The Nine-Year Secret: 7 Shocking Revelations From Sidney Poitier And Diahann Carroll’s Tempestuous Affair

The love story of Sidney Poitier and Diahann Carroll is a narrative far more dramatic and complicated than any movie they ever starred in. Two of the most beautiful, talented, and groundbreaking figures in Hollywood history, their nine-year relationship, which began in 1959, was a whirlwind of passion, broken marriages, and devastating betrayal, the full details of which only came to light years later through their candid autobiographies. As of late 2025, their tumultuous romance remains one of the most talked-about and cautionary tales of the Golden Age of Black Hollywood. The affair between the two cinematic titans was not a fleeting romance; it was a deep, consuming relationship that lasted nearly a decade, starting when they met on the set of the 1959 musical *Porgy & Bess*. Both were married with young children at the time—Poitier to his first wife, Juanita Hardy, and Carroll to record producer Monte Kay. Their undeniable attraction quickly escalated into a high-stakes, secret relationship that would ultimately shatter their respective families and leave a profound emotional scar on both of them, as detailed in their later writings.

A Legacy of Firsts: Sidney Poitier and Diahann Carroll Biographies

The individuals at the center of this iconic romance were history-makers whose professional lives redefined what was possible for Black actors on screen.

Sidney Poitier (February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022)

• Born: Miami, Florida, U.S. (Parents were Bahamian tomato farmers)
• Career Highlights: First Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor (for *Lilies of the Field*, 1963). Starred in classics like *Guess Who's Coming to Dinner* and *In the Heat of the Night*.
• Key Memoir: *The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography* (2007)
• Marriages: Juanita Hardy (1950–1965); Joanna Shimkus (1976–2022)
• Children: Six daughters (Four with Hardy, two with Shimkus)

Diahann Carroll (July 17, 1935 – October 4, 2019)

• Born: The Bronx, New York, U.S.
• Career Highlights: First Black actress to star in a non-servant role in a network TV series (*Julia*, 1968), earning a Golden Globe. Tony Award winner for *No Strings* (1962). Starred as the iconic Dominique Deveraux on *Dynasty*.
• Key Memoir: *The Legs Are the Last To Go* (2008)
• Marriages: Monte Kay (1956–1963); Fred Glusman (1973); Robert DeLeon (1975–1977); Vic Damone (1987–1996)
• Children: One daughter, Suzanne Kay

The High-Stakes Proposition: Porgy & Bess and the Nine-Year Affair

The professional chemistry that Poitier and Carroll shared on screen in films like *Porgy & Bess* (1959) and the romantic drama *Paris Blues* (1961) was a direct reflection of their private, intense connection. Poitier, in his 1980 interview with *People*, described his attraction as instant, calling Carroll "one of the brightest women I had ever known." The affair, however, remained a secret until 1963, when Poitier made a life-altering proposition. According to Carroll's memoir, *The Legs Are the Last To Go*, Poitier convinced her that they should both leave their respective spouses and finally go public with their relationship. Carroll kept her end of the bargain. She divorced Monte Kay in 1963, believing that Poitier would soon follow suit and that they would start a new life together. The situation, however, quickly turned into a devastating emotional ordeal.

7 Shocking Details of the Affair's Tumultuous End

The relationship did not end with a simple, amicable breakup. The final years were marked by broken promises, emotional manipulation, and a shocking display of possessiveness that Poitier himself later expressed deep guilt over. These are the most explosive revelations from Carroll’s and Poitier’s own accounts:

1. Poitier Backed Out After Carroll Divorced

After Carroll finalized her divorce from Monte Kay, Poitier failed to leave his wife, Juanita Hardy. Poitier later explained that his four young daughters made him feel "trapped" and unable to follow through on his promise to Carroll. This left Carroll single, vulnerable, and having sacrificed her marriage for a commitment that was not reciprocated.

2. The Locked Apartment and Reimbursement Demand

In one of the most shocking anecdotes from her memoir, Carroll recounts that Poitier had purchased a lavish 10-room apartment on Riverside Drive for them to share. However, when she and her daughter were ready to move in, Poitier called to say he was having "second thoughts" and changed the locks so she couldn't enter. To make matters worse, Carroll wrote that Poitier "had the nerve" to demand she write him a check to reimburse him for the purchase and decorating costs of the apartment. Carroll, feeling "submissive and desperate," complied.

3. The Daughter Clause

Even after Poitier eventually divorced Juanita Hardy in 1965, he and Carroll still did not marry. Poitier’s reason for the delay was a request that Carroll refused: he asked to live with her for six months without her daughter, Suzanne, so he wouldn't be "jumping from one marriage straight into another." Carroll stood firm, refusing to send her daughter away, which she said caused the relationship to "unravel."

4. Poitier's 'Incurable Guilt'

Sidney Poitier was deeply affected by the emotional toll of the affair. In his 2007 memoir, *The Measure of a Man*, he wrote that the guilt over his actions was something that "11 years of psychotherapy couldn't 'cure.'" This revelation speaks to the profound personal struggle and moral conflict he experienced during the nine-year affair with Carroll.

5. The Abusive Outburst

After the relationship began to fall apart and Carroll started dating other men, a jealous Poitier called her at a hotel. Carroll wrote that he yelled: "'You [expletive], whore, tramp,' he yelled. 'I know he just left your bed. I won't have you running around with other men. You belong to me!'" This possessive and verbally abusive outburst was a dark moment that Carroll exposed in her book, highlighting the toxic dynamic of their final days as a couple.

6. The Hopeless Romanticism

Reflecting on her tumultuous love life, which included four marriages after Poitier, Diahann Carroll admitted in a 2008 NPR interview that she was a "hopeless romantic" whose immaturity and romanticism could not sustain a long-term relationship. She acknowledged that she prioritized her work over the demands of being a good wife.

7. Forgiveness and Friendship in Later Life

Despite the messy, painful, and public end to their romance, time eventually healed the wounds. Both legends found their way back to an amicable relationship. Carroll wrote in her memoir: "Sidney and I are now friends. That's a lovely thing that comes as you age—forgiveness and perhaps a relaxing of standards." Poitier echoed this sentiment in a statement after Carroll’s death in 2019, describing her as a "talented, beautiful and courageous spirit from which a remarkable and lasting friendship prevailed through the years." This mutual forgiveness underscores the enduring, complex bond between two of Hollywood’s most important pioneers.