Hollywood icon Ava Gardner led a life that was as glamorous as it was tumultuous. Known for her fiery spirit and magnetic charm, Ava's personal life was anything but ordinary. By the age of 25, she had already been married twice and was openly involved in numerous high-profile love affairs. But amidst all the chaos, there was one man who truly captured her heart: Frank Sinatra. Theirs was a love story filled with passion, heartbreak, and an enduring bond that transcended their time together.
Ava Gardner: The Early Marriages
Before she met Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner experienced two short-lived marriages that left an indelible mark on her life. In 1942, at the tender age of 19, she tied the knot with actor Mickey Rooney. The marriage lasted just one year, ending in 1943. Not long after, in 1945, Ava married jazz clarinetist Artie Shaw, but this union also crumbled within a year, concluding in 1946. Despite these early setbacks, Ava remained steadfast in her beliefs about equality in relationships.
Frank Sinatra: The Love of Her Life
It wasn’t until 1951 that Ava met Frank Sinatra, and their relationship quickly blossomed into something extraordinary. They married in 1951 and spent six years together before parting ways in 1957. Theirs was a love that defied the norms of the time. Frank and Ava shared a deep connection, one that was evident in the way they interacted and the adventures they embarked upon together. Their dates were legendary, including nights spent shooting out streetlights, a testament to their wild and uninhibited spirit.
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Ava's Views on Equality
Ava was a woman ahead of her time, advocating for equality in relationships. According to actor Farley Granger, one of her lovers, "Ava felt that for a man to be admired while he played the field while a woman was called a slut for doing the same thing was ‘bulls—, honey!’" This progressive mindset made Ava stand out in Hollywood, where traditional gender roles often dictated the narrative. Even with her bold affairs with actors like Fred MacMurray and Robert Taylor, Ava still felt an emptiness that only Frank Sinatra could fill.
Frank and Ava.
Even with all her past relationships, Ava still felt a void in her life. As authors Kendra Bean and Anthony Uzarowski note in their biography Ava Gardner: A Life in Movies, Ava often felt lonely despite her vibrant social life. It wasn’t until she met Frank that she truly found someone who understood her and matched her intensity. "In Ava, Dad had met his match," said Tina Sinatra, Frank's daughter, reflecting on the couple's dynamic.
The End of an Era
Unfortunately, the couple's time together was not to last. In 1957, due to issues like alcoholism and other personal struggles, they went their separate ways. Despite their split, they remained in touch, sharing a bond that endured long after their marriage ended. When Ava tragically passed away in 1990 at the age of 67, Frank was devastated. He described her death as "very painful," even though he had remarried Barbara Sinatra in 1976 and stayed with her until his own passing in 1998. One can only imagine what might have happened if circumstances had been different, whether Ava and Frank could have rekindled their love.
