The Seven Husbands Of Elizabeth Taylor: A Deep Dive Into Her Eight Legendary Marriages

Elizabeth Taylor, the violet-eyed Hollywood legend, remains one of the most captivating figures in cinematic history, not just for her Oscar-winning performances but for her famously tumultuous personal life. As of December 12, 2025, the enduring public fascination with her love story—specifically her eight trips down the aisle to seven different men—continues to define her legacy as much as her films.

Her life was a dramatic saga filled with passion, scandal, and immense wealth, with each husband representing a distinct chapter. From a pampered teenage bride to a seasoned star seeking companionship, Taylor’s marriages offer a unique, unfiltered look into the life of a woman who truly lived without regret and always followed her heart, no matter the cost.

The Complete List: Elizabeth Taylor's Seven Husbands and Eight Weddings

Elizabeth Taylor was married eight times to seven men. Each union, though often short-lived, was a major event that dominated global headlines, solidifying her status as a cultural icon whose personal life was as grand and dramatic as any movie she ever made.

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1. Conrad 'Nicky' Hilton Jr. (The Hotel Heir)

• Profession: Socialite, Hotel Heir, Businessman
• Born: July 6, 1926
• Died: February 5, 1969
• Marriage Dates: May 6, 1950 – January 29, 1951 (Divorced)

Taylor’s first marriage was a lavish, studio-orchestrated affair at the age of 18 to Conrad Nicholson Hilton Jr., the eldest son of Hilton Hotels founder Conrad Hilton. The wedding was a Hollywood spectacle arranged by MGM, but the marriage itself was a disaster. Nicky Hilton's alleged heavy drinking, gambling, and abusive behavior led to the marriage ending in divorce after only nine months. Taylor later described the honeymoon as a painful experience, marking a harsh entry into adult life for the young star.

2. Michael Wilding (The British Actor)

• Profession: English Stage, Television, and Film Actor
• Born: July 23, 1912
• Died: July 8, 1979
• Marriage Dates: February 21, 1952 – January 26, 1957 (Divorced)

Michael Wilding was 20 years Taylor’s senior and represented a period of relative calm and domesticity. He was a distinguished British actor, and their relationship began after her divorce from Hilton. The couple had two sons, Michael Howard Wilding and Christopher Edward Wilding. This marriage provided a much-needed sense of security, but the age difference and Taylor's burgeoning stardom eventually strained the relationship, leading to a quiet divorce.

3. Mike Todd (The Showman)

• Profession: American Theater and Film Producer
• Born: June 22, 1907
• Died: March 22, 1958
• Marriage Dates: February 2, 1957 – March 22, 1958 (Widowed)

Mike Todd was the great showman, a charismatic and larger-than-life personality who swept Taylor off her feet. He was the only one of her husbands she did not divorce, as he tragically died in a plane crash, "The Liz," just over a year into their marriage. They had one daughter, Elizabeth Frances "Liza" Todd. Todd gave Taylor the famous Cartier diamond tiara, and she often cited him as one of the three great loves of her life, alongside Richard Burton and her jewels. His death devastated her, plunging her into a deep depression.

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4. Eddie Fisher (The Singer)

• Profession: American Singer and Actor
• Born: August 10, 1928
• Died: September 22, 2010
• Marriage Dates: May 12, 1959 – March 6, 1964 (Divorced)

The marriage to Eddie Fisher, a popular singer and actor, was perhaps Taylor's most scandalous. Fisher was married to actress Debbie Reynolds—Taylor's close friend—when he began an affair with the recently widowed Taylor. The "homewrecker" label and the public outrage that followed were intense, turning the love triangle into one of the biggest celebrity scandals of the era. Fisher converted to Judaism for Taylor, but their union was short-lived, as she soon met her next and most famous love.

The Passionate Saga of "Liz and Dick"

The relationship between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton is one of the most famous and tempestuous in Hollywood history, characterized by intense love, public fights, extravagant gifts, and two separate marriages. This period is critical to understanding Taylor's enduring appeal and topical authority on her love life.

5. & 6. Richard Burton (The Love of Her Life)

• Profession: Welsh Stage and Motion-Picture Actor
• Born: November 10, 1925
• Died: August 5, 1984
• First Marriage: March 15, 1964 – June 26, 1974 (Divorced)
• Second Marriage: October 10, 1975 – July 29, 1976 (Divorced)

Taylor met Welsh actor Richard Burton on the set of the epic film Cleopatra in 1961. Both were married at the time, and their affair caused a global sensation, with the Vatican even condemning their "erotic vagrancy." Their first marriage lasted ten tumultuous years, producing some of the world's most famous jewelry acquisitions, including the 33.19-carat Krupp Diamond (later renamed the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond) and the 69-carat Taylor-Burton Diamond.

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The couple divorced in 1974 but could not stay apart, remarrying in a secret ceremony in Botswana in 1975. However, their fiery passion was too much for a second attempt, and they divorced again less than a year later. Despite the drama, Taylor always referred to Burton as the great love of her life and the man she would have married a third time.

From Hollywood to Washington and Beyond

Following the final split from Burton, Taylor entered a new phase of her life, marrying a politician and later a man outside the world of celebrity, demonstrating her continued search for genuine connection and stability.

7. John Warner (The Senator)

• Profession: Lawyer, Secretary of the Navy, U.S. Senator
• Born: February 18, 1927
• Died: May 25, 2021
• Marriage Dates: December 4, 1976 – November 7, 1982 (Divorced)

After the rollercoaster with Burton, Taylor sought a calmer, more structured life, which she found with John Warner, a prominent Republican politician who would later serve five terms as a U.S. Senator for Virginia. Her life as a senator's wife in Washington, D.C., was a stark contrast to her glamorous Hollywood existence. The demanding political life, combined with Taylor's own struggles with health and boredom, ultimately led to the end of their six-year marriage. This period marked a turning point, as she began to focus more on her health and philanthropic work, particularly her advocacy for AIDS research.

8. Larry Fortensky (The Construction Worker)

• Profession: Construction Worker
• Born: January 17, 1952
• Died: July 7, 2016
• Marriage Dates: October 6, 1991 – October 31, 1996 (Divorced)

Taylor’s final marriage was arguably her most unconventional. She met Larry Fortensky, a construction worker 20 years her junior, while both were patients at the Betty Ford Clinic seeking treatment for addiction. Their wedding was held at the Neverland Ranch, the estate of her close friend Michael Jackson, and was a media circus. The marriage was a genuine attempt at finding a simple life, but the immense difference in their backgrounds and the relentless media scrutiny proved too much. They divorced after five years, though they reportedly remained friends until his death in 2016.

The Legacy of Elizabeth Taylor's Love Life

Elizabeth Taylor’s seven husbands were a diverse collection of men—actors, a producer, a singer, a politician, an heir, and a common laborer—each a reflection of where she was in her own life at the time. Her willingness to marry so many times was not a sign of frivolity but a testament to her deep-seated belief in love and companionship, and her refusal to live a life constrained by conventional norms.

Her scandalous relationships, particularly with Eddie Fisher and Richard Burton, consistently made her a tabloid fixture, but they also cemented her status as a woman who prioritized passion and emotion above public opinion. The jewels, the drama, the films, and the enduring friendships—such as her close bond with Michael Jackson—all form part of the rich tapestry of her life. Ultimately, Elizabeth Taylor's eight marriages were not failures but a series of grand, public declarations of a heart that was always open to the possibility of great love.

Her legacy encourages a discussion on the nature of celebrity, the price of fame, and the relentless pursuit of happiness. Her candid approach to her personal life paved the way for modern celebrity culture, making her an eternal icon of glamour, resilience, and unbridled romance.