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Sunday, March 2, 2014

Celebrities Who Lost a Spouse or Partner

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WARNING: some of the deaths mentioned in article are by suicide or murder. 


A


Edie Adams husband, comedian Ernie Kovacs was killed in a car accident on January 13, 1962.  They were married for 8 years and shared one daughter, and two stepdaughters.

Ross Alexander's wife, Aleta Freel shot herself on December 7, 1935.  She was 28 years old.  They were married for almost two years and had no children.

June Allyson's first husband was actor Dick Powell. She married him in 1945.  Powell died from lung cancer on January 2, 1963.  He was 58 years old. They were married for 18 years and had two children together.

Actress Heather Angel's husband, director Robert B. Sinclair was stabbed to death in front of her in their house during a home invasion on January 4, 1970.  Sinclair was 64 years old.  They were married for 26 years and had one son.

Desi Arnaz's second wife Edith died from cancer at age 67 in 1985.  They were married 22 years and had no children. He died form cancer a year later.

Renee Asherson's husband actor Robert Donat died at age 53 from a brain tumor in 1958.  They were married 5 years.  She never remarried.  They had no children. She lived to be 99 years old, dying in 2014.

Adele Astaire's first husband Lord Charles Cavendish died on March 23, 1944 from alcoholism.  He was 38 years old.  They were married 11 years and had three children that died at birth. She remarried in 1947.  Her second husband Colonel Kingman Douglass died from a brain hemorrhage on October 8, 1971.  He was 75 years old.  They were married for 14 years and had no children.

Fred Astaire's first wife Phyllis Potter died at age 46 from lung cancer in 1954.  Astaire was so devastated he wanted to drop out of the film "Daddy Long Legs" but was convinced not to.  They were married for 21 years and had two children.  He did not remarry for another 30 years.

Mary Astor's husband Kenneth Hawks (Howard's brother) was killed in a plane crash on January 2, 1930.  They were married one year and had no children together.

B


Lauren Bacall's first husband Humphrey Bogart died at age 57 from cancer of the esophagus on January 14, 1957.  Bacall placed a gold whistle in his casket in reference to a line she said to him in "To Have and Have Not." They were married for 11 years and had two children.  She was 25 years younger than him.

Lionel Barrymore's second wife actress Irene Fenwick died from anorexia (an unknown disease at that time) on December 24, 1936.  She was 49 years old.  They were married for 13 years and had no children.

Anne Baxter's third husband David Klee died unexpectedly on October 15, 1977.  They were married for less than a year and had no children together.

Actor Jim Beaver's wife, actress Cecily Adams, died from lung cancer on March 3, 2004.  They were married for 14 years and had one child.  She was 46 years old. 

Producer David Begelman's first wife Ester died from cancer seven years into their marriage.  They had no children.  His third wife Gladyce died from cancer in 1986.  They were married for 11 years and had no children.  Begelman committed suicide in 1995.

Candice Bergen's first husband director Louis Malle died at age 63 from lymphoma on Thanksgiving in 1995.  They were married for 15 years and had one child. 

Milton Berle's wife, Ruth, died on April 18, 1989.  She was 67 years old.  They were married 35 years and had one child.  

Leonard Bernstein's wife Felicia Montealegre died from lung cancer at age 56 in 1978.  They were married 26 years and had three children.  

Joe Biden's wife Neilia Hunter was killed in a car accident while Christmas shopping with the children in 1972.  Their one year old daughter Naomi was also killed.  Biden's two sons survived the crash.  They were married six years and had three children.  Neilia was 30 years old.

Barbara Billingsley's second husband director Roy Kellino died from a heart attack on November 18, 1956.  He was 44. They were married three years and had no children together.  Her third husband William Mortensen died on July 5, 1981. She remained a widow till her death in 2010.

Tom Bosley's first wife Jean Eliot died on April 20, 1978.  They were married for 16 years and had one daughter, Amy.

Actor Eddie Bracken's wife of 63 years, Anna died on August 20, 2002.  He died three months later at 87.  They had five children together.

Wilford Brimley's wife Lynne died from kidney disease on June 14, 2000.  She was 63.  They were married for 44 years and had four sons.

Charles Bronson's second wife Jill Ireland died from breast cancer on May 18, 1990. She was 54.  They were married 21 years and had one child together.

Pierce Brosnan's first wife Cassandra Harris died from ovarian cancer at age 43 in 1991. She died one day after their 11th year anniversary.  They had one child together but Brosnan had adopted her two children after their father died.  His adopted daughter Charlotte died in 2013 from the same illness that claimed her mother's life.

James Brown's third wife Adrienne Rodriguez died from a heart attack on January 6, 1996 while getting plastic surgery.  They were married for 12 years and had no children together.

Actress Lucile Browne's husband, actor James Flavin died of a heart attack on April 23, 1976.  He was 69 years old.  They were married for 44 years and had one son. The only marriage for each.  Devastated by her husband's death Lucile dropped dead 17 days later on May 10, 1976.

Charles Bukowski's girlfriend Jane Cooney Baker was a heavy drinker like him.  She drank herself to death in 1962. She was around 52.  Bukowski was traumatized by her death.  She later became one of his biggest muses for his writing. 

Sandra Bullock's boyfriend of eight years, Bryan Randall died from ALS on August 5, 2023.  He was 57 years old.  They had no children together.  

Billie Burke's husband Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. died on July 22, 1932 at age 65 from lung disease.  They were married 13 years and had one child.  This was her only husband.  She lived almost 40 years after him. 

George Burns' wife Gracie Allen died from a heart attack at age 69 on August 27, 1964.  "The Burns and Allen Show" was on the radio from 1934-1950.  George called Gracie "his next breath".  They were married for 38 years and had 2 children.  He never remarried and lived 32 years without her before dying at 100 in 1996.

Steve Buscemi's wife, artist Jo Andres, died on January 6, 2019 from encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis.  She was 64.  They were married for 32 years and had one son.  

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George Carlin's wife Brenda Hosbrook died from liver cancer at age 60 in 1997.  She died the day before his 60th birthday.  They were married 35 years and had one child together.

Actress Mary Carr's husband William died on February 13, 1937.  Their daughter had died a month earlier.  They were married for 36 years and had seven children.  Carr outlived her husband and three children, dying at 99 years old.

Nancy Cartwright's fiancĂ© Stephen Brackett committed suicide by jumping off a California bridge on May 21, 2009.  They were together two years and had no children. 

Johnny Cash's wife June Carter Cash died from complications after heart surgery on May 15, 2003.  She was 73.  They were married for 35 years and had one child together.  Johnny Cash died four months later.

Dick Cavett's wife, actress Carrie Nye, died from lung cancer on July 14, 2006.  She was 69 years old.  They were married for 42 years and had no children. 

Duane "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Chapman's wife Beth, who also starred on his show died from lung cancer on June 26, 2019.  She was 51 years old.  They were together over 21 years and had three children together. Debra White, an ex-girlfriend of Chapman's gave birth to his first son.  White committed suicide in 1978.  

Mary Higgins Clark married in 1949 and had five children. In 1964 her husband died from a heart attack. Upon hearing this his mother dropped dead. In one moment Clark lost her husband and mother-in-law.

Actress Susan Clark's husband, actor Alex Karras died from kidney failure on October 10, 2012.  He was 77 years old. They were married for 32 years and had one daughter.

Imogene Coca's first husband, Robert Burton died in 1955.  He was 47 years old.  They were married for 20 years.  Her second husband, King Donovan died in 1987.  He was 69 years old.  They were married for 27 years and had no children.  Coca lived till 92, dying in 2001. 

Claudette Colbert's husband Dr. Joel Pressman died from liver cancer at age 67 in 1968.  They were married for 33 years and had no children.  Colbert would never remarry or have children.  She lived for 28 years as widow before dying at 92 in 1996.  In her will she left her fortune to her best friend.

Actress Charlotte Coleman's boyfriend Jonathan Laycock died in a cycling accident in 1987.  He was 23 years old.  She then slipped into a deep depression. Charlotte herself would tragically die in 2001 at age 33 from an asthma attack.

Sean Combs' (Rapper Puff Daddy) on-again, off-again girlfriend Kim Porter died from pneumonia on November 15, 2018.  She was 47 years old.  They had three biological children and Combs adopted Porter's son from a previous relationship.  

Veronica Cooper's first husband, actor, Gary Cooper died from cancer on May 13, 1961.  He was 60 years old.  They were married for 28 years and had one child.  Her second husband was surgeon John Converse he died on January 31, 1981.  He was 71 years old.  They were married for 17 years and had no children.  

Joseph Cotten's first wife Lenore Kipp died of leukemia on January 7, 1960.  They were married for 29 years.  They had no children together. 

Katie Couric's husband Jay Monahan died at age 42 from colon cancer in 1998. He died on their 9th wedding anniversary.  They had two children. 

Jacques Cousteau's wife Simone Melchior died from cancer on December 1, 1990.  She was 71 years old.  They were married 53 years and had two children. 

Joan Crawford's fourth and final husband Alfred Steele died at age 57 from a heart attack in 1959.  He was the CEO of the Pepsi company and Crawford had frequent product placements of the soda in her films. They were married three years and had no children.  Crawford died in 1977 at age 71 also from a heart attack.

David Cronenberg's wife Carolyn died on June 19, 2017. She was 66.  They were married 38 years and had two children.

Bing Crosby's wife Dixie Lee died from ovarian cancer on November 1, 1952.  She was 40 years old.  They were married 22 years and had four children together.

D


Beverly D'Angelo's ex-boyfriend Anton Furst committed suicide shortly after they broke up in 1991.  He was 47.

Silent film actress, Viola Dana's first husband director John H. Collins died on October 31, 1918 in the influenza epidemic.  He was 28 years old.  They were married for only three years and had no children.  Her boyfriend, flight stuntman Ormer Locklear died in a plane crash on the movie set of "The Skywayman".  He was 28 years old. 

Karl Dane's wife Helen Benson died along with the baby during childbirth on August 9, 1923.  She was 28 years old.  They were married two years.  

Blythe Danner's husband, director Bruce Paltrow died from oral cancer on October 3, 2002. He was 58 years old.  They were married for 33 years and had two children, including actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

Silent film actress, Dorothy Davenport's husband actor Wallace Reid died from his morphine addiction on January 18, 1923.  He was 31 years old.  They were married for ten years and had two children.  A son, Wallace Jr. in 1917.  They adopted Reid's daughter from the woman that he had an affair with in 1919. Davenport never remarried and died in 1977.

Doris Day's husband Martin Melcher died from a heart attack on April 20, 1968.  He was 52.  They were married 17 years and had no children together.

Judi Dench's only husband, actor Michael Williams died from lung cancer on January 11, 2001.  He was 65 years old.  They were married for 30 years and had one daughter together.

Bo Derek's only husband,  actor John Derek died from a heart attack on May 2, 1998. He was 71 years old. They were married 22 years and had no children. 

Joan Didion's husband John Dunne died from a heart attack in 2003 at age 71.  They were married for 38 years and had one daughter. In 2005 her daughter died.

Celine Dion's agent husband, Rene Angelil died from throat cancer on January 14, 2016.  He was 73 yers old. They were married for 22 years and had three children. There was a 26 years age gap between spouses.

Joe Dimaggio's ex-wife Marilyn Monroe died from a drug overdose on August 5, 1962.  Although they were divorced at the time they remained close friends and DiMaggio was talking about remarrying her.  Neither was married at the time of her death and her body was signed over to Dimaggio.  He banned the Kennedy's from her funeral suspecting foul-play with her death.  For 20 years after her death he had roses sent to her crypt three times a week.  Monroe was 36 years old. They had no children.

Michelle Dockery's fiance John Dineen died from a rare form of cancer on December 10, 2015.  They had been a couple for 2 years and engaged for almost a year.  The couple had no children together. 

John Dos Passos' first wife Katharine Smith died at age 55 in an automobile accident on September 12, 1947.  They were married for 18 years.  They had no children.  

Angela Douglas' first husband, actor,  Kenneth More died from Parkinson's disease on July 12, 1982.  He was 67 years old.  They were married for 14 years and had no children.  

Patrick Duffy's wife Carlyn Rosser died on January 23, 2017.  She was 78 years old.  They were married 42 years and had two sons.

Jimmy Durante's first wife Jeanne Olsen died at age 46 from a heart ailment on Valentine's Day in 1943.  After every radio show he would sign off by secretly acknowledging his deceased wife by saying "Good night, Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are."   They were married for 21 years and had no children.

E


T.S. Elliot's wife Vivienne Haigh died in a mental hospital at age 58 in 1947.  They were married 32 years and had no children.

Ralph Waldo Emerson married his young 18 year old wife Ellen Tucker in 1829. Two years later she was dead from tuberculosis. Rumor has it he was very broken up after her death and visited her grave everyday, even sometimes opening the coffin to see if she was really dead.

Edith Evan's only husband died in 1935.  They were married 10 years. She died in 1976. She never remarried.  She never had children.

Faith Evans' husband, rapper Christopher Wallace a.k.a Biggie Smalls was shot and killed on March 9, 1997.  Wallace was shot four times in his SUV after exiting a party in Los Angeles.  The fourth and final bullet was fatal, hitting four vital organs.  He was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m.  His murder has never been solved.  They were married two years and had two children together.  He was 24. 

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Nanette Fabray's husband, screenwriter Ranald MacDougall died of a heart attack on December 12, 1973.  He was 58 years old.  They were married 16 years and had one child.

Max Factor Sr.'s first wife Esther "Lizzie" died from a brain hemorrhage on March 17, 1906. She was 32 years old. They were married for ten years and had four children. 

Sylvia Field's second husband Harold Moffet died on November 7, 1938.  They were married for eight years and had one child.  Her third husband, actor Ernest Truex, died from a heart attack on June 26, 1973. He was 83 years old.  They were married for 32 years.  

Henry Fonda's wife Frances was distraught over him announcing to her that he wanted a divorce.  She entered the Craig House asylum in January of 1950 to deal with her depression.  On April 14, 1950 she committed suicide there.  She was the mother of actors Peter and Jane Fonda.  She was 42 years old.  Fonda was known for being an extremely distant and cold man, according to his children.

Wallace Ford's wife Martha Haworth died on February 9, 1966.  She was around 65 years old.  They were married for 44 years and had one daughter.  Wallace died of a heart attack four months later on June 11, 1966.  He was 68.

Actor Robert Foxworth's wife, actress Elizabeth Montgomery died from colorectal cancer on May 18, 1995.  She was 62.  They were a couple for 20 years but married for two years.  They had no children together. 

Paul Frees' first wife Audrey Annelle McLeod died on September 20, 1945.  She was 20 years old.  They were married two years and had no children.  

Georgia Frontiere's first husband, Francis Geiger died in a car accident on August 24, 1946.  Her fifth husband, Carroll Rosenbloom died from a heart attack while swimming on April 2, 1979.  He was 72 years old.  They were married for 13 years and had two children.

Robert Frost's wife Elinor White died from heart failure in 1938.  They were married 42 years and had six children.  He lived 25 years after her. 

Italian director Lucio Fulci's wife, Marina, committed suicide by gas inhalation after learning she had terminal cancer in 1969.  They were married for 11 years and had two daughters.  

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Clark Gable's wife actress Carole Lombard was killed in a plane crash in Nevada on January 16, 1942. Gable had to claim the bodies of his wife and mother-in-law from the wreckage site.  Rumors had it that he lost 20 lbs. and became suicidal after the crash.  Lombard was 33. Despite having married two more times after Lombard he chose to be interred beside her in his will.  They had no children.

Art Garfunkel's longtime girlfriend Laurie Bird overdosed on Valium in their apartment on June 15, 1979.  She was 25.  They were together 5 years and had no children together.

Janet Gaynor's husband, costume designer Adrian died from a heart attack on September 13, 1959.  He was 56 years old. They were married 20 years and had one child.

Paul Michael Glaser's wife Elizabeth contracted HIV from a blood transfusion given to her after the birth of their daughter.  Unfortunately, his daughter contracted the virus through her mother's breast milk.  His daughter died in 1988.  His wife died from the virus on December 3, 1994.  She was 47.

James Gleason's wife, actress Lucile Webster died on May 18, 1947 from heart failure.  She was 59 years old.  They were married for 42 years and had one son, Russell, that died two years prior.

Ekaterina Gordeeva was a Russian figure skater in the pair event.  She and her late husband Sergei Grinkov won two gold metals in two separate Olympic games (1988/1994).  On November 20, 1995 Grinkov suffered a fatal heart attack while practicing on the ice with Gordeeva.  Autopsy showed his arteries were clogged.  Further testing showed he had a genetic risk for early heart attack.  The risk factor is now called the "Grinkov risk factor".  They were married four years and a one daughter together.  He was 28. 

Ruth Gordon's husband Gregory Kelly died at age 36 from a heart attack in 1927.  They were married eight years and had no children.

Katharine Graham's husband Philip shot himself on August 3, 1963.  He was 48.  They were married for 23 years and had four children. After her husband's suicide Graham had to take over command of the Washington Post. Being one of the first female C.E.O's in the country.

Kathryn Grant's first husband Bing Crosby died from a heart attack on October 14, 1977 at age 74.  They were married 20 years and had three children.  Her second husband Maurice William Sullivan died in a car accident on November 4, 2010.  They were married ten years and and no children.

Arlo Guthrie's wife Jackie died at age 68 from liver cancer on October 14, 2012.  They were married 43 years and had four children.

H


Jean Harlow's second husband actor Paul Bern shot himself on September 5, 1932.  He was 42 years old.  They were married two months.  They had no children. She would die five years later at age 26 from a burst appendix.

Rex Harrison began an affair with actress Carol Landis while married to his second wife actress Lilli Palmer.  Landis committed suicide on July 5, 1948 after spending the night arguing with Harrison because he wouldn't divorce his wife.  A scandal broke out against Harrison saying he waited several hours to call 911.  This briefly damaged his career and his contract from FOX was dropped.  Harrison's third wife Kay Kendall died at age 33 from leukemia in 1959.  They were married two years and had no children.  Harrison would marry three more times.  After battling years of alcoholism and depression that worsened after their break-up Harrison's 4th wife Rachel Roberts committed suicide nine years after their divorce. She was 53.  They were married nine years and had no children.

Helen Hayes' husband Charles MacArthur died on April 21, 1956.  He was 60 years old.  They were married for 28 years and had a son and a daughter together.  His daughter predeceased him which may have lead to his sudden death.

Katharine Hepburn's partner Spencer Tracy died at age 67 from a heart attack on June 10, 1967.  They were together for 26 years despite Tracy never divorcing his wife.  They had no children.

Hal Holbrook's wife, actress Dixie Carter died from endometrial (uterine) cancer on on April 10, 2010.  She was 70 years old.  They were married for 26 years and had no kids together.

Stanley Holloway's first wife Alice Foran died at age 45 from cirrhosis of the liver in 1937.  They were married 24 years and had four children together.

Celeste Holm's husband Wesley Addy died on December 31, 1996.  They were married 30 years and had no children together.

Libby Holman's first husband Zachary Smith Reynolds supposedly shot himself on July 6, 1932 after an argument with Holman. He was 20 years old.  Her second husband Ralph Holmes came home from war in 1945.  He overdosed on pills on November 15, 1945.  He was 30 years old. Holman herself would commit suicide in 1971 at the age of 67.

Rance Howard's wife, actress Jean Speegle Howard died from heart failure on September 2, 2000.  She was 73 years old.  They were married for 51 years and was the proud mother of director Ron Howard and actor Clint Howard.  Rance died in 2017. 

Poet, Ted Hughes' first wife writer, Sylvia Plath killed herself by carbon monoxide poisoning on February 11, 1963.  She was depressed over the break-up of their marriage due to Hughes multiple affairs.  They were married for seven years and had two children.  She was 30 years old.  On March 23, 1969 Hughes lover, Assia Wevill killed herself using the same method and for the same reasons.  Along with herself, she also killed their daughter four year old daughter, Alexandra.

Benita Hume's husband actor Ronald Colman died from emphysema on May 19, 1958.  They were married for 20 years and had one child together. 

Anjelica Huston's husband was famous sculptor Robert Graham.  He died from complications from a heart attack on December 27, 2008.  Graham was 70.  This has been her only marriage. They were married 16 years and had no children.

Josephine Hutchinson's second husband James Townsend died on December 19, 1970. They were married for 35 years and had no children.  Her third husband, actor Staats Cotsworth died on April 9, 1979.  They were married 6 years and had no children.  She died in 1998 at age 94.

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Lee Iacocca's first wife Mary McCleary died of diabetes on May 15, 1983.  They were married for 27 years and had two daughters.

James Ivory's partner of 44 years, Ismail Merchant died May 25, 2005 after stomach surgery.  He was 68 years old.  They had no children.  

J


Stonewall Jackson's first wife, Elinor died with the baby during child birth on October 22, 1854.  She was 29 years old.  They were only married a year.  

Mick Jagger's girlfriend, fashion designer L'Wren Scott committed suicide on March 17, 2014.  She was found dead shortly after hanging herself by an assistant who Scott had texted to "come by". She was 49.  Jagger was on tour in Australia at the time of her death. They were together 13 years and had no children together.

Welch actress Margaret John's only husband Ben Thomas died at 39 in 1978.  She never remarried.  They had no children.  She died at 84 in 2011.

James Earle Jones' wife, Cecilia Hart died from ovarian cancer on October 16, 2016.  She was 68 years old. They were married for 24 years and had one son.

Jennifer Jones' first husband actor Robert Walker died from a drug overdose on August 28, 1951, five years after their divorce. He was 32. They were married six years and had two children. Her second husband was director David O. Selznick.  He died from a heart attack on June 22, 1965. They were married for 15 years and had one child together.  Jones' third husband was Norton Simon who died on June 1, 1993. He was 86. They were married 21 years and had 0 children. Jones died a widow at age 90 in 2009.

Kidada Jones' fiance Tupac Shakur was shot and critically injured on September 7, 1996.  Shakur was leaving the Mike Tyson fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada when a car pulled up to his at a stop light and fired into the car.  Tupac was hit multiple times.  Kidada Jones was following in another car with Tupac's bodyguard.  Tupac Shakur succumbed to his wounds on Friday, September 13, 1996. His murder has never been solved.  The couple had no children together.  He was 25. 

K


Director Philip Kaufman's wife Rose Fisher died from cancer on December 7, 2009.  She was 70 years old. They had one son together and were married for 51 years. Now that's a record in Hollywood!

Bernard's Kay's wife Patricia Haines died from lung cancer on February 25, 1977.  She was 45 years old.  They were married for 14 years and had no children.  She was previously married to Michael Caine and had one daughter with him.

Elia Kazan's first wife actress Molly Day Thatcher died on December 14, 1963 from a brain bleed at age 56. They were married for 31 years and had four children. Kazan's second wife actress Barbara Loden died on September 5, 1980 from breast cancer at age 48.  They were married for 13 years and had one child. Kazan died at age 94 in 2003.

Sally Kellerman's husband, producer, Jonathan D. Krane died of a heart attack on August 1, 2016.  He was 65 years old.  They were married for 36 years and had three children. His youngest daughter died of a drug over dose three months after his death.

Gene Kelly's second wife Jeanne Coyne died at age 50 from leukemia on May 10, 1973.  They were married 12 years and had two children together.

Paul Kelly's wife, actress Dorothy Mackaye died in a car accident on January 5, 1940.  She was 40 years old.  They were married for nine years.  She had a daughter from an earlier married in which Kelly adopted.  

Jacqueline Kennedy's husband President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by a gun shot wound to the head on November 22, 1963.  He was on a political tour in Dallas, Texas when shot in his car by Lee Harvey Oswald.  He was hit three times, once in the throat, upper back and head.  He was pronounced dead at 1:00p.m.  They were married 10 years and had four children (two survived).  He was 46.

Actress Madge Kennedy's first husband died at age 38 in 1927. They were married 10 years.  Her second husband was actor William B. Hanley Jr.  He died in 1959.  They were married 25 years. Kennedy would remain a widow until her death in 1987.  She had no children. 

Carole King's third husband Rick Evers died from a cocaine overdose on March 21, 1978. He was 31 years old.  They were married for a year and had no children. 

Coretta Scott King's husband Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by a gun shot wound to the head on April 4, 1968.  He was on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis when shot and killed by James Earl Ray.  He was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. They were married 14 years and had four children.  He was 39.

Leonid Kinskey lost his first wife in 1939.  They were married nine years.  He lost his second wife, actress Iphigenie Castiglioni in 1963.  She was 67. They were married 20 years.  He married one more time, but died before her at age 95. He had no children.

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Angela Lansbury's 2nd husband, actor Peter Shaw died from heart failure on January 29, 2003. He was 84 years old. They were married for 54 years and had two children.

Eddie Laughton's wife, actress Mary Eaton died from liver failure from alcoholism on October 10, 1948.  She was 47 years old.  They were married for a few years and had no children.  He died four years later of pneumonia.

Nigella Lawson's first husband John Lawson died from lung cancer on March 2, 2001. They were married for nine years and had two children.  He was 47 years old. 

Annie Leibovitz's girlfriend was writer Susan Sontag from 1989 until Sontag's death from leukemia in 2004. 

Damian Lewis' wife, actress, Helen McCrory died from cancer on April 16, 2021.  She was 52 years old. They were married for 23 years and had two children.  

Jerry Lee Lewis' fourth wife Jaren Pate drowned in a swimming pool on June 8, 1982.  They had one child together and were married for ten years.  Lewis' fifth marriage to Shawn Stephens also ended in her dying.  Her death's circumstances were questionable and never resolved.  It seemed to be an apparent overdose. They were married two months.  She was 25.

Mary Todd Lincoln's husband President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by a gun shot wound to the head on April 15, 1865.  He was attending a play in Washington, D.C.  His bodyguard stepped out during intermission to get a drink and the unprotected president was shot in the head by John Wilkes Booth.  He was pronounced dead at 7:22 a.m. They were married 22 years and had four children.  He was 56.

Rich Little's third wife Marie Marotta overdosed on sleeping pills on July 15, 2010. They were married 7 years and had no kids.

Actress Mary Livingstone's husband, comedian Jack Benny died very suddenly after finding out two months earlier that he had pancreatic cancer.  He died on December 26, 1974.  He was 80 years old.  They were married for 47 years and had one adopted daughter, Joan.

Richard Long's actress wife Suzan Ball died from cancer at age 21. After battling it for two years and having a leg amputated she lost her life on August 5, 1955.  They had no children. 

Courtney Love's husband, musician Kurt Cobain, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head on April 5, 1994.  Prior to his suicide Love had had Cobain enter a drug rehab facility for his heroin addiction.  He was there for a brief time before escaping.  Unknown of his whereabouts Love hired a private investigator to locate him.  Cobain's body was discovered by an electrician in Seattle on April 8, 1994.  A suicide letter was left behind and addressed to Cobain's childhood imaginary friend.  They were married two years and had one daughter.  He was 27. 

Allen Ludden's first wife Margaret died from cancer on October 30, 1961.  They were married for 18 years and had three children.  

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Fred MacMurray's first wife Lillian Lamont died from cancer on June 22, 1953.  They were married 17 years and adopted two children.  She was 45 years old.

Director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's wife actress Rose Stradner took an overdose of sleeping pills on September 27, 1958.  She was 45 years old. They were married 19 years and had two children. 

Marc Maron's girlfriend Lynn Shelton died from leukemia on May 16, 2020.  She was 54 years old.  They were dating for one year. 

Screenwriter Frances Marion's third husband, actor Fred Thomson stepped on a rusty nail in his stable and died on December 25, 1928 from tetanus.  He was 38 years old.  They were married for nine years and had two children.

Herbert Marshall's fourth wife Boots Mallory died from throat disease at age 45 on December 1, 1958. They were married 11 years and had no kids together. 

Samantha Mathis was River Phoenix's girlfriend at the time of his death.  Phoenix was at the Viper Room night club when he overdosed from a toxic mixture of cocaine and heroin called "speedball" on Halloween night in 1993.  He collapsed on the sidewalk outside the club and convulsed in front of Mathis and his younger brother, actor, Joaquin Phoenix.  He was pronounced dead at 1:51 a.m. The couple had no children. He was 23.  

Robert L. May's first wife Evelyn died from cancer on July 29, 1939.  She was 33 years old.  They were married for 11 years and had one daughter.  

Paul McCartney's wife Linda McCartney died from breast cancer at age 56 in 1998.  They were married 29 years and had three children.  She was 56.

Carson McCullers' husband Reeves committed suicide in 1953.  He tried to convince his wife to kill herself with him.  She refused but he went forward and overdosed on sleeping pills.  They were married from 1937-41, divorced, and then remarried in 1945.  They had no children.

Hattie McDaniel's first husband Howard Hickman died in 1915.  They were married for four years and had no children.  Her second husband George Langford was shot and killed in January 1925.  They were married for three years and had no kids.  She never had children.  

Ray McKinnon's wife, actress Lisa Blount died from a blood disorder on October 25, 2010.  She was 53 years old.  They were married for 12 years and had no children.  

Lea Michelle's boyfriend Cory Monteith died from a heroin drug overdose on July 13, 2013.  They became a couple in 2011.  They had no children together.  He was 31. 

Alfred Molina's wife, Jill Gascoine, died from Alzheimer's disease on April 28, 2020.  She was 83 years old.  They were married for 34 years and Molina adopted her two sons from a previous marriage.  

Monica's ex-boyfriend Jarvis Weems committed suicide in front of her on July 18, 2000.  They were visiting the grave of Weems' brother when he pulled out a handgun and shot himself in the head.  The couple had no children together.

Rick Moranis' wife Anne died from breast/liver cancer on February 15, 1991.  She was 35.  He moved back to Canada and retired from acting five years later.  This has been his only marriage. They were married six years and had two children.

Harry Morgan's first wife Eileen Detchon died on February 4, 1985.  They were married for 45 years and had four sons.

Chris Mulkey's wife, actress Karen Landry died from cancer on December 31, 2015. She was 65 years old.  They were married 33 years and had 2 children.

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Actor Jack Nance's wife, actress Kelly Van Dyke hung herself at age 33 on November 17, 1991. She was Jerry Van Dyke's daughter and Dick Van Dyke's niece.  Nance and her were married only 6 months.  They had no children.

Anne Nagel's husband, Ross Alexander shot himself on January 2, 1937.  He was 29 years old.  They were married for three months.  They had no children.

Actress Noreen Nash's first husband, Dr. Lee E. Siegel (Doctor to the Stars) died from heart disease on May 7, 1990. He was 81. They were married for 48 years and had two children. She then married actor James Whittmore in 2001.  He died from lung cancer on February 6, 2009.  He was 87. 

Liam Neeson's wife was actress Natasha Richardson.  Richardson died when she suffered a severe head injury in a skiing accident on March 16, 2009.  Immediately after the accident Richardson could speak and walk normally.  She refused medical attention twice.  However, after laying down in her hotel for three hours she began to suffer from a headache.  She died two days later from a hematoma of the brain.  She was 45.  They were married 14 years and had two children.  

Petra Nemcova's fiance Simon Atlee died on December 26, 2004 during the tsunami in the Indian Ocean.  His body was swept away and recovered on March 3, 2005.  He was 33. The couple had no children.

David Niven's wife Primula Rollo died on May 21, 1946 from a fall down a flight of stairs while playing a party game at Tyrone Power's house.  She was 28.  They were married for five years and had two children together.

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Maureen O'Hara's third and last husband was Charles F. Blair Jr.  He was killed in a plane crash on September 2, 1978. They were married for 10 years and had no children together.  She lived until 2015.

Oona O'Neil-Chaplin's husband Charlie Chaplin died from a stroke on December 25, 1977.  He was 88 years old.  She was 36 years younger than him.  They were married for 34 years and had eight children.

Yoko Ono's husband was Beatles band member John Lennon.  He was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman on December 8, 1980. Lennon was shot outside his Manhattan apartment four times.  He was pronounced dead at 11:07 p.m. They were married 11 years and had one child. He was 40.

Roy Orbison's wife Claudette was killed in a motorcycle accident on June 6, 1966.  They were married eight years and had three children together.

George Orwell's wife Eileen O'Shaughnessy died during a hysterectomy in 1945 at age 39.  They were married eight years and had one child.  Orwell died five years later from tuberculous and their son was raised by an aunt.

Patton Oswalt's wife, crime writer Michelle McNamara died in her sleep from an accidental pill overdose on April 21, 2016.  She was 46 years old.  They were married 10 years and had one daughter together. 

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Actor Michael Park's second wife actress Jan Moriarty committed suicide from an overdose on March 2, 1964.  She was 24 years old.  They were married two months and had no children. 

Dorothy Parker's husband, screenwriter, Alan Campbell overdosed on pills on June 14, 1963.  He was 59 years old.  They married twice for a total of 26 years.  They had no children.  

Francine Pascal's husband John died from lung cancer on January 7, 1981.  He was 48 years old.  They were married for 16 years and had 3 daughters.  She never remarried.  

Bernadette Peters's husband Michael Wittenberg died at age 43 in a helicopter crash on September 26, 2005. They were married nine years and had no children. 

Edith Piaf's boyfriend, boxer, Marcel Cerdan died in a plane crash at age 33 on October 28, 1949.  They were together for a year and had no children together.

Kellie Pickler's husband of 12 years shot and killed himself on February 17, 2023.  He was 49 years old.  They had no children.  

Actress Suzanne Pleshette's husband Tom Gallagher died from lung cancer on January 21, 2000.  They were married for 32 years and had no children.  In 2001 Pleshette married former co-star Tom Poston who was also a widow.  His wife Kay Hudson died in 1998 from ALS.  Pleshette and Poston were married for six years till his death on April 30, 2007.  They had no children.

Edgar Allan Poe's wife Virginia Poe was also his cousin.  They married in 1835 when Poe was 27 and she was 13.  She was always in poor health but succumbed to tuberculous in 1847.  She was 24.  Her death caused Poe's life to spiral downward.  He became an alcoholic and died in 1849. They had no children.

Priscilla Pointer's first husband Jules Irving died from a heart attack on July 28, 1979.  He ws 54 years old.  They were married for 31 years and three children, including actress Amy Irving.  Pointer's second husband actor, Robert Syminds died from prostate cancer on August 23, 2007.  He was 80 years old.  They were married for 25 years.  

Roman Polanski's wife Sharon Tate was murdered by Charles Manson's gang on August 9, 1969.  She was nine months pregnant with their son at the time who also did not survive.  They were married one year.  She was 26.

Vincent Price's wife Coral Browne died from breast cancer on May 29, 1991. She was 77.  They were married 16 years and had no children together.

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Claude Rains' wife Rosemary Clark died from pancreatic cancer on December 31, 1964.  They were married four years and had no children together.

Orville Redenbacher's first wife Corinne Strate died in 1971.  They were married for 43 years.  They had two children.. Later that year he married his second wife Nina Reder.  She died in 1991.  They were married for 20 years.

Keanu Reeves' girlfriend Jennifer Syme gave birth to their stillborn child Ava, at 8 months in 1999.  This loss causes tension between them and they separated in 2000.  Syme's slipped into a deep depression and became using heavy drugs.  In 2001 she was killed in a car crash.  She was 28.  They were together two years.

John Rhys-Davies married his wife Suzanne Wilkinson in 1966.  They separated in 1985 but never divorced. They had two children together.  His wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1995.  He took care of her until her death from the disease in 2010.

Anne Rice's husband Stan Rice died from brain cancer at age 60 in 2002.  They were married 41 years and had two children.  

Joan Rivers' husband Edgar Rosenberg committed suicide on August 14, 1987 at age 62.  They were married 22 years and had one child together.  She never remarried.

Roy Roger's second wife Grace Wilkins died shortly after giving birth to his son Roy Jr. They were married 10 years and had three children together.

Mickey Rooney's wife Carolyn Mitchell was murdered by her lover Milos Milos on January 31, 1966. She had filed for divorce from Rooney but was debating returning to him. Her jealous boyfriend could not handle this news and shot her in the head then turned the gun on himself.  Mitchell and Rooney had four children together and were married seven years.  She was 29.

Bob Ross' 2nd wife, Jane died from cancer on August 1, 1992.  She was 50 years old.  They were married for 15 years and had no children together. He would die from cancer three years later at age 52. 

Philip Roth's wife Margaret Martinson was killed in a car accident in 1968.  They were married nine years and had no children. 

Gena Rowlands' husband John Cassavetes died at age 59 on February 3, 1989 from cirrhosis of the liver.  They were married 44 years and had three children together.  She never remarried.

Jane Russell's husband Roger Barrett died from a heart attack on November 18, 1968.  He was 47.  They were married for three months and had no children together.

Babe Ruth was separated from his first wife Helen when she died in a house fire in 1929.  She was 31. They were married 24 years and had one child together.

Fran Ryan's first husband, Walter Wayne, died in a plane crash in January 1951.  They were married for two years and had one son, Chris.  Ryan's second husband Howard Schafer, also died in a plane crash in May 1953.  They were married 5 months and had no children. 

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Boris Sagal's wife Sara Macon died from a heart attack on September 1, 1975.  She was 47.  They were married 23 years and had five children together, including actress Katey Sagal.

George Sander's wife Benita Hume died at 61 on November 1, 1967 from bone cancer.  They were married for eight years and had no children together.

Jessica Savitch's husband Dr. Donald Payne hung himself on August 2, 1981.  He was 45 years old.  They were married five months and had no children.  

Actor Joe Sawyer's wife June Golden died from leukemia on June 26, 1960.  She was 44 years old.  They were married for 23 years years and had five children. 

John Schneider's third wife, Alicia Allain, died from breast cancer on February 22, 2023.  She was 53 years old.  They were married for four years and had no children together.  

Debralee Scott's fiancĂ©'s, police officer John Dennis Levi died during the 9/11 attacks.  He was 50 years old.  After which, Scott developed a drinking problem and drank herself to death in 2005.  

Actor Eric Scott's wife Karey Louis developed leukemia while pregnant with their daughter Ashley.  She died on November 5, 1992, shortly after having the child.  She was 33 years old.  They were only married three years.  Ashley was their only child.  

Dr. Seuss' wife Helen Palmer committed suicide at age 68 in 1967.  Palmer was quite physically ill and wanted the pain to stop.  She also was aware that her husband was in love with another woman named Audrey Diamond.  They were married 39 years and had no children.  Seuss was devastated by his wife's decision however less than a year later he married Audrey .  They remained married until his death in 1991.

Gene Shalit's wife Nancy Lewis died from cancer in August 1978. She was 49 years old.  They were married for 28 years and had six children.  He never remarried. 

William Shatner's third wife Nerine Kidd died from drowning in a swimming pool while intoxicated on August 9, 1999.  They couple was married one year and had no children together.  She was 40.

Robert Shaw's wife, actress Mary Ure overdosed on barbiturates on April 3, 1975.  She was 42.  They were married 11 years and had four children together.

Sidney Sheldon's wife Jorja Curtright died from a heart attack in 1985. She was 61. They were married 30 years and had one daughter.

Talia Shire's husband Jack Schwartzman died from pancreatic cancer on June 15, 1994 at age 61.  They were married 13 years and had two children together.

Martin Short's wife Nancy Dolman died from ovarian cancer at age 58 on age August 21, 2010.  They were married 29 years and had three children together. 

Sia's Boyfriend Dan Ponifex died in a car accident in 1997. 

Shel Silverstein's wife Susan died on June 29, 1975, one day before their daughter's 5th birthday.  His daughter would die at age 11.

Neil Simon's wife Joan Baim died on July 17, 1983 from bone cancer.  They were married 19 years and had two children.  She was 41.

Nancy Sinatra's second husband Hugh Lambert died from cancer on August 18, 1985.  They were married for 15 years and had two children together.  He was 55.

Rocker Patti Smith's husband Fred "Sonic" Smith died from heart failure on November 4, 1994.  They were married 14 years and had two children together.  He was 45.

Gloria Steinem's one and only husband was Christian Bale's dad David Bale who died on December 30, 2003 at age 62 from brain cancer. They were married three years and had no children together.

Jan Sterling's husband, actor Paul Douglas died of a heart attack on September 11, 1959.  He was 52 years old.  They were married for nine years and had one child.  She never remarried and died in 2004.

Dorothy Stickney's husband screenwriter, Howard Lindsay died on February 11, 1968.  He was 78 years old.  They were married for 40 years and had no children.  Stickney lived another 30 years without him and died in 1998 at the age of 101.  

Paulene Stone's 2nd husband, actor Laurence Harvey died at age 45 from stomach cancer on November 25, 1973. They were married only one year and had a daughter. Her 4th husband Mark Burns died on May 8, 2007 from lung cancer. They were married for 17 years and had no kids.

Lee Strasberg's first wife Nora died in 1929. They were married three years and had no children together.  His second wife Paula died from cancer in 1966.  They were married 31 years and had 2 children together.

Meryl Streep's boyfriend, actor,  John Cazale died from bone cancer on March 12, 1978 at age 42.  He had only starred in five movies in his career and all five were nominated for best picture.  He was dying of cancer while filming "The Deer Hunter".  The couple was together for seven years and had no children together.  She's quoted in 2018 as saying about John's death: "I didn't get over it.  I don't want to get over it."

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Elizabeth Taylor's husband Michael Todd died at age 48 in a plane crash in New Mexico on March 22, 1958.  They were married one year and had one child together.

Strom Thurmond's first wife Jean Crouch died from a brain tumor in 1960.  She was 33 years old.  They were married for 13 years and had no children.

Rip Torn's wife was actress Geraldine Page.  She died from a heart attack at age 62 on June 13, 1987.  They were married 24 years and had three children.

John Travolta's girlfriend, actress Diana Hyland, died of breast cancer on March 27, 1977.  She was 41 years old.  They were together one year.  They had no children. Travolta's wife, actress Kelly Preston also died from breast cancer on July 12, 2020.  They were married for 19 years and had three children together.  (Her son, Jett predeceased her.)  She was 57 years old. 

Ernest Truex's first wife, Julia Mills, died on November 14, 1930  They were married for 20 years and had two sons. 

Stanley Tucci's wife Kathryn Spath died from breast cancer at age 47 in 2009. They were married 14 years and had three children. 

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Tracey Ullman's husband Allan McKeown died on December 24, 2013 from prostate cancer.  They were married for 30 years and had two children together.

Leon Uris' wife Margery Edwards shot herself to death.  They were married one year and had no children. 

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Robert Wagner's wife was actress Natalie Wood.  She drowned while swimming off her yacht on November 29, 1981 at age 43.  Her husband and actor Christopher Walken were also out on the boat with her and claimed they were unaware she had entered the water. The autopsy revealed she did have a high alcohol level in her blood.  They couple was married from 1957-1962, divorced and then remarried from 1972 till her death.  The couple had one child.

Dee Wallace's husband actor Christopher Stone died from a heart attack on October 20, 1995.  They were married 15 years and had one child together. He was 53.

Actress Marcia Wallace was diagnosed with breast cancer while being caregiver for her husband Denny who was ill for pancreatic cancer.  He died on June 7, 1992.  They were married for six years and had one son. 

Linda Watkin's husband, Gabriel L. Hess, died at age 59 on April 13, 1940.  They were married for eight years and had one son. 

Betty White's husband was gameshow host Allen Ludden.  He died from cancer on June 9, 1981 at age 63.  They were married 17 years and had no children.  She never remarried.

Actor David White's first wife Mary Welch died on May 31, 1958 from complications during a pregnancy.  She was 36 years old.  They were married three years and had a son Jonathan.  

Gene Wilder's wife was SNL actress Gilda Radner.  She died at age 42 on May 20, 1989.  Radner began having pain in her upper legs while filming the couple's film "Haunted Honeymoon.  After seeking help she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.  She slipped into a coma during a routine CAT scan and died three days later with Gene by her side.  She fought a hard fight for almost three years before succumbing to her disease.  They were married four years and had no children.

Esther Williams' husband Fernando Lamas died from pancreatic cancer at age 67 on October 8, 1982.  They were married 12 years and had no children.

Composer John Williams' first wife actress, Barbara Ruick died from a cerebral hemorrhage on March 3, 1974.  She was 43 years old.  They were married for 18 years and had three children. 

Michelle Williams' ex-fiance was actor Heath Ledger.  Ledger was struggling with drug addiction and would not seek the rehab Williams begged him to get. This became a strain on their relationship and Williams called off the engagement.  Shortly after, Ledger was found dead from a prescription drug overdose on January 22, 2008.  He was pronounced dead at 3:36 p.m. He was 28 years old.  The couple was dating for three years and had a daughter Matilda together.  He posthumously received an Oscar which Matilda will inherit on her 18th birthday.

Fay Wray's husband screenwriter, Robert Riskin died from a stroke on September 20, 1955.  He was 58.  They were married for 13 years and had three children.  Her third husband neurosurgeon Samuel Rothenberg died on January 4, 1991.  He was 72.  They were married for 20 years and had no children. She died in 2004 at the age of 96.

Amy Wright's husband, actor Rip Torn died from Alzheimer's disease on July 9, 2019.  He was 88 years old.  They were married for 30 years and had two daughters.

Patrice Wymore's only husband, actor Errol Flynn died on October 14, 1959 from a heart attack and liver cirrhosis caused by alcohol abuse. He was 50. They were married for nine years and had one daughter together. 

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Amy Yasbeck's husband was actor John Ritter.  He died from a tear in his aorta on September 11, 2003 at age 54.  Ritter was rehearsing on the set of his t.v. show when he became terribly ill.  He was in surgery when he died at 10:48 p.m.  The couple was married for three years and had one child together.

Harris Yulin's first wife Gwen Welles died of cancer at age 42 on October 13, 1993. They were married 18 years and had no children.