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The Heartbreaking Truth: Ranking Judy Garland's 5 Husbands And The Scandals That Rocked Each Marriage

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The tragic and brilliant life of Judy Garland remains one of Hollywood's most captivating and heartbreaking stories, a narrative inextricably linked to her tumultuous personal life and five marriages. As of December 2025, the recent resurgence of interest in her legacy, driven by biopics and new documentaries, continues to shine a light on the men who shared her spotlight and, in many cases, contributed to her struggles. Her journey through matrimony—starting at age 19 and ending just three months before her death at 47—was a desperate search for the stability and love that the pressures of fame denied her.

The men Garland married were not just husbands; they were her managers, directors, and, tragically, enablers in a life defined by the relentless demands of the studio system and a growing dependency on substances. Her five unions—to a composer, a famous director, a manager, an actor, and a nightclub owner—reflect the chaotic, high-stakes trajectory of a global icon seeking an escape from the "Girl Next Door" persona that had been manufactured for her since her days at MGM. This deep dive explores the five men who became Judy Garland's spouses, detailing the specific timeline and the unique controversies of each relationship.

Judy Garland: A Brief Biography and Career Profile

Born Frances Ethel Gumm on June 10, 1922, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Judy Garland began her career as a vaudevillian before signing with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) at the age of 13.

  • Birth Name: Frances Ethel Gumm
  • Born: June 10, 1922, Grand Rapids, Minnesota, U.S.
  • Died: June 22, 1969 (Age 47), London, England
  • Cause of Death: Accidental overdose of barbiturates
  • Career Highlights: *The Wizard of Oz* (1939), *Meet Me in St. Louis* (1944), *A Star Is Born* (1954), *Judgment at Nuremberg* (1961)
  • Children: Liza Minnelli (b. 1946), Lorna Luft (b. 1952), Joey Luft (b. 1955)
  • Total Marriages: Five

The Five Men Who Married Judy Garland: A Detailed Timeline of Turmoil

Judy Garland’s five marriages were often short-lived and turbulent, each one reflecting a different phase of her career, her mental health struggles, and her battle with addiction. Her children, Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft, and Joey Luft, remain protective of their mother's legacy, often speaking about the intense pressure she faced from the powerful MGM studio system, which started her on a path of diet pills and sleeping aids that ultimately led to tragedy.

1. David Rose (1941–1944): The Forbidden First Love

Garland was just 19 when she married her first husband, British-born composer and bandleader David Rose, who was 12 years her senior.

  • Spouse: David Rose (Composer, Orchestra Leader)
  • Marriage Date: July 28, 1941
  • Divorce Date: 1944
  • Key Context: This marriage was vehemently opposed by MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer, who reportedly attempted to sabotage the relationship. Garland was pregnant shortly after the wedding, but the studio and her mother allegedly forced her to have an abortion, a traumatic event that haunted her. The relationship quickly deteriorated under the strain of studio control and their age difference.

2. Vincente Minnelli (1945–1951): The Director and Father of Liza

Her second marriage was to film director Vincente Minnelli, whom she met while working on *Meet Me in St. Louis*. This was arguably her most creatively fruitful union, as Minnelli directed her in some of her most celebrated roles.

  • Spouse: Vincente Minnelli (Film Director)
  • Marriage Date: June 15, 1945
  • Divorce Date: 1951
  • Key Context: This marriage produced her first child, the future EGOT winner Liza Minnelli. Despite the professional success and the birth of their daughter, the relationship was fraught with Garland's increasing anxiety, depression, and drug dependency. She reportedly attempted suicide during this period. Minnelli, who was rumored to be gay, was unable to provide the emotional stability she desperately needed.

3. Sidney "Sid" Luft (1952–1965): The Longest and Most Volatile Union

Sid Luft, a producer and businessman, became Garland's third husband and longest marriage, lasting 13 years. He also became her manager, working tirelessly to resurrect her career after she was dropped by MGM in 1950.

  • Spouse: Sidney "Sid" Luft (Producer, Manager)
  • Marriage Date: June 8, 1952
  • Divorce Date: May 1965
  • Key Context: Luft was the father of her two younger children, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft. This era saw her triumphant comeback in the film *A Star Is Born* (1954), which Luft produced. However, his posthumously released memoir detailed a life of extreme volatility, including his own struggle with alcoholism, Garland's multiple suicide attempts, and his enabling of her drug addiction. Garland alleged physical abuse in her final divorce filing.

4. Mark Herron (1965–1969): The Shortest Marriage and Abuse Allegations

Just two months after her divorce from Sid Luft was finalized, Garland married actor Mark Herron in Las Vegas. This marriage was her shortest, lasting only five months before separation.

  • Spouse: Mark Herron (Actor)
  • Marriage Date: November 14, 1965
  • Divorce Date: April 1969
  • Key Context: The divorce was granted on the grounds of extreme cruelty, with Garland alleging that Herron had struck her. Like Vincente Minnelli, Herron was also rumored to be gay, adding to the instability and emotional complexity of the relationship. The divorce was only finalized two months before her death, highlighting her desperate and continuous search for a stable partner.

5. Mickey Deans (1969): The Tragic Final Chapter

Judy Garland's final marriage was to Mickey Deans, an entrepreneur and nightclub promoter 12 years her junior, whom she had met in 1966 when he delivered a package of stimulants to her hotel room.

  • Spouse: Mickey Deans (Entrepreneur, Nightclub Promoter)
  • Marriage Date: March 15, 1969
  • End of Marriage: June 22, 1969 (Garland's Death)
  • Key Context: This was a brief, three-month union that ended with Garland's death from an accidental overdose of barbiturates in their London home. Deans was the one who found her. This final relationship is often viewed by biographers as the culmination of her lifelong struggles, a last-ditch effort for connection with a man who was deeply connected to the very lifestyle that accelerated her demise.

The Lingering Topical Authority: Why Her Marriages Still Matter

The perpetual fascination with Judy Garland’s five marriages speaks volumes about the darker side of Hollywood's Golden Age and the price of fame. The narrative of her life is a crucial case study in the impact of studio control, especially the iron fist of Louis B. Mayer and MGM, who micromanaged her diet, her schedule, and her personal relationships from her teenage years onward.

The men in her life, particularly Sid Luft, are often seen less as traditional partners and more as figures who tried—and failed—to manage her immense talent and equally immense personal chaos. The constant cycle of marriage, divorce, and scandal was a symptom of a deeper struggle with mental health and addiction, which began with the "pep pills" and sleeping pills the studio doctors routinely administered to keep her working.

Today, the story of her spouses is a key component of the broader discussion surrounding celebrity, exploitation, and the enabling of addiction within the entertainment industry. Her children, Liza, Lorna, and Joey, have maintained that their mother was a victim of a system that prioritized her performance over her well-being. The recent attention ensures that the complex, tragic, and deeply human story of Judy Garland, and the men she chose to navigate her life with, remains a vital and cautionary tale in Hollywood history.

judy garland spouse
judy garland spouse

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