10 Classic Stars Who Had the Shortest Marriages — Glitz, Glamour and Drama!

One of these couples didn't even make it 24 hours — find out who!

By Nakeisha Campbell and Carissa Mosness Updated: December 28, 2023

Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio, 1954 Bettmann / Contributor/Getty

Short-lived celebrity relationships seem to be the norm these days, but it wasn’t much different in the early days of Hollywood — despite all the glitz and glamour. Classic film stars like Marilyn Monroe and Zsa Zsa Gabor both had marriages that went by in a blink of an eye from the time they said “I do” to the day they signed the divorce papers. And they weren’t the only ones who were quick to call it quits.

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While some stars got divorced just because or because of “irreconcilable differences” or because their professions left no room for nurturing a marriage, others split because of a lack of support, infidelity, jealousy and in some cases, even toxicity within the relationship. One relationship even ended because this famous starlet and actress found her spouse “boring” and decided it was best to end it quickly.

While we’d never root for love to fizzle or a marriage to end, the drama, scandal and juicy details draw us in just like the Old Hollywood movies that still light up our screens. So we rounded up 10 classic stars who had the shortest marriages, who they married, and why they got divorced all those years ago. Sometimes love doesn’t last, but it sure can make for an engaging story.

Ethel Merman and Ernest Borgnine

Ethel Merman and Ernest Borgnine, 1964 Archive Photos / Stringer/Getty
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Ethel Merman and Ernest Borgnine were married for 38 days in 1964, and things went south during their honeymoon in Far East, when Ethel got jealous over how people responded to her and Ernest.

“Everybody knew me, but they didn’t know Ethel overseas. The more they recognized me, the madder she got. That’s what hurt her, so she started taking it out on me,” Ernest said, when talking about why the marriage ended.
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, 1964 William Lovelace / Stringer/Getty
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Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were married for only 10 months. The two were actually married twice, but the second time around, Richard wasn't easy to get along with. " Life with Richard became intolerable," Elizabeth said and the two got divorced again.
Zsa Zsa Gabor and Felipe de Alba

Zsa Zsa Gabor, 1952 Nixon / Stringer/Getty
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Zsa Zsa Gabor and Felipe de Alba were married for just one day. "He bored me. He’s a playboy and I’m a hard-working actress,” Zsa Zsa said.
Cary Grant and Virginia Cherrill

Cary Grant and Virginia Cherrill, 1934 Bettmann / Contributor/Getty
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Cary Grant and Virginia Cherrill were married for 13 months. Virginia claimed that Cary was a heavy drinker and he became a different person after they got married. He even made fun of her acting.
Eleanor Parker and Fred Losee

Eleanor Parker 1956 Michael Ochs Archives / Stringer/Getty
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Eleanor Parker and Fred Losee were married for one year. Eleanor accused Fred of causing her "grievous mental suffering."
Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio

Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio, 1954 Bettmann / Contributor/Getty
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Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio were married for a year and nine months. Joe was apparently extremely jealous, controlling, and abusive. In fact, when Marilyn's skirt flew up in the filming for The Seven Year Itch, he was furious about it.
Gloria Swanson and William Davey

Gloria Swanson and William Davey, 1945 Bettmann / Contributor/Getty
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Gloria Swanson and William Davey were married for just one year. When William found out that Gloria was in debt for over $67,000, he immediately left her and requested to get the marriage annulled.
Ava Gardner And Mickey Rooney

Ava Gardner and Mickey Rooney, 1942 Hulton Archive / Staff/Getty
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Ava Gardner and Mickey Rooney were married for a year and four months. “He went through the ladies like a hot knife through fudge,” Ava said. She also mentioned that he had an affair with her best friend Lana Turner.
Nicky Hilton and Elizabeth Taylor

Nicky Hilton and Elizabeth Taylor, 1950 Bettmann / Contributor/Getty
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Nicky Hilton and Elizabeth Taylor were married for eight months. In the divorce proceedings, Elizabeth charged Nicky with "extreme mental cruelty." She also claimed that Nicky was indifferent and used abusive language.
Dennis Hopper and Michelle Phillips

Dennis Hopper and Michelle Phillips, 1970 Michael Ochs Archives / Stringer/Getty
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Dennis Hopper and Michelle Phillips were married for eight days. Michelle described Dennis's behavior as excruciating. “My father dragged me into his attorney’s office and said, ‘Men like that never change. File for divorce now. It’ll be embarrassing for a few weeks, then it will be over.’ It was embarrassing for more than a few weeks,” Michelle said.