Judy Belushi-Pisano, John Belushi’s Widow, Dies at 73

Actor, producer and writer Judy Belushi-Pisano, comedian John Belushi’s widow and the woman behind The Blues Brothers, has died at age 73, according to Belushi’s official social media accounts. Belushi-Pisano met her future famous husband in high school in Illinois before they married in 1976, staying together until Belushi’s death in 1982 from a drug overdose. After his passing, Belushi-Pisano became the steward of Belushi’s legacy and the Blues Brothers brand. “As we bid farewell, we pledge to continue her work, ensuring that John’s legacy, and the Blues Brothers will never fade,” wrote Belushi’s official Facebook account. In an 2021 interview on the SNL Stories podcast, Belushi-Pisano talked in depth about the hijinks behind the scenes during Belushi’s time on Saturday Night Live, her musical background, and how she found herself in the middle of Hollywood. “When [John] went off to college, he said, ‘You should probably break up with me because I’m going to be an actor, and I will probably never make any money. And you’ll probably have to support us,’” she remembered. In 1990, Belushi-Pisano remarried producer Victor Pisano and the couple welcomed children and eventually grandchildren together.