Clint Eastwood's Ex-Wife Dina Said Their Divorce Was The 'Worst Thing' She Has Ever Been Through

Nov 27, 2021

Clint Eastwood is one of the most recognized and acclaimed actors and directors of all time. He is known as being America's beloved cowboy, having been featured in iconic films that solidified the impact of the Spaghetti Western genre in America and across the world. He started on his road to fame in the 1950s, and from that moment, the rest, as they say, is history. 

His career, which has spanned over 65 years, has seen Eastwood achieve success in a number of roles, including as an actor, film director, producer, and even as a musical composer. Some of his most memorable movies include the Dollars trilogy, "Dirty Harry," "Million Dollar Baby," "Mystic River," "Gran Torino," and more. Having been at the top of his game for decades, Eastwood has a long legacy behind him, which only seems to increase the older he gets, as he simply keeps on working.

In his personal life, Eastwood was married twice but has also been involved in a number of highly publicized relationships. He is the known father of eight children but has never confirmed if that is the exact number. Eastwood's first marriage was in 1953 to Maggie Johnson. They had two children together, and Eastwood fathered children with other women while they were still married. The couple divorced in 1984. He was in a long-term relationship with a married woman named Sandra Locke from 1975 to 1989. 

Eastwood then became involved with Frances Fisher, and they had a daughter together. He married Dina Ruiz in 1996 and they had a daughter as well. The couple was together until 2013, and Ruiz claimed the divorce was the "worst thing" she had ever been through. Keep reading to learn more about Eastwood and what happened to his relationship with Ruiz.

Despite his legendary status these days, Clint Eastwood's roots are rather humble. Born in San Francisco, California on May 31, 1930, Clint's youth was spent causing mischief, while it's unclear whether he ever graduated from high school. 

After a brief stint in the army during the Korean War, Clint made his way to Hollywood. After impressing executives with his tall stature and intimidating demeanor, he, unfortunately, failed to impress them with his acting skills but was arranged to enroll in acting classes after signing a contract with Universal Pictures. 

Clint struggled to make it big for a while, picking up a few small roles here and there, but finally, he landed a breakthrough role in the 1958 Western series "Rawhide." The series aired for five years before being canceled. This led to his now signature role as the tough guy with a heart of gold in a long list of Westerns, including in Sergio Leone's Dollars trilogy. His character as "the Man with No Name" was one of the most popular and influential roles throughout his career. 

Ever since then, Clint has never slowed down, choosing to appear both in front of and behind the camera. From the "Dirty Harry" movies of the 1970s and '80s to his success as a director — which includes him winning two Academy Awards for Best Director, in 1993 for "Unforgiven" and in 2005 for "Million Dollar Baby" — Clint has proven time and again why he is simply one of the best Hollywood has ever had. Even now in his 90s, he's still going strong.

In 2013, Ruiz and Eastwood filed for divorce. There are claims that the reality TV show that Ruiz was involved in, called "Mrs. Eastwood and Company," upset Eastwood who greatly values privacy in his personal life. It is said that this was the start of their issues as a married couple.

In an interview with Bethenny Frankel from 2013, Ruiz stated, "I don't think we will be getting back together. That is why I filed for divorce. I think maybe a part of me was holding out, like 'What are we doing here?' Then there have been some definite signs that we're not going to get back together so let's move on amicably is my opinion, but I think there is a mental chokehold on you when you don't have something in place that shows you are definitely apart."

When Frankel asked her, "Is this the worst thing you've ever been through?" Ruiz replied:

"It's so cliché to say that, but yes. Yeah absolutely. He's lovely, he hasn't done much. It's other people around him who have done things that have blown me away and again my future ex-husband has done nothing (wrong). He's probably the sweetest guy I've ever met."

Ruiz only had good things to say about Eastwood and also shared that their daughter, Morgan, was doing well with the divorce. She said, "My baby is loving life right now, she's great because she says I am a lot more fun and relaxed and she goes and sees her dad in Los Angeles or at home. He took her to Coachella. I mean he is 83 years old and he's rolling with our 20 and 16-year-old at Coachella … They are pretty happy."

Are you a fan of Eastwood's work? What do you think of his divorce from Ruiz? Let us know and feel free to pass this along to your friends and family.