“What I had mistaken for love”: Frank Sinatra Regretted Marrying Nancy Barbato Despite Being Together For Over 10 Years
Frank Sinatra, known for his mesmerizing vocals and phenomenal acting, was popular among young women due to his charming looks and gentlemanly behavior. He was one of the most famous entertainers in the mid-20th century and had had the privilege of dating and sometimes, even marrying the most beautiful women of the entertainment industry.
One would think that the drama surrounding celebrity couples in Hollywood was less or maybe even negligible in those days, however, that was not the case. Despite the fact that there was no social media in those days to capture every single movement of the couples, there were surely enough paparazzi to document every scandal that they got involved in. Frank Sinatra’s marriages were going to be no exception.
Frank Sinatra Regreted His First Marriage
Frank Sinatra was 19 years old and Nancy Barbato was only 17 years old when the two of them for the first time in 1934. The Anchor Aweigh actor used to work as a lifeguard at the Long Branch holiday resort in New Jersey at the time. The childhood sweethearts got married in 1939 and had three children together.
Although Sinatra and Barbato married because they loved each other, their marriage life was not without its own bumps and struggles. The couple separated in 1950 and the singer had claimed that he regretted getting married to Barbato in the first place. According to The Times, he once said: “What I had mistaken for love was only the warm friendship Nancy had brought me.”
The From Here To Eternity actor was left broke following his divorce from his first wife. Not only did Barbato get a huge part of her ex-husband’s earnings but also their marital home. In addition to this, she also gained ownership of the stock of Sinatra Music Corp. None of this, however, affected Sinatra who was focused on getting married to actress Ava Gardner with whom he had started an affair while still being married to Nancy Barbato.
Frank Sinatra Did Not Have A Happy Marriage With Ava Gardner
Frank Sinatra had previously claimed that the feelings he had for Nancy Barbato were not love but although Ava Gardner was reportedly the love of his life, their marriage was certainly not happy as they would argue quite often. After a mere six years into their marriage, Sinatra and Gardner separated in 1957.
Arguments had become a part of their daily routine as they were allegedly pictured fighting even on their honeymoon. The couple did not have a child even though Ava Gardner had gotten pregnant while filming 1952’s Mogambo. The actress made the decision to abort her pregnancy without letting her husband Sinatra know about it.
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According to Ava Gardner: A Life In Movies, Sinatra was quite enraged about it as he told his manager Hank Sanicola: “I shoulda beaten her [expletive] brains out for what she did to me and the baby, but I loved her too much.”
Frank Sinatra performing “One For My Baby” 🎶 https://t.co/EPh84Q94oH pic.twitter.com/10d85tFfOt
— Frank Sinatra (@franksinatra) September 1, 2023
Sinatra had what could only be called a whirlwind romance with The Killers actress. The singer was still married to Nancy Barbato when he first crossed paths with Gardner at a club. They met again in 1949 at a Palm Springs party. They fled from the party and the event became their first date. The rest as they say is history.
Source: The Times, Ava Gardner: A Life In Movies
