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The Five Husbands Of Judy Garland: New Revelations On Her Tumultuous Marriages And Final Days

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The life of Judy Garland was a dazzling, yet deeply troubled, saga of Hollywood legend, and no part of it was more complex than her five marriages. As of late 2025, new analyses and retrospective looks at her life, often fueled by posthumous memoirs and the enduring legacy of her children, continue to shed light on the intense, often chaotic, relationships she pursued in her search for stability and happiness. Each of the five men she married—a composer, a director, a producer, an actor, and an entrepreneur—represented a distinct chapter in her career and personal turmoil, providing a fresh perspective on the iconic star's relentless pursuit of love and the challenges she faced under the relentless glare of the spotlight.

Judy Garland: A Brief Biography and Profile

The iconic career of Judy Garland, born Frances Ethel Gumm, spanned over four decades, cementing her status as one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century. Her personal life, however, was marked by significant upheaval, including five marriages that were consistently scrutinized by the public.
  • Full Name: Frances Ethel Gumm
  • Born: June 10, 1922, Grand Rapids, Minnesota, U.S.
  • Died: June 22, 1969, Chelsea, London, England (Age 47)
  • Occupation: Actress, Singer, Vaudevillian
  • Years Active: 1924–1969
  • Notable Films: The Wizard of Oz (1939), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), A Star Is Born (1954), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
  • Children: Liza Minnelli (with Vincente Minnelli), Lorna Luft and Joey Luft (with Sid Luft)
  • Spouses: David Rose, Vincente Minnelli, Sid Luft, Mark Herron, Mickey Deans (five total)

The Five Men Who Married Judy Garland

Judy Garland’s quest for a lasting romantic partner led her down the aisle five times. These men often served as both lovers and professional partners, blurring the lines between her personal and professional struggles.

1. David Rose (Composer and Bandleader)

Garland’s first husband was the British-born composer and bandleader David Rose. They married in 1941 when Garland was only 19, a union that began almost immediately after Rose’s divorce from actress Martha Raye.

  • Marriage Duration: 1941–1944 (3 years)
  • Context: This marriage occurred during Garland’s early years at MGM, a period when studio pressure was immense.
  • Key Detail: The marriage was annulled, and a tragic detail often cited in biographies is that Garland became pregnant shortly after the wedding but was pressured by her mother and MGM to have an abortion.

2. Vincente Minnelli (Film Director)

Her second marriage was to the acclaimed film director Vincente Minnelli, a pairing that resulted in one of Hollywood’s most famous daughters.

  • Marriage Duration: 1945–1951 (6 years)
  • Context: They met while working together on the classic musical Meet Me in St. Louis (1944).
  • Key Detail: This was her most creatively fertile partnership, but it was also fraught with Garland’s growing dependency on prescription medication and emotional volatility. They had one daughter, Liza Minnelli, who would go on to become a superstar in her own right.

3. Sid Luft (Show Business Manager and Producer)

The longest and arguably most turbulent of Garland's marriages was to Sid Luft, a businessman and producer who became her manager.

  • Marriage Duration: 1952–1965 (13 years)
  • Context: Luft was instrumental in reviving Garland’s career, co-producing her Oscar-nominated performance in A Star Is Born (1954) and organizing her legendary concert tours.
  • Key Detail: They had two children, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft. The relationship was a constant cycle of separations, reconciliations, and intense drama, fueled by both partners' struggles.

4. Mark Herron (Actor and Tour Promoter)

The marriage to actor Mark Herron was brief and tumultuous, reflecting the chaotic state of Garland’s life at the time.

  • Marriage Duration: 1965–1967 (2 years, separated after 5 months)
  • Context: Herron had also worked as a tour promoter for Garland.
  • Key Detail: Garland filed for divorce, citing cruelty, a process that was finalized in 1967.

5. Mickey Deans (Musician and Disco Manager)

Garland’s final husband was Mickey Deans, an entrepreneur and musician.

  • Marriage Duration: March 1969–June 1969 (3 months)
  • Context: Deans was 12 years her junior and was the manager of a New York disco when they met.
  • Key Detail: Deans was the one who tragically discovered Garland’s body in their London home on June 22, 1969, after an accidental overdose of barbiturates, ending her life at the age of 47.

Behind the Curtain: Explosive Revelations from the Marriages

The true depth of the drama in Judy Garland’s marriages has only recently been fully exposed, primarily through the posthumous publication of her third husband’s autobiography. The book, *Judy and I: My Life with Judy Garland*, by Sid Luft, was released years after his death, offering an uncensored look at their 13 years together.

Sid Luft’s Posthumous Memoir: A New Perspective

Sid Luft’s intimate autobiography, which was found and published posthumously, has provided some of the most candid and disturbing details about life with the star.

  • The Chaos: Luft’s account describes a life of constant financial and emotional turmoil, where both he and Garland were often consuming large amounts of alcohol and pills. He detailed a relationship marked by intense highs and devastating lows.
  • Marilyn Monroe Connection: One of the most shocking revelations was Garland’s deep concern for Marilyn Monroe. Luft wrote that Monroe had called Garland shortly before her death, asking for help and advice, a request that Garland was haunted by after Monroe’s passing. This detail highlights the tragic bond between two of Hollywood's most vulnerable stars.
  • Abuse Allegations: The memoir also contained allegations of abuse, with Luft detailing an incident where Garland, in a fit of rage, plunged a knife into his chest. This raw account underscores the extreme volatility that defined their years together.

The Creative and Personal Divide with Vincente Minnelli

While the marriage to Vincente Minnelli was responsible for the birth of Liza Minnelli, it also represented a clash between two artistic titans. Minnelli, a sophisticated director, helped shape Garland’s image in films like *The Pirate* and *The Clock*, moving her beyond her youthful persona.

However, the collaboration couldn't save the marriage. Minnelli’s artistic temperament and Garland’s emotional fragility, exacerbated by her studio-mandated drug use, created an untenable situation that led to their divorce in 1951. The relationship is now often studied as a classic example of the toxic nature of Hollywood's Golden Age power pairings.

Mickey Deans and the Final Chapter

The final three months of Garland’s life, spent with Mickey Deans, are often portrayed as a desperate search for a fresh start. Deans, a relatively unknown figure in the entertainment world, was seen by some as a stabilizing force, but others viewed him as another man who failed to rescue the star from her addictions.

Their quick marriage in London in March 1969 was a brief flicker of hope. However, the discovery of her death in June of that year cemented Deans' place in history as the man who was with her at the very end. The circumstances surrounding her death, though officially ruled an accidental overdose, continue to be a subject of intense biographical interest, with Deans’ own memoir, *Weep No More, My Lady*, offering his side of the tragic final days.

Legacy and Topical Authority

The stories of Judy Garland's five husbands are not merely footnotes in a celebrity biography; they are integral to understanding the full scope of her tragic and brilliant life. The recent focus on Sid Luft's memoir, the enduring success of her children (Liza, Lorna, Joey), and the continuous re-evaluation of her career in the context of Hollywood's pressures, all contribute to the topical authority surrounding her legacy. These five men—David Rose, Vincente Minnelli, Sid Luft, Mark Herron, and Mickey Deans—each played a part in the legend of a woman who, despite her immense talent, could never quite find the stability she craved off-stage. Her tumultuous marital history remains a poignant, often heartbreaking, testament to the personal cost of superstardom.
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