At 102 years old, Olivia de Havilland continues to make waves, especially with her legal battle against FX over their portrayal of her in Feud: Bette and Joan. But way back when, Olivia was making headlines for a very different reason—her high-profile romances with some of Hollywood's biggest names. Now, a newly published biography, Olivia de Havilland and the Golden Age of Hollywood by Ellis Amburn, dives deep into her tumultuous love life. According to Amburn, Olivia was nothing if not bold. "Bold is the word that best describes Dame Olivia," Amburn writes. "It was this boldness that allowed her to keep searching for love, even after heartbreak."
From Captain Blood to Heartbreak: Olivia's Romantic Journey
Ellis Amburn, who once worked as a book editor in New York, met Olivia in 1973 and tried to convince her to write her autobiography. When he asked her, "Who was the love of your life?" she didn't hesitate. "Errol Flynn!" she exclaimed. Olivia had a major crush on Flynn during their first film together, Captain Blood in 1935. This was the start of nine films they made together. "I thought he was absolutely smashing for three solid years," she confessed. But it seems Errol never caught on. By the time they worked on The Adventures of Robin Hood in 1938, the tables had turned. "He had [a crush] on me," Olivia revealed, "but nothing ever came of it." Considering Flynn's reputation for breaking hearts, Olivia admitted, "I’m not going to regret that. It could have ruined my life."
Olivia and Jimmy: A Hollywood Romance Cut Short
Olivia's heart wasn't the only one breaking in Hollywood. She soon found herself falling for another leading man—Jimmy Stewart. Their connection began when Jimmy was chosen as her date for the premiere of her iconic 1939 film, Gone With the Wind. Amburn writes, "They clicked at once." Olivia had a type, and Jimmy fit it perfectly—"tall, handsome, and slender." Their romance was the talk of the town, much to the chagrin of another Hollywood icon, Marlene Dietrich, who was having an affair with Jimmy at the time while filming Destry Rides Again in 1939. Marlene hired private detectives to follow Jimmy and Olivia, but their love story was doomed. When Jimmy enlisted in the Air Force during World War II and served as a bomber pilot overseas, their romance fizzled out. Olivia later reflected, "In retrospect, I think Jimmy was a very complex man and revealed himself to very few people."
Read also:Unveiling The Truth King Von Autopsy Results Revealed What Happened
Passion and Betrayal: Olivia and John Huston
On the set of In This Our Life in 1942, Olivia's heart found another home—this time with the charming director John Huston. Olivia's co-star, Bette Davis, wasn't too pleased. "He fawned on her like a lap dog," Bette complained. Olivia felt the same way about John. "Knowing him was a powerful experience, one I never thought I’d get over," she said. "[John was] capable of tremendous love of a very intense order." But John's womanizing ways eventually became too much for Olivia to handle. "I must say I felt hatred for John for a long time," she admitted. Despite this, Olivia's bold spirit carried her through the heartbreak.
Through it all, Olivia found her true love—not in her husbands Marcus Goodrich or Pierre Galante (the fathers of her two children), but in France. After moving to Paris with Galante in the late '50s, Olivia stayed there even after their divorce in 1979. She joked, "I love France, although I initially thought they were stubborn for speaking French all the time." For Olivia, Paris will always hold a special place in her heart.
