Celebrities Who Got Married Long Before They Turned Twenty Years Old

Today, many people delay marriage, but throughout Hollywood’s history, several stars married as teenagers. Some of these young marriages happened due to personal reasons, while others were fueled by highly publicized romances. Often, these unions occurred before the celebrities were famous or right at the beginning of their careers. Looking back at these stories offers a fascinating look into the private lives of entertainers from different times.

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe married her neighbor, James Dougherty, in 1942 at the age of sixteen. She chose to marry him to avoid being sent back to foster care or an orphanage. During World War II, she worked in a factory making ammunition while her husband was at sea. As her career as a model and actress started to take off, their marriage ended in divorce. She later became world-famous for her roles in movies like ‘The Seven Year Itch’.

Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor married Conrad Hilton Jr. in 1950 when she was just eighteen years old. The wedding was a huge event, and the film studio used it to help promote her movie, ‘Father of the Bride.’ Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t last long, ending in divorce less than a year later. Throughout her famous Hollywood career, Taylor went on to marry seven more times. She was a celebrated actress, winning numerous awards for roles in films like ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’

Milla Jovovich

Milla Jovovich ran away and married her ‘Dazed and Confused’ costar, Shawn Andrews, when she was just sixteen years old. However, her mother had the marriage canceled after only two months. Jovovich later became a popular action movie star, known for her role in the ‘Resident Evil’ films. She eventually married director Paul W. S. Anderson in 2009.

Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore was only nineteen when she married Jeremy Thomas in 1994. They had only known each other for a short time before a quick, unplanned wedding. Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t last, and they divorced after less than two months. Barrymore went on to have a thriving career in film, starring in movies like ‘Charlie’s Angels,’ and eventually became a successful talk show host.

Melanie Griffith

Melanie Griffith married Don Johnson in 1976 when she was just eighteen years old. They had first met years before, when Melanie was fourteen and Don was twenty-two. Although their first marriage ended after only six months, they later reconnected and married again in 1989. Griffith received an Academy Award nomination for her performance in the film ‘Working Girl’.

Demi Moore

Demi Moore began her career as an actress in the early 1980s, around the time she married songwriter Freddy Moore at age eighteen. She adopted his last name professionally, and continued to use it even after they divorced in 1985. She first gained recognition on the soap opera ‘General Hospital’ and went on to become a leading actress in films like ‘Ghost’ and ‘G.I. Jane’ during the 1980s and 90s. Later in her life, Moore married actors Bruce Willis and Ashton Kutcher.

LeAnn Rimes

LeAnn Rimes, a successful country singer known for songs like ‘How Do I Live’ and ‘Blue’, married backup dancer Dean Sheremet in 2002 at the age of nineteen. They were married for seven years, divorcing in 2009. Rimes later married actor Eddie Cibrian after meeting him while filming a TV movie. Throughout her long career, she continues to record music and perform live.

Cher

Cher married her musical collaborator, Sonny Bono, in 1964 when she was eighteen. Together, they achieved fame with the song ‘I Got You Babe’ and their popular TV show. After more than ten years of marriage, they divorced in 1975. Cher then built a thriving solo music career and became a celebrated actress, starring in films like ‘Moonstruck’. She continues to be a major presence in entertainment, with a career that has lasted for many decades.

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian secretly married music producer Damon Thomas in 2000, when she was nineteen. The wedding happened in Las Vegas before she became famous on reality TV. They were married for three years, and Damon filed for divorce in 2003. Kim later gained worldwide recognition with the show ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ and has since become a highly successful businesswoman and a prominent figure in fashion and pop culture.

Bo Derek

Bo Derek married director John Derek in 1976 when she was just nineteen years old. They first met when she was a teenager, and their relationship sparked some controversy because of their age difference. They stayed together until John Derek passed away in 1998, which was unusual for a Hollywood marriage. Bo Derek gained international fame after appearing in the film ’10’, and has continued to work in film and television. She’s also a dedicated advocate for animal welfare.

Courtney Stodden

Courtney Stodden became well-known after marrying actor Doug Hutchison in 2011 when they were just sixteen years old. The large age difference between them was often discussed in the tabloids and on reality TV. After several years of marriage, including periods of separation, they eventually divorced. Since then, Stodden has focused on a music career and has appeared on different reality shows, often speaking openly about the difficulties of being married so young.

Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn was just fifteen years old when she married Oliver Lynn in 1948. She quickly started a family, having four children before turning twenty. Despite a sometimes difficult relationship, her husband supported her dream of becoming a singer, and she went on to become a country music icon. They were married for almost fifty years, until his passing in 1996. Her remarkable life story was told in the acclaimed film ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’.

Ava Gardner

Ava Gardner married rising Hollywood star Mickey Rooney in 1942, when she was nineteen. Though Rooney was already a major celebrity, Gardner was just beginning her career. The couple divorced after only a year. Gardner later achieved great fame as a leading actress, appearing in films like ‘The Killers,’ and went on to marry bandleader Artie Shaw and singer Frank Sinatra.

Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin married Ted White in 1961 when she was just nineteen. He also managed her career as she began recording music. Though their marriage was challenging and ended in divorce in 1969, Aretha rose to become the iconic ‘Queen of Soul,’ delivering unforgettable hits like ‘Respect’ and ‘Think.’ She’s celebrated as one of the most important and talented singers ever.

Macaulay Culkin

Macaulay Culkin, famous for playing Kevin McCallister in the ‘Home Alone’ movies, married actress Rachel Miner in 1998 when they were both just seventeen. He had taken a break from acting for a few years before the wedding. The marriage didn’t last, and they divorced in 2002 after separating two years prior. Culkin later went back to acting, appearing in shows like ‘American Horror Story’.

Aaliyah

Aaliyah privately married music producer R. Kelly in 1994, when she was just fifteen years old. The marriage papers incorrectly claimed she was eighteen. Her parents found out and were able to legally end the marriage. Aaliyah went on to achieve great success as a singer, with popular songs like ‘One in a Million’. Sadly, her life ended prematurely in a plane crash in 2001.

Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis, a pioneer of rock and roll, married his first wife, Dorothy Barton, at just sixteen years old in 1952. He would go on to have seven marriages throughout his life. His marriage to his thirteen-year-old cousin, Myra Gale Brown, created a huge scandal and almost ruined his career. Lewis was famous for his energetic performances and hit songs like ‘Great Balls of Fire.’ Later in life, he moved into country music and continued to perform for many years.

Janet Jackson

In 1984, at eighteen years old, Janet Jackson secretly married singer James DeBarge, hoping to gain independence from her well-known family. However, the marriage didn’t last long and was annulled after just one year. Janet went on to achieve massive success as a pop star, releasing hit albums like ‘Control’ and becoming a global icon whose impact on music and dance is still celebrated today.

Taylor Hanson

Taylor Hanson, known for his fame with the band Hanson and their hit song ‘MMMBop’, married Natalie Bryant in 2002 when he was nineteen. They’ve been married for over twenty years and have seven children. Taylor continues to make music and tour with his brothers, as well as working on his own creative projects. Their lasting relationship is often highlighted as an unusual success story for a celebrity couple who started young.

Shirley Temple

Shirley Temple, the beloved child star, married actor John Agar in 1945 at the age of seventeen. Having grown up as one of the most famous people globally, her marriage to Agar lasted five years, and they had a daughter together before divorcing in 1950. Later, Temple married Charles Black and embarked on a distinguished career as a diplomat and ambassador. She continues to be remembered as an icon of Hollywood’s classic era.

Natalie Wood

Natalie Wood, a star known for films like ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Rebel Without a Cause,’ first married actor Robert Wagner in 1957 when she was just nineteen. They were considered a glamorous and beloved couple in Hollywood at the time. Though they divorced in 1962, they remarried in 1972. Sadly, Wood’s life was cut short in 1981 by a drowning accident, and the circumstances surrounding her death continue to be widely discussed.

Judy Garland

Judy Garland married composer David Rose in 1941 at the age of nineteen, despite objections from her mother and the studio controlling her films. The marriage didn’t last, and they divorced in 1944. Garland later married four more times, including director Vincente Minnelli. She’s best known for her incredible performances in classic films like ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and ‘A Star Is Born’.

Uma Thurman

I remember when Uma Thurman first married Gary Oldman – she was so young, only nineteen! They actually met while filming ‘State of Grace,’ but sadly, they weren’t together for very long, just about two years. It’s amazing to think that after that, she became a huge star, working with Quentin Tarantino on films like ‘Pulp Fiction’ and the incredible ‘Kill Bill’ movies. Before long, she married Ethan Hawke and they were together for quite a while too.

Mamie Van Doren

Mamie Van Doren married Jack Newman in 1946 at the young age of fifteen, but the marriage didn’t last long. She then moved to Los Angeles to become an entertainer. In 1955, while still in her twenties, she married bandleader Ray Anthony. Van Doren rose to fame in Hollywood alongside Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield, becoming known as one of the ‘Three M’s’. She starred in many films during the 1950s, including ‘Untamed Youth’.

Hedy Lamarr

Hedy Lamarr married an Austrian arms dealer named Friedrich Mandl in 1933 when she was just eighteen. She later said the marriage was very restrictive and eventually escaped, first to Paris and then to the United States. She became a famous actress in Hollywood, starring in films like ‘Samson and Delilah.’ Beyond acting, Lamarr was a gifted inventor who co-created a technology during World War II that helped pave the way for today’s wireless communication systems.

Lana Turner

Lana Turner, a rising film star, famously eloped with bandleader Artie Shaw on their first date in 1940, when she was just nineteen. Though the marriage caused a media frenzy, it ended after only four months. Turner went on to become a major star at MGM, appearing in films like ‘The Postman Always Rings Twice’. Throughout her life, she married eight times to seven different husbands.

Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Bardot married director Roger Vadim in 1952 when she was just eighteen years old. He directed her in the film ‘And God Created Woman,’ which launched her to international stardom. They divorced in 1957 after five years of marriage. Bardot then became a major fashion icon and a defining face of the French New Wave movement in cinema. Later, after leaving acting, she dedicated her life to advocating for animal rights.

Sandra Dee

As a classic film buff, I always found Sandra Dee fascinating. She was a huge teen star – everyone remembers her from movies like ‘Gidget’ and ‘A Summer Place’! I learned she married Bobby Darin back in 1960, when she was just eighteen. They actually met while making ‘Come September,’ and the press really followed their relationship. They had one son together, but sadly, things didn’t last, and they divorced in 1967. It’s a story that was later told in the biopic ‘Beyond the Sea,’ which I thought was a really touching portrayal of their lives.

Jean Harlow

Jean Harlow married Charles McGrew at just sixteen years old in 1927. Moving to Los Angeles with him proved beneficial, as it allowed her to start working as an extra and model, launching her entertainment career. They divorced in 1929, right as Harlow’s popularity in Hollywood began to grow. She quickly became known as the original “Blonde Bombshell” and rose to stardom at MGM, appearing in films like ‘Red Dust’. Sadly, her promising career was tragically cut short when she passed away at the young age of twenty-six.

Patty Duke

Patty Duke, who famously won an Academy Award for ‘The Miracle Worker’ years before, married Harry Falk, a film assistant director, in 1965 at the age of eighteen. The couple divorced in 1969 after four years together. Duke went on to enjoy a thriving career in both television and film, and also dedicated herself to raising awareness about mental health. Over the course of her career, she received numerous Emmy Awards.

Mackenzie Phillips

Mackenzie Phillips was just nineteen when she married Jeff Sessler in 1979. She was already a well-known actress, starring in the hit TV show ‘One Day at a Time.’ The marriage didn’t last long, ending after about two years during a challenging time in her life. Later, Phillips openly shared her story as a former child star and her battles with addiction in a memoir. Today, she works as a counselor and supports others in their recovery journeys.

Dimple Kapadia

Dimple Kapadia married Bollywood icon Rajesh Khanna in 1973 at the young age of sixteen. The wedding happened right before her first movie, ‘Bobby,’ became a huge success. She then stepped away from acting for more than ten years to concentrate on her family. Kapadia made a comeback in the 1980s and established herself as a well-regarded actress in Indian films. More recently, she starred in the internationally famous film ‘Tenet,’ directed by Christopher Nolan.

Divya Bharti

Divya Bharti married film producer Sajid Nadiadwala in 1992 when she was just eighteen years old. She quickly became one of India’s most successful and highest-paid actresses in the early 1990s, starring in several hit films in a short period. Tragically, her life was cut short in 1993 when she fell from a building in Mumbai. Her unexpected death at the age of nineteen deeply shocked the film industry.

Ginger Rogers

Ginger Rogers married Jack Culpepper in 1929 at the age of seventeen. The couple performed together as a dance act before divorcing after just a few months. Rogers later moved to Hollywood and became a celebrated actress and dancer, best known for her iconic on-screen partnership with Fred Astaire in numerous classic musicals. She also won an Academy Award for her dramatic role in the film ‘Kitty Foyle’.

Morgan Fairchild

Morgan Fairchild married Jack Calmes at the age of seventeen in 1967. They were married for several years before divorcing in 1973, around the time Fairchild started her acting career. She first became well-known nationally on the soap opera ‘Search for Tomorrow’. In the 1980s, Fairchild became a popular television star, appearing in shows like ‘Flamingo Road’ and ‘Falcon Crest’. She’s also been a long-time, dedicated member of the Screen Actors Guild.

Jennifer O’Neill

Jennifer O’Neill was just seventeen when she married Dean Rossiter in 1965, the first of what would become nine marriages. Before becoming a well-known actress, she started her career as a successful model. O’Neill is most remembered for starring in the 1971 film ‘Summer of ’42’. Later in life, she became an author and a motivational speaker, often discussing personal experiences and her faith.

Michelle Phillips

Michelle Phillips married John Phillips in 1962 at the age of eighteen. Together, they formed the famous folk rock band The Mamas and the Papas, known for hits like ‘California Dreamin’’ and ‘Monday, Monday’. They were married for eight years and had a daughter before divorcing in 1970. After the divorce, Phillips went on to have a successful acting career, including a role on the TV show ‘Knots Landing’.

Crystal Gayle

Crystal Gayle, the sister of Loretta Lynn, found fame in the 1970s and is known for her long hair and songs like ‘Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.’ She married her high school sweetheart, Bill Gatzimos, in 1971, when she was nineteen, and they’ve been happily married for over fifty years with two children. Gayle was a pioneer in country music, successfully reaching audiences on the pop charts as well.

Tammy Wynette

Tammy Wynette married her first husband, Euple Byrd, at the young age of seventeen in 1959. They had three children together, but divorced in 1966. While pursuing her dream of becoming a country music star in Nashville, she worked as a beautician. Wynette ultimately achieved fame as a leading figure in country music, best known for her hit song ‘Stand by Your Man.’ She was also known for her several marriages, including a well-publicized relationship with singer George Jones.

Carole King

Carole King married her songwriting partner, Gerry Goffin, at just seventeen years old in 1959. Working together at the Brill Building, they became a hugely successful team, writing famous songs like ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’ and ‘The Loco-Motion’. Though their marriage ended in 1968, King went on to have a remarkable solo career, and her album ‘Tapestry’ is still one of the best-selling albums ever.

Brenda Lee

Brenda Lee tied the knot with Ronnie Shacklett in 1963 at the age of eighteen. Already a well-known singer with international hits like ‘I’m Sorry’, she’d been performing professionally for years. Their marriage has lasted for six decades, a remarkable achievement in the entertainment industry. Lee was a prominent artist in rockabilly and country music throughout the 1950s and 60s, and she’s also beloved for her iconic Christmas song, ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’.

Marianne Faithfull

Marianne Faithfull married artist John Dunbar in 1965, when she was just eighteen years old. It was a time of excitement in London, and she was becoming a popular singer. They had a son, but the marriage didn’t last as Faithfull became more involved with the rock and roll world. Her relationship with Mick Jagger was very public and greatly shaped how people saw her. Later in her career, she successfully reinvented herself and gained recognition for her songwriting and singing.

Loretta Young

Loretta Young secretly married actor Grant Withers in 1930, when she was just seventeen. The marriage caused a stir and was quickly annulled after only a year. Young then enjoyed a remarkably successful career in Hollywood that lasted for many years. She famously won an Academy Award for her role in ‘The Farmer’s Daughter’ and also starred in and hosted her own popular TV show, ‘The Loretta Young Show’.

Maureen O’Hara

Maureen O’Hara married film producer George Hanley Brown in 1939 at the age of eighteen, right as her career was beginning with a role in ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’. The marriage didn’t last, and it was annulled in 1941. O’Hara went on to become a celebrated actress, famous for her red hair and memorable performances in films like ‘The Quiet Man’. She often worked with John Wayne and was a frequent collaborator with director John Ford.

Kathryn Grayson

I’ve always been captivated by Kathryn Grayson. It’s fascinating to me that she married actor John Shelton so young, when she was just nineteen, back in 1941. She wasn’t just a pretty face, though – she was a seriously talented opera singer, and quickly becoming a big name in those wonderful MGM musicals. Their marriage was quite the event, always splashed across the pages of those old movie magazines. She really blossomed into a star, becoming iconic in films like ‘Show Boat’ and ‘Kiss Me Kate’. And she didn’t stop there – she kept performing, bringing joy to audiences on stage and screen throughout the forties and fifties. It’s a truly inspiring story!

Cyd Charisse

Cyd Charisse, who began her career as a ballet dancer, married her dance instructor, Nico Charisse, in 1939 at the age of eighteen. She adopted his last name professionally and they had a son together. Though their marriage ended in 1947, Cyd Charisse went on to become a celebrated film dancer, starring in classics like ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ and ‘The Band Wagon.’ She later found lasting happiness in a long marriage with singer Tony Martin.

Leslie Caron

I recently revisited the story of Leslie Caron, and it’s fascinating. She was just nineteen when she married George Hormel II back in 1951, fresh off the success of ‘An American in Paris’ which had made her a star worldwide. Sadly, the marriage didn’t last – they divorced after only three years in 1954. But she didn’t let that slow her down. Caron went on to deliver wonderful performances in films like ‘Lili’ and ‘Gigi,’ truly becoming a beloved icon of both French and American cinema. Over her career, she’s rightfully earned a Golden Globe and an Emmy, among other accolades – a testament to her incredible talent.

Janet Leigh

Janet Leigh was only fourteen years old when she married John Kenneth Carlisle in 1942, but the marriage ended after just a few months with an annulment. She went on to become a celebrated actress, most famously known for her role in the horror classic ‘Psycho.’ Throughout her career, she collaborated with renowned directors on films like ‘Touch of Evil’ and ‘The Manchurian Candidate.’ Years later, her daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis, also achieved fame as an actress.

Please share your thoughts on these early celebrity marriages in the comments.

2026-03-13 21:23