Frank Sinatra And Ava Gardner, And a Marriage Too Hot To Handle

Their marriage was followed closely by the American press, which didn’t hold back in its criticism, labeling the whole affair as a “scandalous infidelity.”At the time Frank was 35 and Ava was 28.

They were clearly mad about each other but were unable to find much peace together. Their fiery liaison was wracked by feelings of insane jealousy each carried, whether it was over a co-star or an over-infatuated fan. They were both quick tempered and couldn’t control it, even in public. According to one of their friends, “being with them was like ­sitting on cracked eggs. You never knew if there were going to be verbal daggers.”

Moreover, both of them were attention seekers with a large appetite for stardom, booze, and excitement. And both were guilty of an infidelity here and there. The fights grew more vicious. Their marriage imploded and in 1953, the pair divorced. Sinatra reportedly blamed actor Peter Lawford for the split and was inconsolable.