All of Elizabeth Taylor’s Husbands Through the Years

By Jess Catcher October 15, 2020

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Hollywood,
husbands

Along with her impressive film credits, Elizabeth Taylor’s husbands rank high in the many things we remember about the starlet.

The actress spent most of her life in the public eye, starting with her big Hollywood breakthrough in National Velvet at just 12 years old in 1944. Taylor’s credits continued to flow from there with classic flicks like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Cleopatra, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf and Giant. (Did you know that she and Rock Hudson allegedly invented the chocolate martini on the set of Giant? Click through to learn more.) And, of course, she was featured in plenty of gossip and celebrity news headlines along the way — especially when it came to the men in her life.

Overall, Elizabeth Taylor walked down the aisle eight times. Here are her husbands in order:

Conrad “Nicky” Hilton
Michael Wilding
Mike Todd
Eddie Fisher
Richard Burton
Richard Burton (again)
John Warner
Larry Fortensky

We aren’t surprised someone as beautiful as Elizabeth, with her gorgeous violet eyes and kind heart, found herself in so many romantic entanglements. From her first union, which lasted less than a year, to her unexpected choice for husband number eight, there’s no doubt Liz never gave up when it came to looking for love.

Elizabeth’s relationship with Richard Burton may be her most legendary romance after walking down the aisle together twice — plus the giant engagement ring he gave her — but each of her husbands had their own interesting love story. For example, just before Burton, Taylor found herself wrapped up in a controversial love triangle following a heartbreaking loss.

Clearly, her life was filled with just as much drama, excitement, tragedy, and happiness as the characters she played on screen. Take a look below to learn more about each of her marriages.

Elizabeth Taylor’s Husbands In Order

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Conrad "Nicky" Hilton Jr.

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Liz was just 18 when she said "I do" to hotel heir Nicky Hilton in 1950. The nuptials coincided with the release of her wedding-themed film, Father of the Bride, and the studio reportedly picked up the tab for the actress' dress and their celebration as promotion for the flick. On top of the 600 guests in attendance, more than 3,000 fans surrounded the church to get a glimpse of the young newlyweds. Unfortunately, Taylor and Hilton split less than a year later in 1951. Elizabeth later admitted to going into the marriage with a "very naive" idea of wedded bliss.
Michael Wilding

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It didn't take long for Taylor to bounce back from her first marriage. She and English actor Michael Wilding tied the knot in 1952. They had two sons: Michael Jr., born in 1953, and Christopher, born in 1955. Rumor has it that Wilding grew jealous of Liz's star power rising steadily higher than his, which led to the couple's divorce in 1957.
Mike Todd

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Not one to stay alone for long, Taylor married her third husband, movie producer Mike Todd, in 1957. The couple had one daughter, Liza, who was born that same year. Tragically, Todd died in a plane crash just a year later in 1958.
Eddie Fisher

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In 1959, still mourning the loss of Todd, Taylor married Eddie Fisher in Las Vegas. Fisher was a good friend of Todd and grew closer to Taylor as a source of comfort after her husband's passing — but their union caused controversy with the singer leaving his wife, actress Debbie Reynolds, who had also been friends with Liz. However, the couple divorced in 1964 and the two actresses were eventually able to patch things up between them.
Richard Burton

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Taylor said goodbye to Eddie Fisher after falling for her Cleopatra co-star, Richard Burton. They walked down the aisle together in 1964 and Burton adopted the actress' daughter, Liza, as well as Maria, a German orphan whom Taylor was in the process of adopting while still married to Fisher. The pair had an infamously passionate relationship with ups and downs between them. Taylor and Burton divorced in 1974... But fans know that wasn't the end of their love story.
Richard Burton (Again)

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After initially calling it quits in 1974, Liz and Dick remarried in Botswana in 1975. Their reunion didn't last long, though. They divorced again less than a year later.
John Warner

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After Burton as both her fifth and sixth husband, John Warner became number seven. The Republican politician from Virginia was asked to escort the starlet to a dinner in Washington, DC, hosted by Queen Elizabeth at the British Embassy in 1976. Sparks flew between them that night and the pair said "I do" that same year. Liz's acting roles on Broadway and in London and Warner's political career in DC eventually caused the couple to drift apart and divorce in 1982, but they remained on friendly terms.
Larry Fortensky

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Taylor's eighth and final husband was her most surprising union of all: Larry Fortensky, a construction worker 20 years her junior. They met under unusual circumstances while both checked in at the Betty Ford Clinic. After supporting each other's recovery, the couple tied the knot in 1991 at Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch. Larry later admitted that constantly being in the public eye wasn't easy for him and put a strain on their relationship. They split in 1996, but like Warner, always stayed on good terms with each other.
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Of course, Elizabeth Taylor's long line of husbands pales in comparison to her even longer list of classic performances in film and on stage. But there's no denying she liked to keep things interesting! Remember this giant sparkler she loved to show off from husband number five (and six), Richard Burton? Just like her violet eyes and dedication to her kids, these love stories are just another reason Elizabeth will forever remain a legend in all our memories.