Cary Grant’s 5 Wives: Love Life Secrets of ‘the Husband Loved the Most’

Cary Grant was a dashing actor who defined Hollywood’s golden age thanks to his work in Suspicion (1941), Notorious (1946), North by Northwest (1959) and Charade (1963), among others. But there was another thing the two-time Oscar nominee was known for, and it was more than just his good looks—his marriages. Throughout his career, Grant was married five different times, sometimes to a woman much younger than him. So who were Cary Grant’s wives? Keep reading to learn all about them, including what he had to say about wedded bliss (or lack thereof as the case may be). 

Virginia Cherrill (1934 to 1935) 

Grant’s first marriage was to actress Virginia Cherrill, who had been married once before. The two met in 1932 at the premiere of Blonde Venus. They married two years later in London and even honeymooned in Rome. Sadly, despite their romantic getaway, the two ended up getting divorced a little over a year later, with Cherrill citing abuse and fear of what Grant would do to her because of his rumored possessiveness. 

Following their divorce, Cherrill remarried twice more before her death in 1996 at age 88. 

Barbara Hutton (1942 to 1945) 

Following his first divorce, Grant married philanthropist and socialite Barabra Hutton after meeting her on an ocean voyage from New York to England in 1939. According to multiple sources at the time, it was love at first sight for the happy couple, who people often referred to as “Cash and Cary” because she was so wealthy. 

The duo would go on to tie the knot in 1942, but only made it three years before divorcing due to Grant’s busy schedule and Hutton’s narcotics addiction. 

“The trouble wasn’t her,” Grant said. “People just can’t disassociate her from her money, and they act like idiots around her.”

Even after divorcing Barbara Hutton, Grant maintained a close relationship with her son, Lance, despite her remarrying four other times. The philanthropist said that even though their relationship might have ended, she still considered him “the husband I loved the most.” 

Betsy Drake (1949 to 1962) 

Not only was Betsy Drake Grant’s longest marriage, but she was also his co-star! After meeting in 1947 while they were on the Queen Mary, the pair entered into a torrid love affair despite the 20-year age difference—he was 45 at the time of their marriage and she was 26. They dated for two years before their wedding on Christmas Day in 1949. 

For a while, they were able to enjoy their happiness and even starred opposite each other in the films Every Girl Should Be Married (1948) and Room for One More (1952), but things started to go south five years later.

After meeting Sophia Loren on the set of The Pride and The Passion in 1957, Grant began an affair with her despite his marriage to Drake. While this was happening, Drake was also working on the script Houseboat (1958), which she planned to star in with her husband. However, after learning about his affair, Drake backed out of starring in it and instead Loren was cast. This is believed to be the reason the two eventually split in 1962. 

During their marriage, Drake introduced Grant to lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) therapy, which was legal at the time. In 1959, Grant did an interview sharing how the drug made him feel, saying, “At last, I am close to happiness.”

“I wanted to rid myself of all my hypocrisies,” he explained, “I wanted to work through the events of my childhood, my relationship with my parents and my former wives. I did not want to spend years in analysis.”

Dyan Cannon (1965 to 1968) 

Throughout his lifetime and many marriages, Grant only had one child, and it was with his fourth wife, Dyan Cannon. The pair got married in July 1965 in Las Vegas, Nevada, when the actor was 61 and she was 28. They then welcomed their first child, Jennifer Grant, together in 1966. Despite all that joy, their relationship was pretty dark, with Cannon revealing inside details in her memoir Dear Cary, My Life With Cary Grant (2012), which would later serve as the inspiration for the hit miniseries Archie (2023). 

“We met, and it was electric. But my little voice said, ‘Don’t go there, he’s been married several times. Do not go there,’” the actress wrote. “I really expected him to make me happy…After all, he was Cary Grant. I made a god out of him in my thinking, and the poor guy had things to work out, like we all do.”

“I never knew what was going to set him off next, and when he wasn’t at work, he trailed me around the house, listing my shortcomings,” the actress continued. “I didn’t place a coaster under my water glass. I parked my car in the driveway crookedly. I shouldn’t be so friendly to the postman because he might get the wrong idea or to the maid because it was good to keep a distance.” 

The couple split after three years of marriage but continued to co-parent their daughter Jennifer until Grant’s death. 

“The first and most important thing is that I instilled in Jennifer that the divorce was not her fault,” Cannon says. “What was going on was between me and her daddy, not between us and her. We both loved her dearly, and it was OK for her to love us both.”

Cannon is 88 and married once more after Grant. Jennifer is 58 and has one child named Cary Benjamin Grant.   

Barbara Harris (1981 to 1986) 

Grant’s fifth and final marriage was to actress Barbara Harris. The two wed in April 1981; he was 77, and she was 30. They remained together until Grant died from a stroke in 1986. 

''We're marvelously happy,'' Grant said at the time. ''Jennifer loves the idea. She and Barbara have become quite close.''

After his passing, Harris became the sole heir to Grant’s estate and money, which she split with her stepdaughter, Jennifer. 

Harris remarried in 2001 and is currently 74 years old. 

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