Judy Belushi-Pisano, an actor, producer and steward of John Belushi’s legacy, died on July 5, 2024, at 73. Her work reached beyond her marriage to the comedian: she appeared in National Lampoon’s Animal House and The Blues Brothers, produced projects about John’s life, and wrote and organized events that kept his story in public view.
Who was Judy Belushi-Pisano?
Born Judy Jacklin on January 7, 1951, in Oak Park, Illinois, she met John Belushi while they were students in high school in Wheaton. They began dating, married in 1976 and remained married until his death in 1982, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
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Belushi-Pisano built a screen career of her own and later took an active role in preserving and presenting her first husband’s work and history. The estate’s tribute, quoted by the CBS News, credited her creative work alongside John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd with helping give rise to what it called “The Blue Brothers”—the project generally known as The Blues Brothers.
Her acting and producing work
Belushi-Pisano appeared in National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978) and The Blues Brothers (1980), and later had a role in Nothing Lasts Forever (1984), the Sun-Times reported. Her connection to The Blues Brothers was not only as a performer: the estate described her as a creative contributor to the project, alongside John Belushi and Aykroyd.
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She also produced The Best of John Belushi and John Belushi: Dancing on the Edge, according to the Sun-Times. Those projects reflected a sustained effort to shape how audiences encountered his work and career after his death.
How she preserved John Belushi’s legacy
Belushi-Pisano’s legacy work included both personal writing and documentary projects. Her memoir, Samurai Widow, offered her own account. She also co-wrote Belushi: A Biography with Tanner Colby; the book is a separate biographical work rather than her memoir.
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In 2021, she helped organize Blues Brothers Con in Joliet, Illinois, the Sun-Times reported. The convention brought the enduring cultural presence of the film and its music into a public gathering, extending her work from books and productions to an event for fans.
The estate’s social-media tribute, quoted by the Los Angeles Times, said, “There was no one like her.” The tribute added that “Judy made everyone feel loved,” describing her as “nonjudgmental, light, funny and pure.”
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Marriage, family and later life
After John Belushi’s death in 1982, she continued to work and maintain his legacy. The Sun-Times reported that she married film producer and director Victor Pisano in 1990; they divorced in 2010. She is survived by children and grandchildren.
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Belushi-Pisano died on July 5, 2024, at age 73. The Los Angeles Times reported, citing the family account relayed by her son Luke Pisano, that she was diagnosed with endometrial cancer in 2020 and entered hospice care in 2023. The family’s account described a years-long battle with the disease.
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