The ’70s actress | Source: Getty Images
This stunning 1970s actress endured unimaginable hardships, including multiple failed marriages, a suicide attempt, and other personal tragedies. Yet, she found lasting love and remains an icon of timeless beauty decades later.
Few stars from the ’70s experienced lives as dramatic as this actress, who dazzled audiences with her beauty and talent but endured significant personal hardships.
The famous actress during a photo shoot for Vogue circa 1967. | Source: Getty Images
Her journey from a teenage model to a successful actress was filled with soaring highs and devastating lows. However, beyond her eight failed marriages and other deeply personal struggles, she found lasting love and purpose. Take a closer look at her journey and transformation over the years.
The iconic actress posing for a photo shoot for Vogue, circa 1967. | Source: Getty Images
How This 1970s Star Overcame Tragedy to Find Lasting Love
This actress’s rise to fame began unexpectedly. As a teenager, her family relocated to New York City, upending her world and forcing her to give up her beloved horse and dog.
“They [her parents] wouldn’t let me take our dog and took her to the pound,” she
recalled
. The heartbreak pushed her to pursue independence.
The model-turned-actress on the cover of Vogue, circa 1967. | Source: Getty Images
When two neighbors suggested she try modeling, determined to reclaim control of her life, she decided to try. “So, I strolled into Eileen Ford’s agency, and she signed me on the spot,” the icon
said
.
This decision catapulted her into the fashion world, where her beauty earned her one of the longest-running contracts with Cover Girl — an achievement now honored by the Smithsonian.
The former model photographed in France circa 1970. | Source: Getty Images
Acting opportunities soon followed, but she approached the new career with caution. “People were offering me movies and Hollywood contracts, but I wanted to study acting first,” she
explained
. After training at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, she began acting in her early 20s.
The American star on the set of “Rio Lobo,” circa 1970. | Source: Getty Images
Despite never setting her sights on becoming a Hollywood icon, she earned acclaim for her work. She became a star, sharing the silver screen with
John Wayne
in “Rio Lobo” and landing her breakout role in the 1971 film “Summer of ’42.”
The actress and Jorge Rivero filming “Rio Lobo” circa 1970. | Source: Getty Images
However, while her career flourished, her personal life told a different story. At 14, she attempted suicide, an act she later described as a plea for attention rather than a genuine desire to end her life. “I didn’t want to die; I just wanted to be heard. It was just a rebellion against my parents’ decisions,” she
said
.
The “Rio Lobo” star during the production of the film in 1970. | Source: Getty Images
The attempt left her in a coma, but surviving the ordeal gave her a new perspective. The actress later used her experience to speak about mental health, especially for teenagers facing crises. “What seems like a bump in the road as we get older can seem catastrophic to a teenager,” she
reflected
.
The model-turned-actress posing for a portrait for Vogue in 1971. | Source: Getty Images
Unfortunately, her struggles didn’t end there. At 15, she broke her neck and back in a horseback riding accident. Though physically excruciating, she pushed forward, undeterred by the challenges.
Gary Grimes and the actress filming “Summer of ’42” in 1971. | Source: Getty Images
By 17, she married for the first time, beginning a tumultuous romantic journey that would see her walk down the aisle nine times. Each marriage began with hope but ended in heartbreak. “With every single one, I was sure it was it,” she
confessed
, adding, “I can’t understand how I’m sitting here and not the biggest cynic.”
The American actress and her husband at the time, Joseph Koster, photographed shortly after their wedding ceremony in New York in the 1970s. | Source: Getty Images
Amid these personal trials, the model-turned-actress also faced postpartum depression following the birth of her first child. With a limited understanding of the condition at the time, she admitted herself to a hospital for treatment, where she underwent electroshock therapy.
The American actress as Dorothy in “Summer of ’42,” 1971. | Source: Getty Images
“I had regressed to a place [mentally] where I didn’t hurt […],” she
shared
, explaining that the therapy was intended to bring her back to the present. While the experience was traumatic, it marked another step in her journey toward understanding her mental health.
Gary Grimes and the famous ’70s actress filming “Summer of ’42” circa 1971. | Source: Getty Images
Then, one of the most harrowing experiences in her love life came during her fifth marriage, when her husband was accused of abusing her daughter. “[…] We were in court for a year and I didn’t know who to believe,” she
admitted
. Her ex-husband even passed lie detector tests, which added to the confusion.
The 1970s star, circa 1971. | Source: Getty Images
It wasn’t until he committed similar acts with another stepchild in a later marriage that his guilt was confirmed. The experience deeply affected her family, but over time, she and her daughter rebuilt their relationship.
The actress on her wedding day with her daughter in 1972. | Source: Getty Images
Despite these setbacks, she never lost her desire to find lasting love. That hope was finally realized in her ninth marriage to music producer Mervin Louque. “I know I’ll be with him forever,” she
said
of their union. For the first time, the actress felt a deep sense of peace and stability.
The “Summer of ’42” star with her husband at the time Joseph Roster on their wedding day in 1972. | Source: Getty Images
Reflecting on her previous marriages, she described them as almost performative, likening them to taking on a new character each time. “With each marriage, it was almost like doing a new character and going on location, setting up house with a new extended family, new stepchildren,” she
explained
.
“Looking back, I don’t know how I did it,” the actress
added
. In Louque, she finally found a partner who provided the lasting love and companionship she had always sought.
The famous actress and Joseph Roster on their wedding day with their family in 1972. | Source: Getty Images
Years later, her passion for horses, which began in childhood, became a central part of her life. The Hollywood star founded Hope & Healing at Hillenglade, a therapeutic retreat for military veterans and their families.
The ’70s icon at a pre-Academy Awards party on April 6, 1972. | Source: Getty Images
“After 40 years of breeding and showing horses, being able to share them in a therapeutic manner with soldiers comes full circle from my suicide attempt,” she
said
. The nonprofit uses equine therapy to help veterans overcome trauma, providing a place of solace and healing.
James Coburn and the ’70s star filming “The Carey Treatment” in 1972. | Source: Getty Images
Now in her later years, this actress has embraced aging with grace and authenticity. While she acknowledges the pressures of Hollywood, she chooses to focus on inner peace rather than outward appearances. “I don’t think anything is wrong with plastic surgery, but I haven’t had it,” she
said
.
James Coburn and the actress filming “The Carey Treatment” in 1972. | Source: Getty Images
Surrounded by her husband of more than two decades, her children, and her grandchildren, she remains a testament to resilience. Reflecting on her life, she
admitted
, “I try to look at everything as a learning curve.”
The “Rio Lobo” actress photographed at the Beverly Hills Hotel on the day of the 44th Academy Awards on April 10, 1972. | Source: Getty Images
This actress is none other than Jennifer O’Neill, whose story, through heartbreak, tragedy, and healing, serves as an inspiration to anyone who has faced setbacks and continued to dream. Take a look at her transformation over the years and marvel at her ageless beauty at 76.
’70s
Jennifer O’Neill filming “Rio Lobo” circa 1970. | Source: Getty Images
Jennifer O’Neill circa 1973. | Source: Getty Images
’80s
Jennifer O’Neill circa 1981 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
Jennifer O’Neill posing for a portrait in 1983 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
’90s
Jennifer O’Neill at the premiere of “The Fisher King” in 1991 in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images
Jennifer O’Neill during the Bernstein Engagement Party on April 21, 1992, in Century City, California. | Source: Getty Images
2000s
Mervin Louque and Jennifer O’Neill during Michael Jordan’s Celebrity Golf Invitational Opening Party in 2001 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. | Source: Getty Images
Jennifer O’Neill photographed at Michael Jordan’s Celebrity Golf Invitational Opening Party in 2001 in Paradise Island, Bahamas. | Source: Getty Images
2010s
Jennifer O’Neill on day 2 of the Chiller Theater Expo on April 25, 2015, in Parsippany, New Jersey. | Source: Getty Images
Jennifer O’Neill at the Chiller Theatre Expo Spring 2019 on April 27 in Parsippany, New Jersey. | Source: Getty Images
2020s
In 2022, O’Neill took to Facebook to share stunning photos of herself, posing as a picture of ageless beauty as she rocked a full head of white hair and the same radiant smile fans have come to know and love.
“Look at that gorgeous hair,”
one social media user
commented
in response to the post.
“She is a natural beauty!”
another person
shared
. A third
typed
,
“More beautiful than ever.”
Jennifer O’Neill at the premiere of “REAGAN” on August 25, 2024, in Franklin, Tennessee. | Source: Getty Images
“It’s such a cliché to say that the inside is what counts. But when I feel peaceful and happy, that’s what’s important,” the actress once
said
about her time-defying good looks.
Jennifer O’Neill photographed at the premiere of “REAGAN” on August 25, 2024, in Franklin, Tennessee. | Source: Getty Images
Through a life marked by soaring successes and profound challenges, O’Neill has proven that resilience and hope can transform even the most tumultuous journey — from heartbreak and tragedy to finding lasting love and purpose.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “help” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to
suicidepreventionlifeline.org
.