Marriages of Esther Williams
First Marriage - Leonard Kovner
Married: 1940
Children: 0
Divorced: 1944
More About Leonard and Esther
Second Marriage - Ben Gage
Married: 1945
Children: 3
Separated: 1952
Divorced: 1959
More About Ben and Esther
Third Marriage - Fernando Lamas
Married: 1969
Children: 0
Marriage Ended: 1982, his death
More About Fernando and Esther
Fourth Marriage - Edward Bell
Married: 1994
Children: 0
Marriage Ended: 2013, her death
More About Edward and Esther
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Esther Jane Williams aka Ester Jane Williams: August 8, 1921 in Inglewood, California.
Died:
Esther: At the age of 91, Esther died in her sleep on June 6, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California.
Children:
Esther had three children with her second husband, Ben Gage. After the death of Fernando Lamas, Esther and her children reconciled.
Occupations:
Esther: Competitive swimmer, actress, author, model, businesswoman. Esther was especially famous for her aquamusicals "featuring elaborate synchronized swimming sequences and spectacular diving."
Residence:
Beverly Hills, California
Quotes About Esther Williams' Marriages:
Susan King: "TCM just announced a 24-hour Williams movie marathon on June 13 [2013]. It will be a pleasure to dive back in."
Source: Susan King. "Esther Williams, a 'Bathing Beauty' like no other." LATimes.com. 6/06/2013.
Esther: "'I'll bet if I compare notes with Junie Allyson and Debbie Reynolds and anyone else who's had more than one marriage, the fact is that you fall in love and it's so wonderful to think about something other than yourself and whether the script's right for you and who's going to be your leading man, that you don't really ask yourself questions about the fellow. He's just wonderful looking and he dances well and you have a wonderful time and it's fun to go out, and all of a sudden you're in a lifelong marriage.'"
Source: Todd S. Purdum. "At Home With: Esther Williams; Swimming Upstream." NYTimes.com. 9/02/1999.
Esther Williams' First Husband -- Leonard Kovner (1940-1944)
Born:
Leonard L. Kovner:
How Leonard and Esther Met:
When Esther was 18, she met pre-med student Leonard Kovner while she was attending Los Angeles City College.
Wedding Date:
Esther and Leonard eloped between the shows of the Aquacade and were married on June 27, 1940 in Los Altos, California. News reports of their elopement state that Rev. Wheeler officiated the wedding.
Divorce:
Esther and Leonard were divorced in September 1944 "after testifying he maintained an attitude of criticism toward her and 'treated me and my friends with superiority and contempt.'" She also told the judge that Leonard didn't want to have children with her.
Source: "Photos: Esther Williams has passed away at 91." DenverPost.com. 6/06/2013.
Occupations:
Leonard: Physician.
Other Marriages:
Although he didn't want Esther to be in the movies, Leonard later married actress Elaine Langan in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1947.
Quotes About the Marriage of Esther Williams and Leonard Kovner:
Esther: "While my film career was beginning, a segment of my personal life was ending. I found, much to my relief, that all I needed for my emotional and personal security was my own resolve and determination.
I didn't need a marriage and a ring. I had come to realize all too quickly that Leonard Kovner was not a man I could ever really love."
Source: Esther Williams, Digby Diehl. The Million Dollar Mermaid. 2001. pg. 113.
Esther Williams' Second Husband -- Ben Gage (1945-1959)
Born:
Ben Austin Gage: October 29, 1914 in Chicago, Illinois.
Died:
Ben: On April 28, 1978, at the age of 63, Ben died in Los Angeles, California from heart failure.
How Ben and Esther Met:
Esther met Ben at a fund-raiser when he asked her to dance.
Wedding Date:
On November 25, 1945, Esther and Staff Seargeant Ben Gage were married in Beverly Hills, California at the Westwood Community Church. Their wedding reception was at the Mandeville Canyon home of her publicist, Melvina Pumphrey. Since she was making a movie in Mexico, they honeymooned in Acapulco, Mexico.
Children:
Ben and Esther had three children together, Benjamin, Susan, and Kimball.
Divorce:
officially separated in November 1957, Esther and Ben were divorced in April 1959. Due to Ben's bad investments, gambling, and drinking, he lost millions of Esther's earnings and she ended up $750,000 in debt to the I.R.S.
Occupations:
Ben: Radio announcer for the Bob Hope Program, singer, actor, entrepreneur, served in the U.S.
Air Force.
Born:
Fernando Alvaro Lamas y de Santos: January 9, 1915 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Died:
Fernando: On October 8, 1982, at the age of 67, Fernando died in Los Angeles, California from pancreatic cancer.
How Fernando and Esther Met:
Esther and Fernando first met when making the movie Dangerous When Wet in 1953. They later renewed their friendship in 1960 for a TV special, Esther Williams at Cypress Gardens.
Wedding Date:
Fernando and Esther were reportedly married on December 31, 1969.
Children: Fernando had three children.
Occupations:
Fernando: Actor, director, writer.
Previous Marriages:
Fernando had three previous marriages.
Quotes About the Marriage of Esther Williams and Fernando Lamas:
Esther: "I had no idea just how cruel Fernando would be about my children. The truth is that it was terrible beyond my worst fears. Fernando didn't like them, and they didn't like him."
Source: Esther Williams, Digby Diehl. The Million Dollar Mermaid. 2001. pg. 348.
Todd Purdum: "She found great passion with Fernando Lamas, her Argentine co-star in 'Dangerous When Wet,' but says he was so jealous that he tore out any page of her scrapbooks that contained pictures of her children and refused to let them live with her, though she took in Lorenzo, his son by the actress Arlene Dahl."
Source: Todd S. Purdum. "At Home With: Esther Williams; Swimming Upstream." NYTimes.com. 9/02/1999.
Todd S. Purdum: "... he had controlled her every move, forced her to choose between him and her three children from a previous marriage and expected her to wait on him hand and foot."
Source: Todd S. Purdum. "At Home With: Esther Williams; Swimming Upstream." NYTimes.com. 9/02/1999.
Born:
Edward Bell: Abt. 1931.
How Esther and Edward Met:
Edward and Esther first met in 1983 when he called to ask her to be a hostess for a reunion of athletes from the 1932 Olympics.
Wedding Date:
Edward and Esther were married on October 24, 1994.
Occupations:
Edward: Actor, French literature professor.
Previous Marriage:
Edward was previously married.
Quotes About the Marriage of Esther Williams and Edward Bell:
Esther: "...
that partnership with my husband, Edward Bell, which continues today, has expanded and opened my life in more ways than I knew were possible."
Source: Esther Williams, Digby Diehl. The Million Dollar Mermaid. 2001. pg. 393.
First Marriage - Leonard Kovner
Married: 1940
Children: 0
Divorced: 1944
More About Leonard and Esther
Second Marriage - Ben Gage
Married: 1945
Children: 3
Separated: 1952
Divorced: 1959
More About Ben and Esther
Third Marriage - Fernando Lamas
Married: 1969
Children: 0
Marriage Ended: 1982, his death
More About Fernando and Esther
Fourth Marriage - Edward Bell
Married: 1994
Children: 0
Marriage Ended: 2013, her death
More About Edward and Esther
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Esther Williams Information:
Born:Esther Jane Williams aka Ester Jane Williams: August 8, 1921 in Inglewood, California.
Died:
Esther: At the age of 91, Esther died in her sleep on June 6, 2013 in Beverly Hills, California.
Children:
Esther had three children with her second husband, Ben Gage. After the death of Fernando Lamas, Esther and her children reconciled.
- Kimball Austin Gage: Born in 1950. Kimball died on May 8, 2008 from a cancerous brain tumor.
- Susan Tenney Gage: Born in 1953.
- Benjamin Stanton Gage: Born in 1949.
Susan Gage: "Mom was always there within touching distance, but she was very busy and Fernando was very difficult," said her daughter, Susan, who grew up mostly living with an aunt and her father and is now an administrator at a nonprofit counseling center in the San Francisco area. "We used to meet in grocery store parking lots and talk. Fernando wouldn't let us come to the house. Once I got older and was able to confront him and ask him why he did that, he was very clear: we were the evidence that my mother had slept with another man."
Source: Todd S. Purdum. "At Home With: Esther Williams; Swimming Upstream." NYTimes.com. 9/02/1999.
Occupations:
Esther: Competitive swimmer, actress, author, model, businesswoman. Esther was especially famous for her aquamusicals "featuring elaborate synchronized swimming sequences and spectacular diving."
Residence:
Beverly Hills, California
Quotes About Esther Williams' Marriages:
Susan King: "TCM just announced a 24-hour Williams movie marathon on June 13 [2013]. It will be a pleasure to dive back in."
Source: Susan King. "Esther Williams, a 'Bathing Beauty' like no other." LATimes.com. 6/06/2013.
Esther: "'I'll bet if I compare notes with Junie Allyson and Debbie Reynolds and anyone else who's had more than one marriage, the fact is that you fall in love and it's so wonderful to think about something other than yourself and whether the script's right for you and who's going to be your leading man, that you don't really ask yourself questions about the fellow. He's just wonderful looking and he dances well and you have a wonderful time and it's fun to go out, and all of a sudden you're in a lifelong marriage.'"
Source: Todd S. Purdum. "At Home With: Esther Williams; Swimming Upstream." NYTimes.com. 9/02/1999.
Esther Williams' First Husband -- Leonard Kovner (1940-1944)
Born:
Leonard L. Kovner:
How Leonard and Esther Met:
When Esther was 18, she met pre-med student Leonard Kovner while she was attending Los Angeles City College.
Esther: "He was smart, handsome, dependable ... and dull. I respected his intelligence, and his dedication to a future career in medicine. He loved me, or so he said, and even asked me to marry him."
Source: Esther Williams, Digby Diehl. The Million Dollar Mermaid. 2001. pg. 85.
Wedding Date:
Esther and Leonard eloped between the shows of the Aquacade and were married on June 27, 1940 in Los Altos, California. News reports of their elopement state that Rev. Wheeler officiated the wedding.
Divorce:
Esther and Leonard were divorced in September 1944 "after testifying he maintained an attitude of criticism toward her and 'treated me and my friends with superiority and contempt.'" She also told the judge that Leonard didn't want to have children with her.
Source: "Photos: Esther Williams has passed away at 91." DenverPost.com. 6/06/2013.
Occupations:
Leonard: Physician.
Other Marriages:
Although he didn't want Esther to be in the movies, Leonard later married actress Elaine Langan in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1947.
Quotes About the Marriage of Esther Williams and Leonard Kovner:
Esther: "While my film career was beginning, a segment of my personal life was ending. I found, much to my relief, that all I needed for my emotional and personal security was my own resolve and determination.
I didn't need a marriage and a ring. I had come to realize all too quickly that Leonard Kovner was not a man I could ever really love."
Source: Esther Williams, Digby Diehl. The Million Dollar Mermaid. 2001. pg. 113.
Esther Williams' Second Husband -- Ben Gage (1945-1959)
Born:
Ben Austin Gage: October 29, 1914 in Chicago, Illinois.
Died:
Ben: On April 28, 1978, at the age of 63, Ben died in Los Angeles, California from heart failure.
How Ben and Esther Met:
Esther met Ben at a fund-raiser when he asked her to dance.
Esther: "Ben was into fun. He was boyish, almost puppylike, and that was exactly what I needed after all of Leonard's darkness."
Source: Esther Williams, Digby Diehl. The Million Dollar Mermaid. 2001. pg. 115.
Wedding Date:
On November 25, 1945, Esther and Staff Seargeant Ben Gage were married in Beverly Hills, California at the Westwood Community Church. Their wedding reception was at the Mandeville Canyon home of her publicist, Melvina Pumphrey. Since she was making a movie in Mexico, they honeymooned in Acapulco, Mexico.
Children:
Ben and Esther had three children together, Benjamin, Susan, and Kimball.
Divorce:
officially separated in November 1957, Esther and Ben were divorced in April 1959. Due to Ben's bad investments, gambling, and drinking, he lost millions of Esther's earnings and she ended up $750,000 in debt to the I.R.S.
Esther: "... at home Ben Gage's drinking spun further out of control ... the score begiins to add up after a while; and you become a joke, and your marriage becomes a joke. Ben never stopped playing the fool, and I never stopped apologizing."
Source: Esther Williams, Digby Diehl. The Million Dollar Mermaid. 2001. pg. 272.
Occupations:
Ben: Radio announcer for the Bob Hope Program, singer, actor, entrepreneur, served in the U.S.
Air Force.
Born:
Fernando Alvaro Lamas y de Santos: January 9, 1915 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Died:
Fernando: On October 8, 1982, at the age of 67, Fernando died in Los Angeles, California from pancreatic cancer.
How Fernando and Esther Met:
Esther and Fernando first met when making the movie Dangerous When Wet in 1953. They later renewed their friendship in 1960 for a TV special, Esther Williams at Cypress Gardens.
Esther: "I had just finished doing a television special, and he was in it. We were just friends, but then we fell in love. We went to Spain to do a movie, and from then on, I knew that there was no way we could have two stars in the family. I just disappeared."
Source: Dianna Greening. "Designing line of swim wear suits Esther Williams just fine." The Milwaukee Sentinel. 3/29/1989. pg. 6.
Harrison Carroll: "Esther confirms that Fernando gave her a black star sapphire engagement ring in Europe."
Source: Harrison Carroll. "The Odyssey Of Esther Williams And Fernando." The Dispatch, Lexington, N.C. 1/02/1961. pg. 6.
Wedding Date:
Fernando and Esther were reportedly married on December 31, 1969.
Fernando: "We got married in a civil ceremony a year ago in Europe and were remarried in a religious ceremony when we came here."
Source: "Togetherness." Evening Times. 7/16/1970. pg. 3.
Children: Fernando had three children.
- Cristina Lamas: Her mother is Pearla Mux.
- Alexandra Lamas: Her mother is Lydia Barachi.
- Lorenzo Lamas: Born in 1958. His mother is Arlene Dahl. Lorenzo posted on Twitter that Esther Williams was "The best swim teacher and soul mom."
Occupations:
Fernando: Actor, director, writer.
Previous Marriages:
Fernando had three previous marriages.
- Pearla Mux: Fernando and Pearla, an Argentine actress, were married in 1940 and divorced in 1944.
- Lydia Barachi: Lydia, a Uruguayan heiress, were married in 1946 and divorced in 1952.
- Arlene Dahl: Fernando and actress Arlene were married on June 25, 1954 and divorced in 1960.
Quotes About the Marriage of Esther Williams and Fernando Lamas:
Esther: "I had no idea just how cruel Fernando would be about my children. The truth is that it was terrible beyond my worst fears. Fernando didn't like them, and they didn't like him."
Source: Esther Williams, Digby Diehl. The Million Dollar Mermaid. 2001. pg. 348.
Todd Purdum: "She found great passion with Fernando Lamas, her Argentine co-star in 'Dangerous When Wet,' but says he was so jealous that he tore out any page of her scrapbooks that contained pictures of her children and refused to let them live with her, though she took in Lorenzo, his son by the actress Arlene Dahl."
Source: Todd S. Purdum. "At Home With: Esther Williams; Swimming Upstream." NYTimes.com. 9/02/1999.
Todd S. Purdum: "... he had controlled her every move, forced her to choose between him and her three children from a previous marriage and expected her to wait on him hand and foot."
Source: Todd S. Purdum. "At Home With: Esther Williams; Swimming Upstream." NYTimes.com. 9/02/1999.
Born:
Edward Bell: Abt. 1931.
How Esther and Edward Met:
Edward and Esther first met in 1983 when he called to ask her to be a hostess for a reunion of athletes from the 1932 Olympics.
Wedding Date:
Edward and Esther were married on October 24, 1994.
Occupations:
Edward: Actor, French literature professor.
Previous Marriage:
Edward was previously married.
Quotes About the Marriage of Esther Williams and Edward Bell:
Esther: "...
that partnership with my husband, Edward Bell, which continues today, has expanded and opened my life in more ways than I knew were possible."
Source: Esther Williams, Digby Diehl. The Million Dollar Mermaid. 2001. pg. 393.
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