One of the biggest movie stars of the 20th century,
Charlie Chaplin exploded onto movie screens as unforgettable characters that changed Hollywood forever. Off screen however, a string of marital affairs, estranged children, and allegations of abuse with actresses half his age plagued the comedic actor’s reputation. Despite a prosperous film career, personal drama followed Chaplin worldwide, eventually forcing the star to flee the United States.
[Wife #1]
Perhaps Chaplin’s love life was doomed from the start considering his first marriage sprung out of wedlock. At the age of 29, Chaplin wed
The Inferior Sex and
For Husbands Only 16-year-old actress Mildred Harris whom he believed to be pregnant with his child. Unsurprisingly, the marriage only lasted two years and though Harris eventually gave birth to his first child, the baby died only three days later. Their marriage initially proved fruitful for Harris, who increasingly received movie offers; however Chaplin was unsupportive and questioned her talent because of her young age. This behavior would manifest as a toxic pattern for Chaplin.
[Wife #2]
Lita Grey, the exotic, sloe-eyed beauty who began acting with Charlie Chaplin when she was 12, became pregnant by him when she was 15, married him at 16 and then divorced him two years later [...]
She met Chaplin there when she was only 6 and then was reintroduced to him at the age of 12 by a mutual friend. Chaplin was then casting "The Kid" (1921). He had the pre-pubescent Lita portray an angel dangling from wires in a scene set in celluloid heaven. Despite her age, he openly romanced her, telling friends that if she did become pregnant he, of course, would marry her.
Filming of "The Gold Rush" (1925), Chaplin's tale of life in Alaska, had begun when her almost predictable pregnancy became obvious and she was replaced by Georgia Hale. But rather than willingly marry her as he had said, Chaplin suggested an abortion and, failing that, offered her money.
In her book "My Life With Chaplin," the then-Lillita Louise MacMurray recalls how a family member took his shotgun from the wall and marched over to Chaplin's mansion to confront him. The wedding, she recounted, took place shortly after.
Charles Chaplin Jr., who was to die of alcohol abuse in 1968, was born in 1925. His brother Sydney, known for his starring roles on Broadway in "Funny Girl," "Bells Are Ringing" and "Subways Are for Sleeping," was born the next year. Their mother wrote that she bore both boys at home on Summit Drive in Beverly Hills, by herself while her husband was otherwise engaged.
Their subsequent nine-month divorce proceedings were spiced with stories of the comedian's philandering, of his inattention to his sons and of his animosity toward his wife, whom he dismissed as "lowly born and greedy." She was the only one of his wives he did not mention in his autobiography.
[...]
Of his notorious attraction to young women, she said in a 1989 interview: "He'd try to create people. He enjoyed being the first person in a girl's life."
[Wife #3]
Undeterred by his failed relationships, Chaplin continued working as the biggest film star of his generation. Nine years later, he married former child fashion model and Broadway star,
Paulette Goddard. Goddard, 22 when they first met, lied to Chaplin, claiming to be 17 which didn’t stop Chaplin from moving her into his mansion shortly after. Conflicting sources question the legality of the marriage, nonetheless, the couple lasted seven years before Chaplin’s jealousy drifted them apart. Chaplin’s bullish ways resurfaced as his attempts to control Goddard’s career pushed her to her limits. The couple split shortly after the 1940 premiere of their film,
The Great Dictator. Unlike his former wives though, Goddard was an independent twenty-something starlet who found success before and after their relationship, landing contracts with Paramount Studios.
[Wife #4]
In his 50s and with a mockery of dysfunctional marriages behind him, it’s surprising that Chaplin found true love in his fourth marriage with 18-year-old Oona O’Neill, daughter of Pulitzer Prize-winner
Eugene O’Neill. An aspiring actress, Oona had previously dated J.D. Salinger and Orson Welles before settling down with a man her father’s age in 1943. Their age difference held no barrier and the two were inseparable, bearing eight children and building a life in Switzerland, before returning to the U.S. after exile. The inexplicable magic shared between the two kept them in marital bliss with O’Neill looking after Chaplin’s health till his passing in 1977.
