Lana Turner, born Julia Jean Turner on February 8, 1921, in Wallace, Idaho, remains one of Hollywood’s most enduring and glamorous stars.

Rising from humble beginnings, Turner’s journey to fame is a classic rags-to-riches story that captivated audiences during Hollywood’s golden age.

With her signature platinum blonde hair, seductive beauty, and magnetic screen presence, she embodied the glamour and allure of 1940s and 1950s cinema.

 

Turner’s discovery is legendary. At just 16, while skipping school and sipping a soda at a Los Angeles fountain counter, a talent scout spotted her, launching her into the world of show business almost overnight.

She made her screen debut in 1937’s *They Won’t Forget*, where her brief but memorable appearance earned her the nickname “the sweater girl.”

 

This moniker stuck throughout her early career, symbolizing her youthful allure and screen magnetism.

 

Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Turner became one of MGM Studios’ most bankable stars.

She showcased her versatility across genres—from musicals to melodramas to film noir.

Films like *Ziegfeld Girl* (1941), *The Postman Always Rings Twice* (1946), *Imitation of Life* (1959), and *Peyton Place* (1957) solidified her reputation as both a critically acclaimed actress and a box office draw.

Her performance in *Peyton Place* earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, marking a high point in her career.

Despite personal turmoil, Turner continued acting into the 1960s and beyond, including a notable role on the soap opera *Falcon Crest*.

Even as Hollywood evolved and younger stars emerged, she remained a symbol of old-school glamour and sophistication.

 

Turner’s personal life was as dramatic as her screen roles.

She was married eight times to seven different men, a fact that fascinated the public and media alike.

Her romantic life mirrored the intense emotions she portrayed on screen, earning her a reputation as a Hollywood femme fatale.

 

One of the most tragic events in her life occurred in 1958 when her teenage daughter, Cheryl Crane, fatally stabbed Turner’s boyfriend, Johnny Stompanado.

Stompanado, a bodyguard with ties to organized crime, had been abusive toward Turner.

Cheryl’s intervention during a violent confrontation resulted in his death, which was ruled justifiable homicide.

Though legally exonerated, the incident cast a long shadow over Turner’s life and career.

Turner’s marriages ranged from brief and tumultuous to scandal-ridden. Her first marriage to bandleader Artie Shaw lasted only months.

Her second marriage to Joseph Steven Crane was annulled when it was discovered his divorce wasn’t finalized, but they remarried and divorced again within a short span.

Other marriages included socialite Bob Topping, actor Lex Barker—who was later accused of abusing Cheryl—rancher Fred May, nightclub hypnotist Robert Eaton, and hypnotist and alleged con artist Ronald Pellar.

 

Despite these personal challenges, Turner maintained her public image with grace and determination, embodying the resilience of a woman who lived boldly under Hollywood’s unforgiving spotlight.

 

Beneath the glitz and glamour of Lana Turner’s public life lay a secret world of clandestine romances and fierce personal rivalries.

In a rare and revealing private conversation, Turner reportedly named seven lesbian actresses she had secretly dated and later came to despise due to jealousy, betrayal, or heartbreak.

These revelations add complexity to her legacy, showing a woman navigating forbidden love in an era when such truths had to remain hidden.

Barbara Stanwyck, older and more experienced, allegedly initiated Turner into a secretive affair during the 1940s while filming at Paramount.

Their relationship soured quickly, with Turner feeling discarded as Stanwyck retreated into her famously guarded private life.

Turner once cryptically said, “She taught me how to lie with my eyes…and then she used that same trick on me.”

 

Known for her mystical aloofness, Greta Garbo formed intensely private connections with a small circle of women, including Turner briefly.

However, Garbo’s refusal to acknowledge Turner publicly left the younger actress feeling invisible when she needed support most, ending their liaison in silence.

 

Tallulah Bankhead was infamous for her flamboyant bisexuality and outrageous behavior.

Turner’s passionate but brief connection with Bankhead was scandalous, marked by wild nights and betrayal.

Bankhead reportedly boasted about their encounter at a Hollywood dinner party, sparking a feud that lasted until Bankhead’s death.

Ann Sheridan, Warner Brothers’ “Oomph Girl,” shared a mutual admiration and simmering sexual tension with Turner.

Their alleged affair ended bitterly when Sheridan cut ties after Turner won a coveted screen role Sheridan sought.

Turner lamented, “I shared my bed with her, but she stole my spotlight.”

 

Marlene Dietrich’s European sophistication and androgynous allure fascinated Turner.

Their romance was filled with seduction but lacked emotional connection.

Turner declared, “She dressed like a man, kissed like a god, and treated me like her mirror,” ultimately ending the affair in frustration.

 

The rivalry between Turner and Joan Crawford was legendary.

Their rumored affair was fueled by mutual attraction and competition.

A jealous incident involving Crawford flirting with Turner’s husband led to a bitter fallout.

Turner famously said, “I don’t hate many people, but I hate what Joan did to me.”

 

Jean Tierney was the most enigmatic of Turner’s secret lovers.

Their brief relationship was deeply emotional but overshadowed by Tierney’s mental illness.

Turner distanced herself out of fear and guilt, admitting, “She needed help…I gave her passion instead.” This relationship haunted Turner with shame rather than anger.

 

Turner’s glamorous public image masked personal struggles, including long-term addiction to alcohol and tobacco.

Smoking, in particular, became integral to her identity, though studios often airbrushed cigarettes from publicity photos to preserve her wholesome image.

 

In her early 60s, Turner quit drinking to protect her health but never overcame her nicotine addiction.

In 1992, she was diagnosed with throat cancer.

Despite early optimism and treatment, the cancer metastasized, leading to a grueling battle with radiation therapy.

 

Her final public appearance was in 1994 at the San Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain, where she received a lifetime achievement award.

Weakened but dignified, Turner’s presence was a testament to her resilience.

 

Lana Turner passed away on June 29, 1995, at age 74, with her daughter Cheryl by her side.

Her death marked the end of a tumultuous yet luminous life defined by beauty, fame, scandal, and survival.

 

Turner’s story is one of contrasts—the dazzling screen siren and the vulnerable woman behind closed doors, the glamorous star and the survivor of personal tragedies and secret loves.

Her revelations about the seven lesbian actresses she once dated reveal a hidden facet of Hollywood history, shining light on the complexities of love, betrayal, and identity in an era of secrecy.

 

Lana Turner remains an enduring symbol of old Hollywood glamour and resilience, a woman who lived boldly and loved fiercely in the unforgiving spotlight of stardom.

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