Unearth The Voyage
Some celebrities are famous for their acting, music, or talent, but a handful are also known for walking down the aisle more than once. While most people get married once or twice, a few well-known stars have said “I do” far more times than that.
From Hollywood icons to TV legends, these celebrities have had some truly remarkable romantic histories. Here is a look at 15 famous people who have been married the most times.
1. Zsa Zsa Gabor – 9 Marriages
Few people in Hollywood history collected wedding rings quite like Zsa Zsa Gabor. The Hungarian-born actress and socialite married nine times over the course of her life, making her one of the most-married celebrities ever recorded.
Her husbands ranged from hotel magnate Conrad Hilton to actor George Sanders. Her marriages were often as dramatic and colorful as her personality, drawing constant media attention throughout the mid-20th century.
Gabor was known more for her wit, glamour, and sharp tongue than her acting roles. She once joked that she was a great housekeeper because every time she divorced, she kept the house.
Her final marriage to Frederic Prinz von Anhalt in 1986 lasted until her death in 2016 at age 99.
2. Jennifer O’Neill – 9 Marriages (to 8 Men)
Jennifer O’Neill is best remembered for her breakout role in the 1971 film “Summer of 42,” but her personal life tells an equally compelling story. She married nine times, though two of those marriages were to the same man, bringing her total number of husbands to eight.
O’Neill has spoken openly about her struggles with relationships and has credited her Christian faith with helping her find peace after years of personal turbulence. Her story is one of resilience as much as romance.
Beyond acting, she became a model and spokesperson for CoverGirl cosmetics during the 1970s. O’Neill has also written books and spoken publicly about mental health and spiritual healing.
Her willingness to share her personal journey has made her a relatable figure for many who have faced similar challenges in love and life.
3. Lana Turner – 8 Marriages (to 7 Men)
Lana Turner was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars during the 1940s and 1950s, known for films like “The Postman Always Rings Twice.” Off screen, her personal life was just as dramatic, with eight marriages to seven different men.
Her husbands included musician Lex Barker and restaurateur Stephen Crane, whom she married twice. Turner’s romantic life was frequently in the headlines, and a 1958 scandal involving her daughter and boyfriend Johnny Stompanato only added to the public fascination with her story.
Despite the chaos in her personal life, Turner remained a working actress for decades. She never shied away from discussing her marriages, acknowledging that she was someone who fell in love deeply and often.
Her legacy as a classic Hollywood icon continues to endure, celebrated for both her talent and her unforgettable life story.
4. Elizabeth Taylor – 8 Marriages (to 7 Men)
Elizabeth Taylor may be the most famous name on this list. Widely regarded as one of the greatest actresses in film history, she won two Academy Awards and starred in classics like “Cleopatra” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Her romantic life matched her larger-than-life persona.
Taylor married eight times, but her most famous relationship was with actor Richard Burton, whom she married twice. Their on-and-off romance became one of the most talked-about love stories of the 20th century.
Her other husbands included hotel heir Conrad Hilton Jr., actor Michael Wilding, and producer Mike Todd. Taylor was unapologetic about her many marriages, saying she could not live without being in love.
She passed away in 2011, leaving behind a film legacy and a personal story that continues to fascinate people around the world.
5. Larry King – 8 Marriages (to 7 Women)
Larry King spent decades as one of America’s most recognizable television interviewers, hosting “Larry King Live” on CNN for 25 years. Behind the camera, his personal life was equally eventful, with eight marriages to seven different women.
One of those marriages ended before it was even legally finalized, and he briefly married one of his wives twice. King married his final wife, Shawn Southwick, in 1997, though the couple had a rocky relationship that included multiple separation announcements before his death in 2021.
King was candid about his complicated love life in interviews, often speaking about it with humor. He acknowledged that his long work hours and intense focus on his career made maintaining relationships difficult.
Despite everything, he remained a beloved broadcasting legend whose career defined an era of American talk television.
6. Mickey Rooney – 8 Marriages
Mickey Rooney was a child star who grew into one of Hollywood’s most enduring performers, with a career spanning more than eight decades. He also holds the distinction of having been married eight times, making him one of the most-married male celebrities in entertainment history.
His most famous marriage was to actress Ava Gardner in 1942, though it lasted less than two years. His other wives included Martha Vickers, Elaine Devry, and Jan Chamberlin, whom he married in 1978 and stayed with until his death in 2014.
Rooney once admitted that he had no business getting married as often as he did. He starred in films like “National Velvet” and “Babes in Arms,” earning multiple Oscar nominations over his lifetime.
His talent on screen was matched only by his turbulent and eventful personal life off it.
7. Jerry Lee Lewis – 7 Marriages
Known as “The Killer,” Jerry Lee Lewis was one of rock and roll’s earliest and most electrifying performers. His piano-pounding style and wild stage presence made him a legend, but his personal life was never far from controversy.
Lewis married seven times over his life. His third marriage, to his 13-year-old cousin Myra Gale Brown in 1957, caused a massive scandal that nearly destroyed his career.
The marriage came to light during a UK tour and resulted in widespread public backlash that kept him off the mainstream charts for years.
Despite the controversy, Lewis rebuilt his career and found a new audience in country music during the 1960s and 1970s. He married his seventh and final wife, Judith Brown, in 2012.
Lewis passed away in October 2022 at age 87, leaving behind a complicated but undeniably influential musical legacy.
8. Richard Pryor – 7 Marriages (to 5 Women)
Richard Pryor is widely considered one of the greatest stand-up comedians of all time. His raw honesty and sharp social commentary changed American comedy forever.
His personal life, however, was marked by significant instability, including seven marriages to five different women.
Two of those women he married twice each. His wives included actress Patricia Price and Jennifer Lee, whom he married in 1981 and again in 2001, just four years before his death.
Pryor struggled with substance abuse throughout much of his adult life, which contributed to the turbulence in his relationships.
Despite his personal challenges, Pryor’s professional output was remarkable. He starred in films like “Silver Streak” and “Stir Crazy” alongside Gene Wilder, and his comedy albums earned him multiple Grammy Awards.
He passed away in 2005 from a heart attack, but his influence on comedy remains enormous.
9. Billy Bob Thornton – 6 Marriages
Billy Bob Thornton built an impressive career in Hollywood as both an actor and director, winning an Academy Award for writing “Sling Blade” in 1996. His romantic life has been just as colorful as his films, with six marriages to date.
His most talked-about relationship was his marriage to actress Angelina Jolie from 2000 to 2003. The couple famously wore vials of each other’s blood around their necks, and their whirlwind romance captured intense media attention before ending in divorce.
Thornton’s other wives include Melissa Lee Gatlin, Toni Lawrence, Cynda Williams, and Pietra Dawn Cherniak. He married his sixth wife, Connie Angland, in 2014, and the relationship has appeared far more stable than his earlier ones.
Thornton has spoken candidly about his past, describing himself as someone who tends to move fast when it comes to love and commitment.
10. Kenny Rogers – 5 Marriages
Kenny Rogers was a country music superstar whose smooth voice and storytelling style made songs like “The Gambler” and “Lucille” timeless classics. Beyond the music, Rogers had a personal life that included five marriages over the course of his lifetime.
His first marriage was in 1958, and his fifth and final marriage was to Wanda Miller in 1997, with whom he had twin sons in 2004. Rogers has said that Wanda was the one who finally brought stability and real happiness to his life.
His earlier marriages ended for various reasons, often tied to the demanding lifestyle of a touring musician. Rogers was open about the sacrifices that fame required and how those pressures affected his relationships.
He passed away in March 2020, leaving behind a country music legacy that will last for generations, and a family he clearly cherished.
11. Martin Scorsese – 5 Marriages
Martin Scorsese is one of the most celebrated filmmakers in cinema history, responsible for masterpieces like “Goodfellas,” “Taxi Driver,” and “The Departed.” What many fans may not know is that he has also been married five times.
His marriages include unions with Laraine Marie Brennan, Julia Cameron, Isabella Rossellini, Barbara De Fina, and his current wife, Helen Morris, whom he married in 1999. Scorsese has spoken about his intense focus on work as a factor in his earlier failed relationships.
Known for his meticulous attention to detail and passion for filmmaking, Scorsese often described his work as all-consuming. Balancing that level of dedication with a personal life proved difficult in his earlier years.
His fifth marriage has endured, and the couple shares a daughter together. Scorsese remains one of the most active and respected directors working in Hollywood today.
12. James Cameron – 5 Marriages
James Cameron directed two of the highest-grossing films in history, “Titanic” and “Avatar,” making him one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood. His personal life, though, has seen its share of rough waters, with five marriages behind him.
His wives include Sharon Williams, director Kathryn Bigelow, producer Gale Anne Hurd, actress Linda Hamilton, and actress Suzy Amis, whom he married in 2000 and remains with today. Notably, Kathryn Bigelow later became the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director, for “The Hurt Locker.”
Cameron has acknowledged that his relentless drive and demanding nature on set made him a challenging partner in earlier relationships. He and Suzy Amis have three children together, and the marriage appears to have brought him a sense of balance.
Cameron continues to work on new “Avatar” sequels while maintaining a lower personal profile.
13. Joan Collins – 5 Marriages
Joan Collins became a household name through her role as the scheming Alexis Colby on the 1980s hit TV series “Dynasty.” The British actress brought fierce glamour to American television, and her personal life carried a similarly bold energy, with five marriages to her name.
Her husbands include actor Maxwell Reed, singer-songwriter Anthony Newley, businessman Ron Kass, Swedish singer Peter Holm, and theatrical producer Percy Gibson, whom she married in 2002. Collins has been candid about the fact that some of her earlier marriages were mistakes made in haste.
She married Percy Gibson when she was 68 and he was 36, a 32-year age gap that attracted plenty of media commentary. Collins brushed off the criticism with characteristic sharpness.
Now in her 90s, she remains active in entertainment and continues to write books, proving that she has always been far more than just her romantic history.
14. Nicolas Cage – 5 Marriages
Nicolas Cage is one of Hollywood’s most unpredictable and prolific actors, known for everything from the Oscar-winning “Leaving Las Vegas” to action blockbusters like “The Rock.” His personal life has matched his reputation for going all-in, with five marriages and counting.
His wives include Patricia Arquette, Lisa Marie Presley, Alice Kim, Erika Koike, and Riko Shibata, whom he married in 2021. His 2019 marriage to Erika Koike lasted only four days before he filed for an annulment, making it one of the shortest celebrity marriages in recent memory.
Cage has never been shy about his emotional intensity, and his relationships reflect that same quality. He and Riko Shibata welcomed a daughter together in 2022.
Cage continues to take on a wide variety of film roles each year, approaching both his career and personal life with the same fearless energy that defines him.
15. Pamela Anderson – 5 Legal Marriages
Pamela Anderson rose to global fame in the 1990s through her role on “Baywatch” and became one of the most recognizable faces of that decade. Her personal life has been just as public and eventful, with five legal marriages officially recognized over the years.
Her most famous marriage was to Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee in 1995, a union known for its intensity and a highly publicized private tape scandal. She also married musician Kid Rock and poker player Rick Salomon twice.
A 2020 ceremony with producer Jon Peters was not legally binding and lasted just 12 days.
Anderson married her bodyguard Dan Hayhurst in 2020 and later filed for divorce. Her fifth legal husband was her former bodyguard.
In 2023, she starred in the film “The Last Showgirl,” earning critical praise and reminding audiences that there is much more to her than tabloid headlines.
