The Dark Details Of Eddie Fisher And Debbie Reynolds' Relationship
In the 1950s, singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds enjoyed tremendous popularity as "America's Sweethearts," as the press called them, according to Reynolds' 2013 autobiography "Unsinkable." Everything looked rosy from the outside. Fisher was one of the top performers during this time, and Reynolds had a thriving career on the big screen, appearing in such films as "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), per IMDb.
The seemingly happy couple tied the knot at a resort in the Catskill Mountains area in New York on September 26, 1955, per the Associated Press (via The New York Times). The resort held special significance for Fisher, as he had made his professional debut there six years earlier. Friends and family were on hand to give the couple their best wishes. But Reynolds had been warned beforehand not to go through with the ceremony — warned by none other than singer Frank Sinatra.
Reynolds later recalled that Sinatra, with whom she starred in 1955's "The Tender Trap," advised her to abandon her plans, according to Vogue magazine. "He said I shouldn't get married to a singer. 'We're not faithful. It's ridiculous for you to take this on.'" But Reynolds was too in love to listen.
Reynolds and Fisher hit trouble early on
Reynolds and Fisher welcomed their first child, daughter Carrie, in October 1956 (via the official Carrie Fisher site). Despite this joyous arrival, the couple's union soon showed signs of cracking under pressure. In 2010 Reynolds explained to the Daily Mail that "by the time our daughter Carrie was six months old Eddie was not at home or not talking to me." Reynolds' musical success with the song "Tammy" the following year probably did nothing to help the situation. The song, from the 1957 film "Tammy and the Bachelor," starring Reynolds, reached the top of the charts, per Lyrics. Fisher was the one who normally enjoyed having hit singles.
The couple frequently went out with actress Elizabeth Taylor and her husband Mike Todd (above, left), a theatrical producer, according to Vogue magazine. Reynolds had known Taylor for years, having gone to school with her on the MGM lot (via ABC News). "We got along very well because I was in awe of going to school with Elizabeth Taylor," Reynolds said. Fisher and Todd were the best of friends, and Fisher really admired Todd, per ET Online. "Eddie always wanted to be Mike Todd," Reynolds explained. Only weeks after the arrival of their son, Todd, Reynolds and Fisher experienced the loss of their friend Mike Todd, who died in an airplane crash in 1958.
Marriage turned into love triangle
After Mike Todd's death, Fisher comforted his widow, Elizabeth Taylor. Reynolds initially didn't think anything of the two spending time together while she took care of the couple's two young children. "At the time, I thought it was simply that he was filling this terrible void for her," Reynolds said (via ET Online). She thought Fisher was only offering Taylor his friendship. After all, Fisher had been Todd's best man at his wedding to Taylor, and Reynolds had been one of the bridesmaids, per the Daily Mail.
Reynolds remained in the dark about the growing romantic relationship between Fisher and Taylor. She told the Daily Mail that "I was the last to find out about the affair." Reynolds once called Taylor while Fisher was supposedly away on tour, only to have Fisher answer Taylor's phone. This incident led to a confrontation between Fisher and Reynolds, with Fisher asking her for a divorce.
Reynolds finally agreed to divorce
Fisher's affair with Taylor and the ensuing love triangle became the one of the biggest scandals to rock Hollywood in the 1950s. The gossip magazines had a field day with speculation about how Taylor stole Fisher from Reynolds (via Vogue magazine). At first, Reynolds didn't want to divorce because of her religious beliefs, per the Daily Mail. Reynolds said no to Fisher's request for a divorce several times before relenting, according to a 1960 interview with the Saturday Evening Post. Reynolds put out a statement to the press: "The position in which I am placed makes it necessary for me to give my consent, but they would have gotten married anyway."
Reynolds and Fisher soon finalized their divorce, and Fisher went on to marry Taylor in 1959. But that union ended up in divorce roughly five years later, per Vogue magazine. Apparently Fisher was no match for actor Richard Burton, Taylor's next husband, whom she met during the making of "Cleopatra." Reynolds and Taylor, remarkably, later repaired their friendship while traveling aboard the same cruise ship in 1966 (via Closer Weekly).