Blonde bombshell Doris Day made her fame and fortune embodying a wholesome persona in 1950s and ’60s Hollywood.
But away from the silver screen, Doris led a more colourful and at times, turbulent, personal life – one that included four rocky marriages.
Following the iconic star’s death from pneumonia on Monday, aged 97, we take a look back at some of the men Doris shared her life with.
Al Jorden
At just 16, Doris met trombonist Al Jorden. Although Doris initially branded him a “creep” and her mother strongly disapproved of Al, the Calamity Jane star eventually fell for the moody musician and they tied the knot in 1941.
It wasn’t long into the marriage that Al’s abusive behaviour emerged. He regularly beat her – once because he was jealous she gave his band member a kiss on the cheek – and another time he flew into a rage because she appeared in a swimsuit on the cover of a magazine.
In his most shocking act, Al beat Doris severely when she fell pregnant with their child and refused to have an abortion. He was hoping he would induce a miscarriage.
The beatings continued throughout her pregnancy as well as after their son Terry was born and Al and Doris divorced in 1943.
George Weidler
Doris didn’t marry again until 1946, when she wed saxophonist George Weidler.
They raised eyebrows before they became husband and wife, wit the pair sharing hotel rooms in days when such behavior was considered scandalous.
Unlike Al, George wasn’t violent, but he reportedly resented being a stepfather to Doris’ son and had a wandering eye.
He cheated on her during their short-lived marriage and apparently couldn’t handle how big of a star she had become and the couple divorced in 1949.
Marty Melcher
In 1951, a 29-year-old Doris married her third husband – Marty Melcher.
Despite the marriage lasting until his death in 1968, Marty didn’t treat Doris well either.
Marty pushed her into taking roles that would earn her big money, but then secretly embezzled funds from her bank account, leaving her broke when he died and she discovered his actions.
Her $20 million fortune had gone, replaced with a $450,000 debt, which she owed mostly for taxes.
He also beat her son Terry, causing a rift that led to the couple living separate lives despite living in the same house for much of their later years together.
Barry Comden
Doris’ last husband was Barry Comden, who she married in 1976 at the age of 52, with Barry 12 years her junior.
They stayed together for five years before calling it off after “drifting apart” and “being incompatible”.
One source of contention was said to be Doris’ affection for her pets, with Barry complaining that she liked the company of her dogs more than him,
“She had 14 dogs, and the final straw was when I was kicked out of bed to make way for Tiger, a poodle,” he told the Sunday Mail in 1996.
