JEALOUSY
Ava Gardner’s and Frank Sinatra´s love was a fiery, intoxicating mix of lust, devotion, and destruction—an affair that nearly ruined them both but also defined them forever.
I love her beauty and her independence,
and I feel overwhelmed in her attendance,
She´s a goddess, aloof and glamorous,
and I can’t resist—I’m feeling amorous.
Passion is a fire, that burns hot and fast,
a blaze too wild, that it may not last,
and sometimes it destroys what you´re dreaming of,
and kills the tender plant of love ...
Our love is much too much to comprehend,
too strong to live with, too deep to ever end,
but when I see her talking to the other fellas,
I´m getting furious, terribly jealous.
The fear of losing her drives me mad,
our bond’s explosive, sweet and sad,
we’re deeply in love, yet tempers ignite,
reconciliation followed by another fight.
Our love is much too much to comprehend,
too strong to live with, too deep to ever end,
a perilous mix of lust and devotion,
yes, it´s a strong, almost destructive emotion.
that when I see her talking to the other fellas,
I lose my way, I lose my mind,
and leave all reason behind,
yes, when I see her with the other fellas,
I´m getting jealous, Oh, really jealous ....
Yes I am jealous.
I tell you folks, sooner or later this is going to kill me ...
1. The Beginning (1949–1951)
Sinatra first met Ava Gardner in the late 1940s, when he was still married to his first wife, Nancy Barbato.
By then, Ava was already a rising MGM star, celebrated for her beauty and fiery independence. Sinatra was at a low point: his career was faltering, his voice struggling, and his marriage under strain.
Their attraction was instant, overwhelming, and scandalous. Sinatra left Nancy (with whom he had three children), and the press vilified both him and Ava for the affair.
2. Marriage (1951)
Frank and Ava married in 1951, soon after Sinatra’s divorce was finalized.
Their union was explosive: they were deeply in love, but also jealous, temperamental, and prone to violent arguments.
Sinatra reportedly idolized Ava but also felt insecure about her success and independence.
3. Passion and Turmoil (1950s)
Their relationship was marked by constant cycles of passion and destruction: glamorous reconciliations followed by bitter fights.
Both had affairs: Ava with bullfighters and actors, Sinatra with showgirls and starlets. Yet, they could never stay apart for long.
Sinatra’s depression and career struggles (he was even dropped by his record label and MGM at one point) were balanced by Ava’s loyalty—she famously helped him secure his comeback role in From Here to Eternity (1953), which won him an Oscar.
4. Breakdown of the Marriage
By the mid-1950s, the marriage had deteriorated beyond repair. They separated in 1953 and divorced in 1957, though they never fully stopped caring for each other.
Ava moved to Spain, immersing herself in bullfighting culture and European high society. Sinatra remained in the U.S. and rebuilt his career into superstardom.
5. After the Divorce – A Lasting Bond
Despite their divorce, they maintained a lifelong, complicated bond. They would still call each other during moments of crisis.
Ava later admitted Sinatra was the love of her life, and he said the same of her.
When Ava was ill and living in London in the 1980s, Sinatra paid many of her medical bills and offered emotional support.
6. The Legacy of Their Love
Their romance has become legendary in Hollywood lore: two icons consumed by passion, undone by volatility, yet eternally linked.
Biographers often describe their love as “too strong to live with, too deep to ever end.”
Ava once summed it up: “We were great in bed. It’s what we did best. Our fights were legendary, but we couldn’t leave each other alone.”