Back in Time Today
The 1970s changed everything in Hollywood. As old movie studios lost power and stars gained freedom, their love lives became front-page news. This was the decade when celebrity gossip became big business, turning private romances into public entertainment. These passionate, scandalous, and often destructive relationships didn’t just sell magazines—they transformed how we think about fame itself.
1. Woody Allen and Diane Keaton’s Creative Romance
Behind Annie Hall’s quirky romance was a real-life love affair. Allen and Keaton’s relationship blossomed during their early films together, with Keaton’s personality directly inspiring his most beloved female character.
Though they broke up before Annie Hall premiered in 1977, their artistic connection remained. “I’m standing next to him because of Annie Hall. That’s the gift he gave me,” Keaton later reflected about her Oscar-winning role that immortalized their relationship.
2. Warren Beatty and Julie Christie’s Volatile Connection
Hollywood’s most notorious bachelor met his match in British actress Julie Christie. Their on-again, off-again affair stretched across the decade, surviving Beatty’s legendary womanizing ways longer than most expected.
Working together in films like McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Shampoo heightened their visibility as a power couple. Christie once described their relationship as “very intense, but brief really”—though those who witnessed their years-long passion might disagree with the latter part.
3. Ryan O’Neal and Farrah Fawcett’s Poster-Perfect Pairing
America’s golden boy fell hard for television’s angel. When rising film star O’Neal began seeing Charlie’s Angels sensation Fawcett in the late ’70s, they embodied the decade’s definition of physical perfection.
Their attraction was immediate and powerful. Both left existing relationships—Fawcett was married to Lee Majors—creating tabloid chaos. “There was never a dull moment,” O’Neal later said of their stormy relationship that would continue for decades despite multiple breakups.
4. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s Remarriage Rollercoaster
Hollywood’s most tempestuous couple couldn’t stay apart—or together. After divorcing in 1974, Taylor and Burton shocked everyone by remarrying in 1975, only to split again less than a year later.
Their passion burned too hot to sustain, with both battling alcoholism and fierce tempers. “We can’t live together and we can’t live apart,” Taylor once admitted, capturing their impossible chemistry that captivated fans worldwide.
5. Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw’s Explosive Beginning
The King of Cool stole producer Robert Evans’ wife right under Hollywood’s nose. MacGraw abandoned her marriage to one of Tinseltown’s most powerful men after falling for McQueen while filming The Getaway in 1972.
Their chemistry was undeniable but toxic. McQueen demanded MacGraw quit acting, effectively ending her rising career. “I wish I hadn’t been so destructive,” MacGraw later reflected about choosing passion over professional ambition, a decision that altered her trajectory in Hollywood forever.
6. Richard Gere and Barbra Streisand’s Secret Whispers
Before he became a household name, young Richard Gere allegedly caught the eye of established superstar Barbra Streisand. Though never confirmed by either party, Hollywood insiders buzzed about their supposed connection.
Gere, then in his late 20s, was still climbing the ladder of fame while Streisand reigned as an entertainment queen. The age and power difference fueled gossip mill speculation. Their paths would cross professionally years later, but both maintained tight-lipped silence about whether romance ever bloomed between them.
7. Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston’s Tumultuous Decades
Hollywood’s bad boy met his match in model-turned-actress Anjelica Huston. Their relationship began in 1973 and survived seventeen rollercoaster years despite Nicholson’s notorious infidelity.
The daughter of director John Huston brought aristocratic elegance to counterbalance Nicholson’s rebellious charm. “He’s very magical,” Huston once explained, revealing the spell that kept her returning despite heartbreak. Their final split came after Nicholson fathered a child with another woman—one betrayal too many even for their unconventional bond.
8. Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke’s Professional and Personal Entanglement
Their 14-year relationship began in secrecy while Eastwood was still married. The affair quickly transformed into a professional partnership, with Locke starring in six films directed by Eastwood.
Behind the scenes, power dynamics proved troubling. Locke later revealed Eastwood controlled her career choices and pressured her into abortions while secretly fathering children with another woman. Their bitter breakup led to landmark palimony suits that exposed Hollywood’s darker relationship patterns.
9. Paul Newman’s Rumored Infidelity Shocking Hollywood
America’s blue-eyed heartthrob had built his reputation as the rare faithful Hollywood husband. Then came whispers about journalist Nancy Bacon—allegations that rocked Newman’s perfect-marriage narrative.
While Newman and wife Joanne Woodward presented a united front publicly, insiders claimed trouble brewed behind closed doors. The rumors never gained mainstream traction, partly because tabloid culture wasn’t yet fully formed. “A man with steak at home doesn’t go out for hamburger,” Newman famously said about fidelity—a quote that gained ironic significance amid the speculation.
10. Marlon Brando and Rita Moreno’s Destructive Obsession
Their toxic relationship began during West Side Story and haunted Moreno well into the ’70s. Brando’s psychological hold over Moreno proved so devastating she attempted suicide after discovering his infidelity.
“He was the daddy that I couldn’t please,” Moreno later revealed about their dysfunctional dynamic. Even after both married others, their magnetic pull continued. In a bizarre twist of Hollywood fate, they reunited professionally in The Night of the Following Day (1969), forcing Moreno to act alongside the man who nearly destroyed her.
11. George Harrison’s Betrayal of Fellow Beatle Ringo Starr
The quiet Beatle caused the band’s most uncomfortable internal scandal. Harrison’s affair with Maureen Starkey, wife of his bandmate Ringo, created lasting wounds within the group’s inner circle.
The betrayal came to light when Ringo returned home unexpectedly and discovered them together. “Ringo was upstairs and George was visiting and decided to visit Maureen as well,” Beatles associate Chris O’Dell later wrote. Though brief, the affair symbolized the fracturing trust among the former bandmates as they navigated post-Beatles life.
12. Eric Clapton’s Obsessive Pursuit of George Harrison’s Wife
Rock’s most famous love triangle played out when guitar god Clapton fell desperately in love with his best friend’s wife. His passion for Pattie Boyd inspired the classic “Layla” while she was still married to Harrison.
“I was amazed at the intensity of Eric’s feelings,” Boyd later wrote about Clapton’s relentless pursuit. After years of emotional turmoil, Boyd left Harrison for Clapton in 1974. Their relationship culminated in marriage in 1979—with Harrison surprisingly attending the wedding, demonstrating the strange interconnectedness of their musical circle.
13. Mick and Bianca Jagger’s Marriage of Convenience and Betrayal
Their wedding photos looked like rock royalty, but reality proved far darker. Married in 1971, their relationship quickly deteriorated as Mick’s countless affairs—especially with model Jerry Hall—became impossible to ignore.
Bianca maintained her dignity despite public humiliation. “My marriage ended on my wedding day,” she famously stated, revealing how quickly the relationship soured. Their split became official in 1978, with Bianca emerging as a human rights activist while Mick continued his womanizing ways with Hall, who would become his next long-term partner.
14. Roman Polanski and Nastassja Kinski’s Controversial Connection
Their relationship began shortly after Polanski fled American justice. The director, then 43, became involved with German actress Kinski when she was barely 18, though rumors suggested his interest began earlier.
Kinski initially denied impropriety but later acknowledged the relationship. “There was a flirtation, but there was no affair,” she claimed about their early interactions. The age gap and power imbalance raised serious ethical questions, especially given Polanski’s legal troubles stemming from his sexual assault case involving a minor.
15. John Lennon’s “Lost Weekend” with May Pang
The strangest celebrity arrangement of the decade began when Yoko Ono allegedly handpicked her husband’s mistress. During Lennon and Ono’s 18-month separation (1973-1975), Lennon moved to Los Angeles with their assistant May Pang, beginning what he called his “Lost Weekend.”
Pang later revealed Ono orchestrated the affair to give Lennon freedom while maintaining control. During this period, Lennon reconnected with his son Julian and recorded prolifically. “I may have been the happiest I’ve ever been,” Lennon admitted about this unconventional chapter before ultimately returning to Ono.