Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas was the first actor to be considered a commercial film star. However, for more than five decades he was haunted by a very strong rumor about his private life: that something strange had happened between him and actress Natalie Wood in a hotel room in mid-June 1955.
The truth is that the “Rebel Without a Cause” actress had been attacked and abused by Douglas on repeated occasions. They were other times. In addition to being a victim of those horrible events, when she arrived at her house, her mother, far from being outraged at her, scolded her for “having made the actor angry” and discreetly took her to the hospital.
Hollywood studios hid the event and protected the “Duel of the Titans” performer. Wood never recovered emotionally or psychologically from the attack but carried her grief silently until her death. A few years ago, Natalie's sister, Lana, published a biography in which she confirmed the rumor: Douglas had raped Natalie that night in Los Angeles.
Judy Garland
Judy Garland's story is exciting and tragic at the same time. She was one of the biggest and most beloved stars in the golden era of Hollywood, while she faced great hardships throughout her life.
Judy, at age 17, gained worldwide fame for her role as Dorothy Gale in the film “The Wizard of Oz” in 1939, and her performance of the song “Over the Rainbow.” However, despite her success on screen, the actress's personal life was marked by instability and emotional difficulties.
Throughout her career, she was subjected to strict surveillance by Hollywood studios to maintain her slim figure, including the use of amphetamines and barbiturates to control her weight. This abusive practice and the high expectations placed on her from a young age had a devastating impact on her mental and physical health.
For a long time, Ella Judy faced financial problems, divorces, addictions and health problems. When she was 25 years old, she attempted suicide in a psychiatric hospital, she suffered addiction to sleeping pills, alcohol and morphine and a second suicide attempt by slitting her throat. After this event, the same Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer (MGM) that had led her down the path of addiction to maintain her figure, fired her.
Despite everything, her talent kept her as an artist much loved by the public. She played roles in several successful films, including “A Star is Born” (1954), which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
However, she continued to struggle with drugs and alcohol, which she was unable to free herself from until her death. Judy Garland died on June 22, 1969, at age 47, from an accidental overdose of barbiturates.
