Paul Newman’s marriage with Joanne Woodward is one for the history books. Unlike most celebrity relationships that often don’t work out, Newman’s and Woodward’s bond was an anomaly in Hollywood. Although the Oscar-winning actors had their fair share of rough patches throughout their 50 years of marriage, they didn’t walk away from each other and ultimately resolved their issues.
However, the beginning of their iconic love story was far from a fairy tale, as the two were involved in an extramarital affair while he was still married to his first wife, with whom he shared 3 children.
Also read: “Luck recognized me”: Paul Newman Said Rival James Dean Could’ve Never Beaten His Starpower
Paul Newman left former wife and children devasted for Joanne Woodward
It won’t be long before Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward would find themselves being romantically inclined toward each other after initially starting their bond as close friends. This would eventually result in The Sting star parting ways with his first wife Jackie Witte, with whom he shared three children, Scott, Susan, and Stephanie Newman. According to Stephanie Newman, she recounted that her mother was devasted by the divorce. She recalled,
“I was a baby and had to watch my dad and stepmom ride off into the sunset with Hollywood contracts. And [my mom] wanted to be an actress. … It’s an unbearable story.”
Although the legendary actor remained quiet about his time with his former partner for a long while, he’d later express the guilt that he bears from his first marriage’s failure.
Paul Newman had huge guilt for failing his first marriage
Although Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were extremely passionate about each other throughout the entirety of their bond, the Slap Shot star did share some guilt from his past failures. Despite being quiet about his first marriage for most of his life, he would later express that he was “guilty as hell,” and said, “I’ll carry it with me for the rest of my life.” Further reflecting on his marriage with Jackie Witte, Newman once explained his reasoning behind his first marriage’s failure, stating,
“I was probably too immature to make a success of my first marriage. What happened to us during that period is nobody’s business.”
Although the iconic marriage between the two top Golden Era stars had their beginning rooted in a tumultuous affair, Newman and Woodward remains one of the most iconic couples in the showbiz world. Their iconic bond is further explored in Ethan Hawke‘s The Last Movie Stars.
The Last Movie Stars is available to stream on Max.
Source: CBS Sunday Morning
