Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor were two of the biggest stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age. And they were also a power couple for a significant amount of time. Barbara and Taylor married near the end of the 1930s. And their marriage lasted for over a decade before coming to an end towards the beginning of the 1950s. Despite rumors that the two had only married each other to cover up their respective sexualities. They remained friends until Robert’s death, and some say that Barbara never truly got over the dissolution of their union. Join Facts Verse as we explore the affair that destroyed Barbara Stanwyck’s marriage (and made her rich).
Barbara and Robert Were a Hollywood Power Couple
Towards the end of her life, Barbara Stanwyck still seems to have been holding onto some negative feelings leftover from the dissolution of her second marriage. Barbara married two times over the course of her life. And the more well known of her two husbands is inarguably Robert Taylor. Robert was a burgeoning star at the time that he met Barbara. While Barbara was already one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. The two entered into a celebrity relationship that saw them plastered all over the tabloids of the time. Despite the fact that Barbara seems to have hung up on Robert for decades after their divorce. There still remains much about the pair’s relationship that’s mysterious.
Barbara Stanwyck was one of the most popular actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age, having appeared in films such as Double Indemnity and The Lady Eve. The star had a difficult childhood. And suffered through an abusive marriage before attaining her celebrity status and marrying Robert Taylor. Meeting Robert Taylor helped show Barbara the light after having dealt with so much hardship in her life. And the actress grew to cling onto the actor over the course of their relationship. While Barbara had been the younger of the two parties in her first marriage, Robert was slightly her junior. Robert also the less experienced of the two stars, and it has been said that Barbara helped mentor him early on in his career. Barbara’s first husband had been jealous of his wife’s rising celebrity status during their marriage. While Robert was grateful to have someone to guide him.
Barbara and Robert met during the mid-1930s, and would married by the end of the decade. The pair bonded over a great deal, but it seems that one of the things that the pair bonded over the most was their love of horses. Barbara had established a horse-breeding farm in 1937, which inspired Robert to purchase his own horse ranch nearby. Their ranches were located in San Fernando Valley. And the two started spending more and more time together after becoming neighbors. It’s unsure whether Barbara and Robert romantically involved at this time or if they were just friends. In fact, according to some, it’s unsure if Barbara and Robert were even romantically involved while married!
Barbara and Robert Forced Into Marriage
One thing is for certain, and that is that Barbara and Robert were spending an increased amount of time together by the end of the 1930s, whether it was as friends or as lovers. Given that the two were a man and a woman of similar age, their time spent together would’ve insinuated romance even if their friendship had been completely innocent. The more time the two spent together, the more the public became curious about whether or not they romantically involved. If this kind of situation were to happen nowadays. The pair could’ve simply let the mystery stand and have gone about their business. However, the 1930s were a much different time, and Hollywood had no room for unmarried couples. When people began to believe that Barbara and Robert romantically involved. The studio pressured them to get married as a means to save face.
Barbara and Robert ended up getting married in 1939 simply because the studio demanded it. The pair had been spending too much time together. And the studio was sick of the public insinuating that the pair was involved in a romance without being properly married. Of the two stars, Robert was by far the least anxious to enter into the forced marriage. Robert claimed that he was very unsure about whether or not he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Barbara.
However, by all accounts, Barbara was happy… though this happiness wouldn’t last! If you’re enjoying this video so far, be sure to hit the like button to show your support! Also, subscribe to the channel if you’d like to be among the first to know when more Facts Verse videos are on their way! Join Facts Verse as we explore the affair that destroyed Barbara Stanwyck’s marriage (and made her rich).
Barbara and Robert Didn’t Spend Much Time Together
Following Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor entering into their decidedly forced marriage in 1939. A great many things ended up coming between the two stars in the years leading up to their 1952 divorce. One of the first things that got in the way of the pair’s marriage was World War II. Like many stars from around the time, Robert decided to put his career on hold and volunteer himself to help out with America’s war effort. The star joined the United States Navy, but considered to be too old to serve overseas on account of him being 32 years old. Instead, Robert was tasked with being a flight instructor, which was a position he filled for three years.
During the three years that Robert Taylor was working as a flight instructor in World War II, the star wasn’t afforded much of an opportunity to see his wife. Barbara was back home, and she was incredibly busy with her acting career. As a result, the two stars spent several of the earliest years of their marriage essentially separated. The few moments that Barbara and Robert had to spend together were spoiled by their celebrity duties. As cameras followed the pair wherever they went and refused to give them much alone time. It seems that much of Barbara and Robert’s marriage consisted of them putting on a show, whether for the public or for the studio. Another major thing that came between Barbara and her second husband was Lana Turner.
Robert Taylor had starred alongside Lana Turner in the 1941 noir Johnny Eager. Apparently, Robert quickly became infatuated with his female costar, despite the fact that he had just recently tied the knot with Barbara Stanwyck. Robert claimed that he was so obsessed with Lana Turner that he needed to get his hands on her. Even if their romance could only last for a single night. Robert ended up getting his wish, and he and Lana started up an extramarital affair. Join Facts Verse as we explore the affair that destroyed Barbara Stanwyck’s marriage (and made her rich).
Barbara Confronted Robert About an Affair
Around a decade later, Robert Taylor was working on the set of a film by the name of Quo Vadis when he became similarly infatuated with one of his female costars. The film was being shot in Rome, though this didn’t stop Barbara Stanwyck from hearing about the affair. Once Barbara realized that her husband was cheating on her halfway across the world, she flew to Rome to confront him. Of course, it’s not for nothing that the two would end up divorcing within the year. Despite the way it looked, Barbara clamed that she was less jealous about her husband’s affair and more perturbed by what the tabloids would make of it.
While the aforementioned anecdote suggests that Barbara Stanwyck wasn’t too emotionally distraught about the end of her marriage to Robert Taylor. Other stories suggest that she may have been a bit more broken up about it. There was even a story that Barbara had attempted suicide after Robert passed along the news that he was seeking a divorce. Though Barbara would go on to dispel these rumors.
It seems that the story came about as a result of Barbara accidentally sticking her hand through a window and requiring hospitalization for her cuts. Upon Barbara and Robert’s divorce, the judge awarded Barbara both the pair’s Hollywood home and 15% of Robert’s earnings. The earning stipulations came with the caveat that Barbara only entitled to this fraction of Robert’s earning until she remarried. Given that she never did, she ended up getting quite a bit of money from Robert after the divorce!
Sources vary on just how close Barbara and Robert remained after their 1952 divorce. Some say that they stayed friends, while some have even gone so far as to suggest that they stayed lovers until Robert got remarried in 1954. Regardless, it doesn’t seem like there were all that many bad feelings between the two. They even starred in the 1964 film The Night Walker together, only years before Robert’s death.
Barbara and Robert Were Friends in the End
Robert ended up marrying a German actress by the name of Ursula Thiess, and he stayed with her until his 1969 death. Ursula apparently tried to keep Barbara out of their lives for the most part. But relented when it became apparent that Robert didn’t have all that much time left. As Robert was laying on his deathbed, Ursula reportedly reached out to Barbara so that she could come and say goodbye. Barbara could subsequently found weeping at his funeral.
Barbara spoke fondly about her second and final husband up until her own death in 1990. However, many people continue to question what exactly the true nature was of her and Robert’s relationship. There are still many who suggest that the two were never truly romantic partners. And that they only got together as a means to hide their respective sexualities from the public. Many believe that both Barbara and Robert predominantly interested in members of the same sex. Some have even suggested that Barbara and Robert only lived together for a couple of months.
Even if Barbara and Robert weren’t romantic partners, they were undoubtedly good friends. During the years of their marriage, Barbara and Robert memorably afforded the opportunity to place their hands and feet into wet cement on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. After Robert’s death, Barbara’s prints cracked and the actress asked if she wanted to replace them. Since Robert was no longer around to do the deed alongside her, she decided to let the crack stay.
Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor made up one of the most significant power couples of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Though their relationship not meant to last. Now it’s time to hear from you: did you know that many people think that Barbara Stanwyck was actually a closeted lesbian. And that she awarded a significant portion of second husband Robert Taylor’s future earnings after their divorce? As always, like this video to show your support, and subscribe and hit the notification bell if you’d like to be among the first to know when more Facts Verse videos are on their way!
