The Tragic Three-Month Marriage: 5 Shocking Facts About Judy Garland And Mickey Deans' Final Days

The tumultuous final chapter of Judy Garland's life remains one of Hollywood's most heartbreaking stories, a narrative culminating in her fifth and final marriage to a man 12 years her junior, Mickey Deans. As of , the details of this brief, three-month union continue to fascinate and haunt fans, offering a stark look at the legendary star's vulnerability in her final days. This article delves into the controversial relationship between the *Wizard of Oz* icon and the musician-turned-entrepreneur, revealing the shocking circumstances of their meeting, their quick wedding in London, and the tragedy that swiftly followed.

The marriage of Judy Garland and Mickey Deans was a desperate bid for stability by a star battling decades of addiction and financial ruin, and for Deans, a ticket to a life of fame and notoriety. Their whirlwind romance began under the darkest of circumstances and ended with Deans finding the star dead in their London flat. The story is a cautionary tale of a co-dependent relationship, marked by the constant presence of drugs, financial instability, and emotional turmoil, solidifying its place as one of the most tragic final acts in Hollywood history.

The Complete Profile: Judy Garland and Mickey Deans Biography

The lives of Judy Garland and Mickey Deans were separated by a generation and vastly different career paths, converging in a dramatic, short-lived marriage that ended in tragedy.

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Judy Garland (Frances Ethel Gumm)

• Born: June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, U.S.
• Died: June 22, 1969 (Age 47), in Chelsea, London, England.
• Career: Legendary American actress, singer, and vaudevillian. Celebrated for her powerful contralto voice and emotional depth. She achieved global fame as Dorothy Gale in *The Wizard of Oz* (1939).
• Major Works: *The Wizard of Oz*, *Meet Me in St. Louis*, *A Star Is Born* (1954), and a successful recording and concert career, including a special Tony Award for her contributions to vaudeville.
• Children: Liza Minnelli (with Vincente Minnelli), Lorna Luft, and Joey Luft (with Sidney Luft).
• Previous Marriages (4): David Rose (1941–1944), Vincente Minnelli (1945–1951), Sidney Luft (1952–1965), and Mark Herron (1965–1967).

Mickey Deans (Michael Frank DeVinko Jr.)

• Born: September 24, 1934, in Akron, Ohio, U.S.
• Died: July 11, 2003 (Age 68), in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
• Career: American musician, entrepreneur, and disco operator. He was an aspiring pianist and nightclub manager, achieving his most significant notoriety as the fifth and final husband of Judy Garland.
• Post-Garland Life: He co-authored the memoir *Weep No More, My Lady* (1972), detailing his perspective on their relationship and her final years.

The Scandalous First Meeting: Pep Pills and a Nightclub

The origin story of Judy Garland and Mickey Deans is far from a typical Hollywood romance; it began with a delivery of illegal substances. Their initial encounter was a stark reflection of Garland's fragile state and the questionable company she kept in her later life. It was a relationship built on co-dependency and the dark underworld of her addiction.

The Drug Delivery That Started It All

Their first meeting took place in 1966. Garland, desperate for her "pep pills" (amphetamines), was introduced to Deans, who was working as the manager of a New York disco called Arthur. Deans was known to be a supplier of drugs to many in the entertainment industry. He was reportedly delivering a package of the pills to Garland at her hotel. This transactional beginning set a troubling precedent for the nature of their bond, with Deans quickly assuming the role of both lover and caretaker, often controlling her access to substances while simultaneously exploiting her fame.

The Whirlwind London Wedding

Despite the warnings from her children, Liza Minnelli and Lorna Luft, Garland and Deans married on March 15, 1969, at the Chelsea Register Office in London. The ceremony was a chaotic, media-frenzied affair, with photos capturing a seemingly happy Garland and a beaming Deans. The wedding cake was famously so hard—reportedly frozen—that they struggled to cut it. This small, symbolic struggle mirrored the difficulties that would plague their ultra-short marriage. The marriage was seen by many of Garland's inner circle as a final, desperate attempt at finding stability, while others viewed Deans as a manipulative opportunist.

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The Tormented Final Three Months and Tragic Discovery

The marriage was the shortest of Garland's five unions, lasting just over 90 days. During this time, the couple lived in a rented mews house in Chelsea, London. The final months were characterized by extreme financial strain, erratic behavior from Garland, and the constant, draining struggle with her drug and alcohol dependency. Deans' role was ambiguous; while he often tried to manage her career and health, critics, including her children, believed he enabled her addiction.

The Final Days and Last Performance

In the weeks leading up to her death, Garland was scheduled for several performances, but her health was rapidly deteriorating. Her last public performance was in Copenhagen in March 1969, just after her wedding. The biopic *Judy* (2019), starring Renée Zellweger, vividly portrayed the star's physical and emotional frailty during this period, highlighting the exhaustion and desperation that defined her final years.

The Discovery of Her Death

The tragic end came on June 22, 1969, just 12 days after her 47th birthday. Garland was found dead by Mickey Deans in the bathroom of their rented London home. The door was locked, and Deans reportedly had to break it down to gain entry. The official cause of death was ruled as an "incautious self-overdosage" of barbiturates, a sleeping pill overdose. The coroner emphasized that the overdose was accidental, not suicide, but the tragedy underscored the destructive power of the addiction she had battled since her teenage years at MGM.

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Mickey Deans' Life After Garland and the Memoir Controversy

Following Garland's death, Mickey Deans was thrust into the international spotlight, not as a musician or entrepreneur, but as the man who was with the legend when she died. His actions and subsequent book cemented his controversial legacy.

The Controversial Memoir

In 1972, Deans co-authored the memoir *Weep No More, My Lady* with Ann Pinchot. The book offered his personal, often self-serving, account of his relationship with Garland and the final, chaotic years of her life. While it provided intimate, first-hand details, many critics and members of Garland's family viewed the book as an attempt to capitalize on her death and shift blame away from his own enabling behavior. The title itself, a reference to a song, evoked the bittersweet nature of his narrative.

Later Life and Legacy

Deans eventually returned to the United States. He never achieved the level of fame he sought as a performer, and his primary claim to notoriety remained his brief, tumultuous connection to Judy Garland. He died in 2003 at the age of 68. His legacy is inextricably tied to the tragic final act of one of the greatest stars in Hollywood history, forever remembered as Judy Garland's fifth and final husband, the man who found her dead in London.

The story of Judy Garland and Mickey Deans serves as a poignant reminder of the devastating impact of addiction and the exploitation faced by a vulnerable icon. Their three-month marriage, while short, encapsulated the lifelong struggle of a star who was adored by the world but could not find peace for herself.