She was an American actress, considered one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her life was filled with numerous love affairs and a glamorous lifestyle.

She was an American actress, considered one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her life was filled with numerous love affairs and a glamorous lifestyle. The American Film Institute named her one of the greatest actresses of the 20th century. She was the embodiment of a true movie star.

She began her career in 1941 and quickly became a star. She was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the film Mogambo, but Audrey Hepburn won that year for her role in Roman Holiday. Ava’s portrayal of Maxine Faulk in The Night of the Iguana is considered her finest performance. Some of her most famous films include 55 Days at Peking, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, The Barefoot Contessa, and many others.

Foto:Credit: Metro Goldwyn Mayer / Christophel Collection / Profimedia / Profimedia

Turbulent Love Affairs

Ava married three times. Her first husband was actor Mickey Rooney. They married in 1942 in Ballard, California, but divorced in 1943 due to Rooney’s wild lifestyle. Rooney later boasted about their intimate life, claiming Ava was great in bed. When Ava heard this, she wittily replied, “Well, he might have enjoyed the relationship, but heaven knows I didn’t.”

After Mickey, she was briefly married to jazz musician Artie Shaw for less than a year.

Sinatra Left His Wife for Her

Ava Gardner’s third and final marriage was to singer and actor Frank Sinatra. Sinatra left his wife, Nancy, for Ava, and their marriage became front-page news at the time. Sinatra was criticized for leaving his “good wife” for a “loose woman,” which affected his career, but for Ava, it solidified her image as a seductress and sex symbol for all time.

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When Ava discovered she was pregnant, she chose to prioritize her career over motherhood and had an abortion.

Ava Gardner and Ernest Hemingway

After all the scandals and successes both experienced in the mid-1950s, Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra divorced in 1957 after six years of marriage, and Ava decided to start a new life in Spain. While in Spain, Ava met the famous writer Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway, who had been through four marriages, immediately fell in love with her.

Tired of a life of wandering, Ava moved to London in 1968. She continued to make occasional films, but she never regained her former fame.

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She smoked heavily, which led to emphysema, as well as an autoimmune disorder. After two strokes in 1986, which left her partially paralyzed and bedridden, Ava Gardner passed away from pneumonia on January 25, 1990, at the age of 67.

Ava Gardner’s last words, spoken to her maid Carmen, were: “I’m so tired.”