INFAMOUS SCANDALS (True Crime) by Anne Williams, Vivian Head Page B

remained legally married until 1921, when he met a rather domineering woman by the name of Natacha Rambova. She soon took over as Valentino’s adviser and in fact manipulated him for the remainder of his life. She demanded to be present on all the film sets and frequently caused disruption with her unreasonable demands. Despite this, Valentino was desperately in love with her and asked her to marry him. The couple were married on 13 May 1922, but Valentino had not waited the allotted time for his divorce to be finalised and was subsequently arrested for bigamy. However, after telling the courts that his first marriage had never even been consummated and that he had been deserted on his wedding night, the charges were dropped and Valentino was free to go.
    Determined to make things right with Rambova, the couple remarried the following year and honeymooned in Europe. But the passion was to be short-lived as Rambova stormed out one night after a violent argument and went to live with her mother. Rather than let the failed marriage get him down, Valentino threw himself into his work and got a part in a 1925 film called The Eagle , which firmly placed him firmly on top of the Hollywood ladder. The Eagle and The Son of the Sheik , which followed, were two of Valentino’s most critically acclaimed and most successful films. A single man once again, Valentino embarked on a lifestyle of wild parties and womanising, repairing many of the friendships that had been ruined by Rambova.
    However, the lifestyle proved to be too much for Valentino and on 14 August 1926, after attending an all-night party, he was found writhing on the floor in excruciating pain. He was rushed to hospital and underwent surgery for acute apendicitis. Valentino never really recovered from the operation and after various complications, the Great Italian Lover died on 23 August 1926, at the young age of 31.
     
    INSECURITIES
     
    There is no question that Valentino’s life was clouded by a number of scandals that took their toll and left him full of insecurities about his own identity. His masculinity was frequently slandered by the media, which made him very sensitive about the way other people saw him. Although women adored him and dreamed of having him as their lover, men felt threatened by his sexual allure and would frequently walk out of his films in disgust. His sexuality was frequently the subject of speculation and it has even been suggested that he had several homosexual relationships, but there is no real evidence to prove this point. It is thought that most of the rumours spread because of the company he kept – many of his theatrical friends had quite low morals when it came to their sexual exploits.
    In 1926 Valentino was the brunt of another defamation of character when he was dubbed the ‘Powder Puff’. This came about because of a vending machine dispensing pink talcuum powder being placed in the washroom of a high-class hotel. The newspapers had a heyday, questioning the masculinity of American men and blaming Valentino and his sheik movies for feminising his gender. Valentino challenged the writer of the article to a duel and then a boxing match, but neither challenge was ever met. The powder puff comment continued to bother Valentino, and it was something he could not get out of his head. It is alleged that even on his death bed he referred to the incident:
     
‘Am I a powder puff now, doctor?’ he asked.
‘No sir, you’ve been very brave,’ was the doctor’s reply.

Part Two: Pop Stars And Celebrities

Jerry Lee Lewis 

     
    Jerry Lee Lewis was one of the great pioneers of rock ’n’ roll, and is considered a leading figure in the history of rock. However, his career faltered when, in 1958, it was revealed that his third wife, whom he had recently married, was only 13 years old. What made it even worse was the fact that she was distantly related to him, being his second cousin twice removed. So negative