former spouse. She made a lot of income herself too, through her various business endeavors. As of May 2020, her net worth is estimated at around $20 million. On the other hand, her ex-husband’s net worth is reputedly an astonishing $140 million! Just in 2011, he reportedly earned $20 million from his business and acting career.

Physical characteristics

Paige is a woman with dyed blond hair and blue eyes. Her height is 5ft 4ins (1.65m), but her weight and other body measurements and shoe and dress sizes haven’t been disclosed.

General Info

Full NameJeff Dunham
Net Worth$45 million
Date Of BirthApril 18, 1962
Height1.83 m
ProfessionScreenwriter, Television producer, Comedian, Film producer, Voice Actor, Ventriloquist, Las Vegas, NV, United States, Fresno, CA, United States, Oakland, CA, United States
EducationBaylor University
NationalityAmerican

Family

SpouseAudrey Murdick, Paige Dunham, Las Vegas, NV, United States, Fresno, CA, United States, Oakland, CA, United States
ChildrenAshlyn Dunham, Kenna Dunham, Bree Dunham, James Jeffrey Dunham, Jack Steven Dunham, Las Vegas, NV, United States, Fresno, CA, United States, Oakland, CA, United States
ParentsJoyce Dunham, Howard Dunham, Las Vegas, NV, United States, Fresno, CA, United States, Oakland, CA, United States

Accomplishments

MoviesLas Vegas, NV, United States, Fresno, CA, United States, Oakland, CA, United States, Delta Farce, Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special, Dinner for Schmucks, Jeff Dunham: Controlled Chaos, Big Top Scooby-Doo!, The Nut Job, Jeff Dunham: All Over the Map, The Nut Job 2, Jeff Dunham: Spark of In...
TV ShowsLas Vegas, NV, United States, Fresno, CA, United States, Oakland, CA, United States, Comedy Central Presents, Live at Gotham, The Jeff Dunham Show, History of the Joke, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Any Day Now, Xuxa, Halloween Baking Championship, Hot Country Nights

Social profile links

Quotes

#Quote
1The only way a ventriloquist speaks differently is that he forgoes using his or her lips, and learns to reproduce sounds using the tongue, upper palate, and teeth only. Those 'difficult' letters are B, F, M, P, V, W, and Y.
2Up until college age I was using the typical little-boy dummy that sits on the knee and makes woodpecker jokes. My first original character didn't happen until later, and that was Jose the Jalapeno on a Stick.
3We just got a tour bus. I didn't know tour buses could be this nice. It's just me, Brian Haner the guitar guy, the tour manager and a writer. We laugh ourselves silly. Apparently we're going to have a road dog, a miniature pincher. It's the smallest they've ever seen. How masculine am I going to look, working with dolls and a miniature dog?
4When I was in third grade I taught myself ventriloquism... What's hard is to learn to be an entertainer and make people laugh. I was a few years out of college before I felt I had enough material. Then in 1988 I moved to L.A. and started to do some shows at comedy clubs.
5I had a happy, dramafree youth, growing up in an upper-middle-class neighborhood in Dallas, Texas. The only thing that was slightly unusual compared to most of my friends was that I was an only child... I don't think that's why my parents gave me a dummy, at least they've never copped to it.
6In 1980, when I graduated from high school, my goal was to be on 'The Tonight Show' with Johnny Carson at least once before our ten-year class reunion. Our class reunion was in June of 1990, and I was on 'The Tonight Show' in April 1990, so I made it by a few months.
7It's strange because even in the vaudeville days, ventriloquists were never the main attraction. They were the guys brought out to stand in front of the curtain while sets were being changed. Ventriloquism wasn't even celebrated as an art until Edgar Bergen came along in the 1930s.
8My mother and my father have always supported me. Now in their eighties, they actually clamor onto the tour bus with me once or twice a year so they can watch the performances and hear the crowds. Traveling with eighty-something-year-olds on a tour bus... there has to be some sort of reality show in that.
9The best place to find material is in real life. I've always maintained that it's not until the mid-20s that you have enough of a life to draw from. There's nothing better for a comic than to go through some bad stuff - and some good stuff, like getting married.
10I've always said that instead of watching a guy juggle seven things amazingly I would rather see a really bad juggler who's really funny.
11Stand-up comedy is tough right now. Anybody can come to a concert, tape you, and put you up on the Internet. You either fight it or embrace it.
12Growing up doing those Kiwanis Clubs, doing those Cub Scout banquets, doing those church shows, I learned to find that sensibility that most people could laugh at - that all ages and demographics could laugh at.
13When I was eight years old, I got a dummy for Christmas and started teaching myself. I got books and records and sat in front of the bathroom mirror, practising. I did my first show in the third grade and just kept going; there was no reason to quit.
14But the mechanics of learning to 'throw your voice' are pretty simple. Anyone with a tongue, an upper palate, teeth, and a normal speaking voice can learn ventriloquism.
15As humans we like to laugh at our fears, we like to whistle in the dark.
16I've skewered whites, blacks, Hispanics, Christians, Jews, Muslims, gays, straights, rednecks, addicts, the elderly, and my wife. As a standup comic, it is my job to make sure the majority of people laugh, and I believe that comedy is the last true form of free speech.
17A comedian needs to have his own filters, needs to know his audience, how far he can push things.
18I try to make the majority of my audience laugh. That's my audience. They'll laugh at the dead terrorist.
19I'm a geek to the bone.

Facts

#Fact
1His wife Audrey gave birth to twin boys (her 1st and 2nd children) at age 35, Jack Steven Dunham and James Jeffrey Dunham on October 11, 2015 in Los Angeles with 2 hours apart. The baby boys arrived the day before the couple's third anniversary.
2Has been performing ventriloquism since he was eight, and has never held a "real" job in his life.
3He owns the 1989 Batmobile from Tim Burton's Batman.
4When he was in the process of making Achmed, Jeff Dunham was originally going to call him Phil.
5Parents are Joyce Dunham and Howard Dunham.
6Received first puppet, at age 8. Was a Christmas gift from his parents.
7"Peanut" is his only puppet not hand made by himself.
8"Achmed, Jr." is often referred to as A.J.
9June 2009: His rep has confirmed that he and his wife are in the process of getting a divorce.
10Has three daughters: Bree Dunham(adopted), Ashlyn Dunham, and Kenna Dunham, all from his first marriage.
11Two of his characters are apparent homages to characters performed by previous famous ventriloquists. "Bubba J" strongly resembles Mortimer Snerd, performed by Edgar Bergen. "Jose the Jalapeno on a Stick," who has a face but no body, is similar to the disembodied head in a box performed by Señor Wences.
12An award-winning ventriloquist.

Pictures

Movies

Actor

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Nut Job 22017filmingMole (voice)
Angie Tribeca2016TV SeriesFisher Price
Achmed Saves America2014VideoAchmed Bubba J Himself (voice)
The Nut Job2014/IMole (voice)
Big Top Scooby-Doo!2012VideoSchmatko / Conductor (voice)
From Up on Poppy Hill2011Gen (English version, voice)
Dinner for Schmucks2010Lewis the Ventriloquist
Sonny with a Chance2009TV SeriesJeff / Walter
30 Rock2009TV SeriesPumpkin
Delta Farce2007Amazing Ken
Blue Collar TV2005TV Series
One on One2003TV SeriesBenny / Kenny
She Spies2002TV SeriesElvis Presley Ventriloquist
Any Day Now2002TV SeriesVentriloquist
Ellen1996TV SeriesStarky & Gus
Hot Country Nights1991TV SeriesVentriloquist

Writer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Jeff Dunham: Unhinged in Hollywood2015TV Movie
Jeff Dunham: All Over the Map2014TV Special
Achmed Saves America2014Video characters / creator
Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters2012TV Special
Jeff Dunham: Controlled Chaos2011TV Special
The Jeff Dunham ShowTV Series creator - 1 episode, 2009 writer - 1 episode, 2009
Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special2008TV Special documentary
Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity2007TV Special
Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself2006TV Special
Comedy Central Presents2003TV Series documentary writer - 2 episodes

Producer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Jeff Dunham: All Over the Map2014TV Special executive producer
Achmed Saves America2014Video executive producer
Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters2012TV Special executive producer
Jeff Dunham: Controlled Chaos2011TV Special executive producer
The Jeff Dunham Show2009TV Series executive producer - 1 episode
Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special2008TV Special documentary executive producer
Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity2007TV Special executive producer
Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself2006TV Special executive producer

Soundtrack

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special2008TV Special documentary lyrics: "Jingle Bombs" / performer: "Jingle Bombs", "Roadkill Christmas"

Art Department

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Achmed Saves America2014Video original character design

Editor

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Jeff Dunham: All Over the Map2014TV Special

Thanks

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Biggest Schmucks in the World2011Video short special thanks
Mr. Chili: Too Hot for TV!2007Video short special thanks

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
60 Minutes Wednesday2005TV Series documentaryHimself - Ventriloquist (segment "Ventriloquist Convention")
TV Land's Top Ten2005TV Series documentaryHimself
Just for Laughs2005TV SeriesHimself
Hollywood Squares2004TV SeriesGuest Appearance
Comedy Central Presents2003TV Series documentaryHimself Melvin the Superhero Guy Peanut ...
The Test2001TV SeriesHimself - Panelist
The Rosie O'Donnell Show1998TV SeriesHimself
Xuxa1993TV SeriesHimself
Bob Hope and Other Young Comedians: The World Laughs, Young and Old1992TV SpecialHimself
Hot Country Nights1991-1992TV SeriesHimself
The Chuck Woolery Show1991TV SeriesHimself
Jonathan Winters and His Traveling Road Show1990TV MovieHimself
The Comedy Concert II1990TV MovieHimself
Halloween Baking Championship2016TV SeriesHimself - Host
Hell's Kitchen2016TV SeriesHimself - Restaurant Patron
Jay Leno's Garage2015TV Series documentaryHimself - Ventriloqust-Comedian
Jeff Dunham: Unhinged in Hollywood2015TV MovieHimself Walter Bubba J ...
Today2014-2015TV SeriesHimself - Guest / Himself
Jeff Dunham: All Over the Map2014TV SpecialHimself Walter Bubba J ...
Late Show with David Letterman2006-2014TV SeriesHimself - Comedian / Himself - Guest / Ventriloquist Perfomer / ...
The O'Reilly Factor2012TV SeriesHimself
Jeff Dunham: Minding the Monsters2012TV SpecialHimself Achmed Jr. Walter ...
The Wendy Williams Show2012TV SeriesHimself - Guest
Fox and Friends2012TV SeriesHimself
The Batmobile2012TV Movie documentaryHimself
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno1996-2012TV SeriesHimself / Walter
Jeff Dunham: Birth of a Dummy2011TV SpecialHimself Walter Peanut ...
Jeff Dunham: Controlled Chaos2011TV SpecialHimself Walter Achmed the Dead Terrorist ...
The Biggest Schmucks in the World2011Video shortHimself
The 2010 American Country Awards2010TV SpecialHimself
The Jeff Dunham Show2009TV SeriesHimself Walter Achmed the Dead Terrorist ...
The Jay Leno Show2009TV SeriesHimself
I'm No Dummy2009DocumentaryHimself
Boogie2009TV SeriesHimself
Last Call with Carson Daly2009TV SeriesHimself
Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special2008TV Special documentaryHimself Walter Achmed the Dead Terrorist ...
Live at Gotham2008TV SeriesHimself
History of the Joke2008TV Movie documentaryHimself
Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity2007TV SpecialHimself Walter Achmed the Dead Terrorist ...
Mr. Chili: Too Hot for TV!2007Video shortHimself
Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself2006TV SpecialHimself Walter Sweet Daddy Dee ...

Archive Footage

TitleYearStatusCharacter
CMT's Biggest Laughs2012TV MovieHimself - Comic / Walter
Aangenaam... Comedy 20092009VideoHimself

Awards

Won Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
1998American Comedy AwardAmerican Comedy Awards, USAFunniest Male Stand-Up Comic

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia

4 Comments

  1. Interesting article, but it was very surprising and confusing that you kept referring to Paige as Dunham, even after their divorce, and Jeff as Jeff. Dunham was always Jeff’s last name, while Paige only inherited it when she married him. I do understand her choice to keep Jeff’s surname, because I was divorced and have also kept my married name, even 20 years later, since it matches my children’s last name. Still, besides being very confusing, it seems very disrespectful to Jeff to refer to his ex-wife as Dunham. Especially after Paige disrespected Jeff and his new wife by registering various domains under “Audrey Dunham” without permission. If you’re going to call Jeff by his first name, please be consistent and call his ex-wife Paige. I think it’s standard practice in writing that when two or more people share the same last name, you refer to them by their first names. Thanks!

    • Cindy:
      I wanted you to receive notification of my reply to Mr. Witt. I supported your viewpoint completely.

      Scotty

  2. Yes, Cindy, you are correct. The AP Style book tells journalists that consist in pronouns and story subjects must be consistent and remove naming ambiguity.

    Heck, It’s one of the 5 Ws and 1 H rule.

    Such writing suggests a novice writer never held to writing standards or worse, an uneducated “reporter” on a power trip.

    Good thing I earned a Bachelor of Journalism degree from a top rated school and more than 25 readers of experience in radio news before we returned to sloppy, opinion-based crap we now have.

    • Mr. Witt:
      No need to get snippy; Cindy was correct, Scott was inconsistent. Paige Brown / Paige Dunham, when referred to as a single name noun, logged four Paige’s and 12 Dunham’s; even using both alternatively in the same paragraph. This mixed name-use style includes a reference to her as “Dunham” long before she ever met Jeff Dunham, much less married him and took his name: “Dunham enrolled at Clemson University…”

      I too was confused by your jumpy name referencing – I don’t know what the grading scale was at your “top rated” (sic) school, or where you fell within it, but I would have had many a paper in my non-journalism based major classes tossed back at me if I had submitted a similar level of effort.

      Perhaps you’re not (you aren’t? – that one always confuses me) a fan of Jeff Dunham’s, or of ventriloquism, else the heady life of journalists – living in/ swim through/ made up of/ smoking – pronouns (???) confuses the rest of us: “journalist that consist in pronouns”

      And heck, nowadays I fix clocks for a living – what do you do?

      (PS – is there some sort of degree or certification awarded once a radio journalist reaches an audience level of at least 25 people who have listened to radio news before? If not, then I’m not sure why you were making this point – unless it is yet another example of quick dash-off writing prone to hit errors?)

      Scotty Dean

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