Jamie Lee Curtis Reflects On The Tumultuous Union Of Her Late Star Parents Tony Curtis & Janet Leigh

Oct 04, 2023

With over four decades dedicated to building her impressive craft in Hollywood, Jamie Lee Curtis has sealed her place as a screen goddess. She is a successful actress, children's author, and producer, but Jamie’s history in the entertainment industry goes as far back as her parents’ life in the spotlight. The star is Hollywood royalty, with her parents being Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. During their lifetime, Tony and Leigh were known for making their mark in the classic Hollywood era. 

Tony and Leigh were successful in their chosen paths, but the same cannot be said of their marriage. Jamie’s parents' marriage was a rollercoaster, and she witnessed some of their tumultuous moments as a couple until their legal separation. Over the years, the “Scream” star has been vocal about her experiences related to her parents’ marriage. During a throwback moment, Jamie looked back at her parents’ marital life in a Jan. 19, 2022, post on Instagram, delving into the dynamics of her parents' relationship in their lifetime. 

Tony and Leigh met in 1950 at a publicity party. By then, Leigh had already made appearances in multiple big-budget movies. She was discovered by Norma Shearer in 1945 and is popularly known for her role as Marion Crane in "Psycho." Meanwhile, Tony only had a few roles at the time. Tony wrote about the first time they met in his autobiography.

Although the duo exchanged numbers, they had some challenges along the way. Howard Hughes was pursuing a romance with Leigh then, and Universal reportedly offered Tony thousands of dollars to marry Piper Laurie. Although Tony was tempted by the offer, he wanted Leigh.

The pair's relationship bloomed after Tony called Leigh to ask her on a date pretending to be Cary Grant. However, he met his match in her when she turned the mock Grant down and informed him that she was interested in Tony. The couple grew closer within months. The offer for Tony to marry Laurie was still on the table, and Leigh's close friends warned her that marrying Tony could mean the end of her career. However, the duo eloped on June 4, 1951.

The pair were one of Hollywood's golden couples for a while, but their perfect marriage did not last long. Tony was reportedly insecure and easily got jealous of his wife's friendships with other men. Also, he felt she bossed him around because she was more educated and a greater star. In 1956, they welcomed their first daughter, Kelly Curtis and tried to make their marriage work.

Although the pair starred in several films together, Tony reportedly did drugs and had affairs with Natalie Wood and Gloria DeHaven. He also claimed that he had an affair with Marilyn Monroe in 1958 while filming "Some Like It Hot," and she got pregnant but later miscarried. Tony and Leigh welcomed their second daughter, Jamie Lee, in 1958.

In 1962, Leigh was filming "The Manchurian Candidate" when she was informed that Tony had filed for a divorce because he was in love with a German actress, Christine Kaufmann, who was 17 years old at the time. The pair officially divorced on Sept. 14, 1962, and Leigh married Robert Brandt the next day. In 1963, Tony married Kaufmann when she turned 18, but they divorced after two kids in 1968. 

Six decades after her parent’s rocky marriage was dissolved, Jamie Lee posted a black-and-white photo of her parents on Instagram reflecting on it all. In the caption, she wrote:

"Once in a while when their images find me unexpectedly, I'm caught by not only their extreme beauty but their deep love and ambition. There are not only a couple reminders to me that I was born from love and not resentment, competition, jealousy, and rancor which are cornerstones of any unpleasant marriage."

During Father's Day in June 2023, the "Knives Out" actress also shared a black and white picture of Tony with her sitting on his lap while he touched her face. Jamie Lee paid tribute to her parents during her Oscars acceptance speech in March 2023, citing their Oscar nominations and prowess before the big screen. 

Tony’s marriage and family life were fraught with many issues, and it came to a peak after his death in 2010. The late actor wrote in his will that he "intentionally and with full knowledge chosen not to provide for them (his children) in this last will and testament." In March 2011, Daily Mail reported that his children contexted the content of the will, which was left to a trust with Jill Vandenberg, his sixth wife, being in charge of everything. 

While speaking to More in 2010, Jamie Lee revealed that "like any other save-the-marriage baby, I failed." She later shared of her mother, "I think the most complicated relationship my mother had, both loving and often cruel, was with her own body."

Leigh passed away peacefully at her Beverly Hills home on Oct. 3, 2004, as announced by Jamie Lee's spokeswoman, Heidi Schaeffer. She was survived by her spouse, Brandt, and her daughters, who stayed by her bedside until her final moments. 

Isn't it inspiring to see Jamie Lee Curtis keep it real concerning her parents’ highly-publicized marriage and separation? What do you think of the Curtis family? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to other Jamie Lee Curtis fans.