Alex Carson
Ann-Margret once dated the king of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. And later in life, after Presley had passed away, she enjoyed a long, healthy marriage with another charismatic celebrity. But despite her best efforts, she had trouble conceiving.
She attempted to get pregnant for 13 years resorting to all kinds of different methods, but nothing seemed to work. Her troubles conceiving became one of her most significant life struggles. And no doubt caused her a great deal of internal pain.
Ann-Margret is an incredibly talented person. The 81-year-old legend is a gifted singer and dancer and an award-winning actress. Throughout her career in the entertainment industry, she has awarded for her efforts with numerous accolades including a Golden Globe.
She is the very embodiment of the values and principles that have guided her life. To her fan base, she is seen as a woman who is worth emulating. While she might not the biggest star of all time, she is still idolized for her many accomplishments, uncompromising faith, and gung-ho attitude.
It wouldn’t be that big of a stretch to say that she managed to gracefully merge her successful career with her personal lifestyle choices. She stuck to her guns and shined brightly even in the most challenging moments of her long-term relationship with Roger Smith.
Unlike many of her contemporaries, Ann-Margret has successfully avoided scandals. And shown that romantic love is something that still can found in Tinsel Town. She and Smith had happily married to the television. And film actor for five-plus decades before he passed away in 2017 And throughout their marriage. Many were familiar with the two stars happy love story.
Ann-Margret’s fans were totally oblivious to the couple’s struggles conceiving. That’s because they did their best to shield details about their family and personal life from the notoriously predatory and hawkish media. Even so, Ann-Margret did eventually share a few intimate stories about her marriage and family life via publications that she authored and refreshingly candid interviews.
Join Facts Verse as we take a closer look at some of Ann-Margret’s most revealing disclosures. We’ll be touching on her short-lived yet incredibly passionate romance with Elvis as well as her struggles with fertility. So, without further ado, let’s go ahead and dive on in.
Ann-Margret’s Romance With The King
In Ann -Margret’s memoir, My Story, the beloved actress revealed that once upon a time, she and Elvis Presley dated for about a year. And from what we can gather from her account, their relationship seemed to be a relatively blissful one.
The two stars spent a great deal of time enjoying each other’s company and even rumored to have been together on the day that John F. Kennedy assassinated.
Their courtship started not long after they both appeared in the 1964 film Viva Las Vegas. It is in which Elvis played the lead Lucky and Ann-Margret played his love interest Rusty. They first met, however in 1963, and initially, Ann-Margret wasn’t that impressed with the hip-gyrating American rocker.
But as they spent more time together as co-stars, they began to realize that they had many things in common, including their belief in God and their love for Harley motorcycles and leather. They also shared similar family values – something that both stars cared deeply about.
Even though so many boxes checked in terms of their compatibility, their relationship wouldn’t a long lasting one. Eventually, they broke up, went their separate ways, and drifted apart. That being said, the two thriving stars’ relationship wasn’t a total loss, as Ann-Margret has confirmed that they continued to communicate and remained friends through a mutual friend.
After Ann-Margret married Roger Smith in 1967, Presley found it hard to let her go. Allegedly, on one occasion, he even tracked her down in a changing room, barged in, closed the door, embraced her, and professed his undying love for her. While such a gesture would be frowned upon these days, back then, Ann-Margret touched by Presley’s romantic display of affection.
As sweet as she found Elvis’s somewhat risky attempt at winning her back. She was unwillingly to compromise the marriage that she was in. Ann-Margret loved Roger Smith with all of her heart and dedicated to giving her marriage her all.
How She Met Roger Smith
Ann-Margret met actor Roger Smith in 1961 when he took the lead in the film Bye Bye Birdie. While she immediately felt a magnetic pull to him, at first, the two actors were only friends. That all changed, however, in 1966 when their path’s crossed once again when Smith treated his former co-star to a night out to catch a performance at a nightclub in San Francisco.
Over the next few months, Smith took Ann-Margret on a series of dates while showering her with luxurious gifts as his feeling for her steadily grew.
Smith would later recall that one of the things that impressed him about Ann-Margret was how she could control herself whenever she was with him. He respected how she only spoke when she was spoken to while also sometimes choosing to ignore him. Their romance was a somewhat playful little dance. And even though Smith was known for being a handsome man who countless women were smitten with, Ann-Margret remained dignified when in his company.
In time, the two took their relationship to another level. It was clear that there’s an undeniable spark between them that couldn’t be ignored. After a year of dating, they married 1967. Years later, Ann-Margret admitted that she knew that she destined to spend her life with Smith as his wife by their third date.
Their wedding was pretty classic. They eloped in a Vegas in a private ceremony. As much as Ann-Margret loved Smith and knew deep down in her soul that she meant to be his wife. She had always envisioned her wedding to be more storybookish. As such, she couldn’t hold back tears during the ceremony.
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Ann-Margret Never Had Any Children
In 1985, Ann-Margret confessed that even though she had tried to conceive for thirteen years. And she was never able to get pregnant. She always wanted children, but nothing she did seemed to work. Increasingly desperate, Ann-Margret resorted to all sorts of methods. From taking part in an experimental procedure that involved pumping her stomach with a medical device to using fertility pumps. But none of these attempts proved to be fruitful.
Having tried just about everything she could think of for more than a decade. Ann-Margret eventually gave up on trying to conceive and instead focused her time and energy into her religious convictions. Handing her fate over to her higher power, Ann-Margret arrived at the conclusion that if she meant to have a child, then she would have one. If not, then so be it.
After surrendering to God’s plan, she felt a sense of peace sweep over her. While she remained a bit disappointed, she knew that regardless of what route her life took. She still being guided by her faith.
Despite not being able to conceive a child, Ann-Margret still did an admirable job parenting Smith’s three kids whom he had from a previous marriage. She loved and cherished them and to this day continues to have a close bond with them. Sadly, though, Smith passed away in 2017.
Since then Ann-Margret has persisted in being a part of Smith’s kids lives and is now leaning into her role as grandmother of their respective children.
The Tragic Accident That Likely Left Ann-Margret Infertile
Throughout their 50-plus years of marriage, Ann-Margret and Roger Smith always there for each other even when things got complicated. Life-changing injuries, substance abuse issues, and critical illnesses were just a few of the many trials and tribulations that the couple successfully weathered together. And never once tempted to end things or seek out the affection of another.
Their troubles conceiving was yet another one of these tests. According to some reports, Ann-Margret initially put off having kids at the outset of their marriage because she wanted to focus her efforts on her burgeoning career. When she was 31, however, she finally felt like it was a good time to have children.
As we already established, however, that time never came. One of the reasons why she wasn’t able to bear children likely had to do with a tragic accident that happened in 1972.
Ann-Margret suffered a concussion, broken jaw, arm, and several facial fractures after falling from a 22-foot high stage platform before performing at a Lake Tahoe resort casino. She had to undergo facial surgery at the UCLA Medical Center. And eventually recovered from her injuries, but her ability to conceive a child evidently hindered by this traumatic incident.
In 2000, Ann-Margret involved in yet another horrific accident when she was thrown off a motorcycle in rural Minnesota. She ended up suffering three broken ribs and a fractured shoulder.
Where She’s At Today
Ever since rising to fame in the early 1960s, Ann-Margret has continued to keep her acting career alive. Some of her most significant roles throughout her career have been in films like Grumpy Old Men, Newsies, and Any Given Sunday.
A few of her most recent on-screen appearances have been in television series like The Kominsky Method and Ray Donovan. She also starred in the 2019 heist film Going in Style and the 2021 comedy Queen Bees.
Like we mentioned in the intro, Ann-Margret is also a talented singer. Her musical career began in the early 60s when she pitched as the female answer to Elvis Presley. In the years that have gone by since, Ann-Margret has continued to perform on stage and has recorded music sporadically.
In 2004, she put out a Christmas album. And more recently, she recorded an album titled Born to Be Wild which is slated to hit store shelves on July 22, 2022.
Did you know that Ann-Margret tried to conceive a child with her husband Roger Smith for 13 years to no avail. And were you aware that she once dated Elvis Presley? Let us know in the comments.
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