Olivia de Havilland Stopped Speaking To Family After Marrying First Husband Marcus

Nov 13, 2021 by apost team

There aren't many people who don't know the classic movie “Gone with the Wind.” For those who do remember this timeless story, they are sure to also remember the absolute beauty who starred in the movie: Olivia de Havilland. She portrayed the role of Melanie Hamilton Wilkes, who was Scarlett O’Hara’s sister-in-law and eventual best friend.

Olivia de Havilland was born in Tokyo, Japan, on July 1, 1916, to parents Walter de Havilland, an English professor and Lilian Fontaine, an Academy Award-winning English actress. As a teenager, De Havilland would act in amateur theater before making her film debut in 1935, when she starred in the drama “A Midsummer Night's Dream.” The film saw De Havilland play the role of the sweet, charming love interest we all got to know her for in later projects.

The actress was married twice in her life and had two children. Her first marriage was to Marcus Goodrich, who was known for having a healthy ego. It is rumored that De Havilland did not speak to her family throughout her 7-year marriage to Goodrich. This may have something to do with the feud between De Havilland and her sister, fellow actress Joan Fontaine.

De Havilland is a two-time Oscar winner, while Fontaine only received one in her career. The pair are the only siblings to have both won the Academy Award for a major acting category. De Havilland was also the last surviving cast member of “Gone with the Wind” and passed away at an amazing 104-years-old. Read on to learn more about her accolades, career and troublesome first marriage.

In 1938, De Havilland shot to Hollywood stardom with her role as Maid Marian in “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” The film was released to critical acclaim and even bagged an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

Of course, De Havilland is best known for the iconic 1939 film “Gone with the Wind.” This classic Hollywood hit is still a treasure and a staple for many who loved the movie in their younger days.

The movie is about the lives of southern Americans who lived during the Civil War, in which De Havilland played the role of Melanie Hamilton Wilkes, the sister-in-law of Scarlett O’Hara, the lead role of the film. All in all, she has been seen in over 50 movies during her career. She has also won prestigious Oscars for two movies, “The Snake Pit” in 1948, and “The Heiress” in 1949. For both, she was given the Best Actress award.

De Havilland enjoyed years of success in Hollywood in her younger days as a gorgeous starlet. She was a successful actress for many years before retiring around 2009. That isn’t all that she is famous for, however. The actress was appointed as a Dame Commander during the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II and was given this title right before her 101st birthday. 

She remains the oldest individual ever to be appointed the honor, as reported by People.

As she approached her 100th birthday, De Havilland spoke to Vanity Fair about what she attributes her long life to: “The three Ls — love, laughter and light," she revealed.

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It is said that De Havilland cut ties with her family after her first marriage, and there is reason to believe this was in part because of her husband’s controlling behavior but also due to a well-documented feud between her and her sister. 

According to Biography, after De Havilland had married writer Marcus Goodrich, her sister, Joan Fontaine, said about the man: "All I know about him is that he’s had four wives and written one book. Too bad it’s not the other way around." Perhaps it is comments like these that led De Havilland to stop talking with her family while she was married to Goodrich.

De Havilland and Goodrich married in 1946, and the man was 18 years older than her. They had one child together, a son named Benjamin. Unfortunately, Benjamin was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma as a teenager and then passed away from heart disease as a result of treatment in 1991 at the age of 42. His father, Marcus, died three weeks later. 

De Havilland mentioned what their relationship was like in her book “Olivia de Havilland: Lady Triumphant.” She said, "It was not an easy marriage as you well know. But I was married to him, he was my husband, and I felt a very keen loyalty. I had committed myself to him. That means something to me.”

Despite their troublesome marriage, De Havilland did not harbor ill will for Goodrich after their divorce in 1953. ″I have the deepest regard for him as a man,″ De Havilland said about Goodrich after his passing. ″He was a masterful writer and a very remarkable person.″

Are you a fan of Olivia de Havilland? What is your favorite film of hers? Let us know, and be sure to send this along to your friends and family.