Elizabeth Taylor’s Shortest Marriage Only Lasted a Few Months Due to Alcohol and Abuse
Elizabeth Taylor was an icon. Though she had a successful career as an actress, she also left her mark in other ways, such as for her humanitarian efforts and her entrepreneurial skills. But Taylor also developed a reputation for her number of marriages, which totaled to eight (though she married Richard Burton twice).
Taylor went through a number of marriages, but her first one was the shortest — it lasted for less than a year, and it ended because of alcohol use and physical abuse.
Elizabeth Taylor was married eight times in her life
Taylor was born in London to American parents, but she moved to the United States by age seven. Taylor started out as a child actress, and as she grew older, she only continued her rise to prominence.
Taylor’s youth spent in the spotlight might have affected her willingness to be married at such a young age, since everyone knew who she was. She first married at only 18 years old — to Conrad Hilton Jr., the heir to the Hilton hotel chain.
According to Biography, Taylor’s second marriage was to Michael Wilding, a British actor who was 20 years older than her. Taylor’s third wedding took place in Mexico to a man named Mike Todd. Though the couple had a strong relationship, Todd died in a plane crash only a little more than a year after they wed.
Taylor then married Todd’s best friend, Eddie Fisher. She then had an affair with Richard Burton, with whom she later married, then divorced, then remarried in the 1970s. Taylor had two other marriages afterward, to John Warner and Larry Fortensky.
Taylor’s first marriage to Conrad Hilton didn’t even last one year
Taylor was still a teenager when she tied the knot with Conrad “Nicky” Hilton Jr., who was the heir to the billion-dollar Hilton hotel chain. The billionaire was six years older than Taylor, and the two had a whirlwind romance that led to a short-lived marriage.
Taylor had reportedly wanted to marry young because of her religion, and she and Hilton appeared to be a good fit for one another at the time. But according to reports, Hilton allegedly became abusive toward his wife within only a few weeks of their marriage. Taylor wanted out of the relationship, as Hilton had a dependency on drugs and alcohol. As a result of Hilton’s habits and alleged abuse, Taylor filed for divorce after only eight months.
Hilton later died from complications related to alcohol and drug use
Hilton’s drug and alcohol use ended up causing him and early death. The socialite was only 42 when he had a heart attack, which was brought on by his alcohol consumption. Taylor’s parents were reportedly “horrified” by Hilton’s abusive behavior toward their daughter, along with his gambling habits, according to Elaine Woo’s biography on Taylor.
Still, Taylor seemed unfazed by the divorce, as it set the stage for her to tie the knot seven other times throughout her life. Though Taylor died a single woman, she left her latest ex-husband, Larry Fortensky, more than $800,000 in her will.
