Greta Garbo was a legend of the early days of Hollywood. Her dynamism on screen was unparalleled at the time, as she skillfully portrayed characters with gusto and melancholy. She was even voted as the fifth greatest star of classic cinema by the American Film Institute in 1999. And yet Garbo is not just remembered for being a film powerhouse. She was also a social trendsetter and free minded thinker who loved having sex. She was rumored to have had sex with people of all kinds throughout Hollywood. Though she tended to keep her private life to herself, tales of her promiscuity and openness in the sexual arena spread all around. Keep watching, as Facts Verse presents: Greta Garbo Slept with Whoever She Pleased (Men and Women).
At the end of 2021, author Robert Gottlieb released a book, titled “Garbo”, that focused on Greta Garbo’s love life, acting career, and more. In it, Gottlieb dishes on the many confirmed and rumored romances that Garbo had, with of all genders and sexual orientations. It seems that Greta was a very sexual being, and was unafraid of any social stigma that might come from seeking out sex with whomever she pleased. Of course, she was also an intensely private person, so perhaps that was her way of keeping herself safe and not fully immersed in the salacious rumor mill of Hollywood. Despite that, stories of her promiscuity and free-flowing attitude towards sex flowed around town and in history.
Garbo and Gilbert Roland
The story of Gilbert Roland and Greta Garbo is not exactly a long one, nor is it particularly intriguing in most ways. However, it’s perhaps a great example of the attitude that Garbo had towards relationships and sex. According to Gottlieb’s book, Roland told the story of his one-night stand with Garbo, and the aftermath of it. Apparently Roland, who was an actor, enlisted in the Army during World War II. He was excited about going off to serve his country, and confessed as much to Garbo. Garbo, in turn, decided to send him off with a bang, so to speak. The two spent the night together before he set off for the war. She even let him keep a pair of her underwear as a memento of their night together. But apparently, when Roland returned from the war, expecting to at least get back in touch with Garbo, she refused to even take his calls.
Garbo and Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker was one of the hottest stars of her generation, and she tantalized both men and women with her incredible sexuality and extraordinary talents as a singer and dancer. So it’s no wonder that there are rumors of a hookup between Greta and Josephine. As story goes, the two stars got together in Paris and shared a passionate time together. There’s even one rumor that they hooked up at the foot of the world-famous Eiffel Tower. While there has never been any confirmation to the story, it was at least well documented that both women enjoyed the company of other women. But if it’s not true, then it’s likely that people took the plot of one of Garbo’s movies and twisted it into a real life rumor. That’s because in the movie Ninotchka, Garbo’s character had a romance with a man at the foot of the Parisian tower. So it appears that it was either life imitating art, or the rumor mill stealing from art outright.
Garbo and Johnny Weissmüller
Before Johnny Weissmuller became world famous for starring as Tarzan in several Tarzan features, he was a world-class athlete. He was a top-notch swimmer who represented the United States at the Olympics, and he actually won five golds and a bronze. But his non-Olympic stats are perhaps even more impressive. Not only did he win 52 US National Championships, but he also broke 67 swimming world records during his career. Yup, 67 world records.
Weissmuller took those gaudy numbers and the fame they brought him, and was able to convert it into star power on screen. His swimmer’s body made him alluring and perfect to play a man who spent his time swinging from vine to vine. After being cast as Tarzan, he proved a hit with audiences, and continued playing the character for another 11 movies. He was credited with coming up with the now=famous yell that is forever associated with Tarzan.
As far as a relationship with Garbo is concerned, his seems a little more reliable than the one with Josephine Baker, since it wasn’t strictly a rumor. Weissmuller copped to a love affair with Garbo when he published his autobiography towards the end of the 1980’s. He wrote that he and Garbo had had a romantic affair in the 1930s. And while Garbo was still alive until 1990, it’s not known if she confirmed or denied his claim of their affair before she died.
Garbo and Charles Addams
Charles Addams might be the most surprising member of the list of Greta Garbo’s dalliances. For one, he wasn’t an actor or someone in the primary Hollywood sphere, per se. He also was known for being not the most attractive man. He had a rather bulbous nose that drew comparisons to that of Walter Matthau and Lyndon Johnson. And he was also known to be a very peculiar man. Which, of course, makes sense when you consider his claim to fame was as the cartoonist and creator of The Addams Family. It appears that the characters from his cartoon weren’t too far off in terms of personality traits and generally kookiness from Addams himself. He reportedly had a rather large collection of mortuary equipment and weapons. He also painted the walls of his bathrooms black. And he preferred to pose for photos in a knight’s helmet from medieval times than show his actual face. So, clearly he was an eccentric. And perhaps that’s what drew women to him. Because, at least as he reported it in his book Charles Addams: A cartoonist’s life, he was quite popular with the ladies. He listed Veronica Lake, Joan Fontaine, Jackie Kennedy, and a slew of prominent socialites in New York City as among his conquests. And, of course, Greta Garbo too.
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Garbo and Louise Brooks
Garbo and actress Louise Brooks first met at a large breakfast at a friend’s house. Though the two didn’t know each other, apparently Garbo fixated her gaze on Brooks with such intensity that it complete threw Louise off her game. She later reported that she had planned to spend the afternoon at the house, hanging out with everyone. But Garbo’s gaze stirred something in her so deeply, that she felt she had to leave.
Later, Brooks would often run into Garbo at the house of actor and director John Gilbert. Garbo and Gilbert were pals, and Greta would often hang out at his pad to play tennis and relax. Louise, who was a successful actress during the 1920’s and ‘30s, liked to pop over to see Gilbert, so she thus got to know Garbo a little better. Later, Brooks revealed that the two had once spent the night together. Garbo clearly had a large effect on Brooks, beyond just that original stare down at breakfast. Later in life, Brooks was quoted as saying that once the actresses in town saw Garbo’s performance in the movie “Torrent” they were all unable to fully be happy with themselves again. She also talked about her unending admiration for Garbo, both in her acting, and her style. She pointed out how masculine Garbo was, and how that made her screen presence and films all the more powerful and impressive.
Garbo and Mercedes de Acosta
Garbo and poet Mercedes de Acosta were friends, and more, for more than 30 years. Despite never officially being in a relationship, the pair’s lengthy pairing was the longest and perhaps the most meaningful of Garbo’s life. De Acosta was well known in social circles as being a prominent lesbian who had been with a long list of starlets and socialites. So while the two were never open about their relationship being a romantic one, the odds are seemingly pretty good that it was.
Though it should be said that when de Acosta wrote a memoir in 1960, she talked extensively about her friendship with Garbo. But she didn’t ever mention the two of them having sex. After she died, some letters of hers were also discovered, and they didn’t mentioned sex between her and Garbo either. So perhaps it truly was a friendship relationship after all. Some people point to the fact that de Acosta took a topless photo of Garbo as proof that they were more than friends. But historians often point out that Garbo was never shy about showing off her body. In fact, she was known for quickly disrobing any time there was an opportunity to go swimming.
