The longest adultery Hollywood has been silent about for over 40 years: Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The most famous and influential men in the world sought her attention, and she chose the one who was least like her ideal. He was married to another, suffered from excessive alcohol cravings and bouts of aggression. For two, they had nine films together and 27 years of relationship, which everyone knew about, but no one spoke openly. Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy's romance was the most complicated, convoluted, and longest-running Hollywood celebrity adultery. Catherine decided to tell about him only 16 years after Spencer's death.

Screen love

Katharine Hepburn came from the famous Houghton family, spent her childhood in luxury and was not at all like a representative of the "Hollywood elite". She openly expressed her opinion, did not recognize the authorities, deliberately avoided attending social events and did not even appear at the Oscars, the owner of which she became. Although no, she once honored this prestigious event with her presence, but only in order to present the producer Laurence Weingarten in 1974, and not receive the coveted statuette or give a speech of thanks.

Katherine always stayed a little away from the hectic Hollywood life, its screaming glamor and numerous scandals. She preferred comfort in clothes and thoughts, not considering it necessary to hide her views, including the fact that she is an atheist.

Spencer Tracy was a difficult child, his family was not particularly wealthy and managed to instill in his son the piety of a true Catholic. He had a difficult character, many addictions, wife Louise and two sons. And also - an unthinkable number of novels with the most famous actresses.

It was difficult to imagine two more dissimilar people. But they became the brightest and most harmonious on-screen couple in Hollywood, having played together in nine films, in each of which they portrayed lovers or spouses.

The actors first met on the set of the film "Woman of the Year". Tracy was not impressed by her colleague. And how could Spencer, experienced in matters of female beauty, like a representative of the fair sex, who fully demonstrated indifference to her appearance, and even with boyish habits. He even suspected Catherine of being gay. She confesses many years later that she experienced the full power of Tracy's charm in the very first minutes of meeting. And I didn’t find anything better than to immediately declare: “I am too tall for you …” A week later, the bonfire of love was already blazing not only on the screen.

A secret romance that everyone knew about

Their romance developed in full view of all Hollywood, but they preferred not to discuss it, spared the feelings of his wife Tracy Louise. With which, by the way, he did not live together, but divorce was not included in his plans either. On the one hand, he was Catholic and divorce was not pleasing to God. On the other hand, Spencer's eldest son John suffered from deafness, while the actor believed that his own sins were to blame. Catherine, for her part, was not at all torn to get married, she had enough six years of experience in family life with businessman Ludlow Ogden Smith. Therefore, she with enviable constancy rejected all marriage proposals.

Katherine and Spencer just had enough to know they had each other. Tracy was not inclined to remain faithful to anyone, including his beloved Catherine. It seems that the only thing that was constant in his life was the craving for alcohol. She led Spencer to depression, caused outbursts of uncontrollable aggression and forced handfuls of sleeping pills.

One of the actor's beloved told: in a state of alcoholic intoxication, Spencer turned into an evil and cruel person. Hepburn did not agree, because Tracy could easily do without alcohol for several months, and sometimes a year. True, sooner or later a breakdown happened anyway. Once he did slap Katherine in the face, but the next morning he didn't even remember it. And Hepburn was not going to remind him of the incident, so as not to cause guilt. She loved him and was desperately afraid of losing him.

By the mid-1960s, Tracy's health had deteriorated greatly. He had difficulty walking, suffered from diabetes mellitus and numerous heart problems. And Catherine, spitting on all the conventions, began to look after Spencer, even settled in his house. She took care, supported, looked after and even refused offers to shoot, so as not to leave Spencer alone.

They appeared together for the last time in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? 17 days after filming ended, Spencer Tracy's heart stopped beating. The press later wrote that the housekeeper found him.

In fact, next to him was Catherine, who did not want to make this fact public. She did not even go to Spencer's funeral, believing that she had no right to hurt the feelings of his wife Louise. And she spoke openly about her affair with Tracy only 16 years after his death, when Louise was gone.

When Katharine Hepburn was asked why she did not abandon Spencer Tracy, who suffered from alcoholism, was not faithful to her and often showed aggression, she replied simply: “What's the point? I loved him. And I wanted to be with him. If I left, we would both be unhappy."

In the life of Katharine Hepburn there were many records: an incredibly long career (almost 70 years), one of the most "age" roles (the last time the actress was filmed at the age of 87), the largest number of "Oscars" in history among actors (4 awards and 12 attempts to be nominated), title Greatest Actress in Hollywood History awarded to her by the American Film Institute. It is surprising that with all these merits, our viewers are much less familiar with her work than other Hollywood stars of the 20th century.