Barbara Stanwyck

Barbara Stanwyck, with a commendable 60-year acting career, was celebrated for her tenacity and numerous achievements. She was married to both Robert Taylor and Frank Fay, but rumors suggested that these were “lavender” marriages, arranged by the studio to quell whispers about her sexuality. As a result, there was much speculation about her possibly being bi-sexual. Biographer Axel Madsen even described her as “Hollywood’s most secretive lesbian.”

Diana McLellan asserted that Tallulah Bankhead confirmed an intimate relationship with Stanwyck, although Stanwyck herself never publicized her sexual orientation. In a conversation with journalist Boze Hadleigh, when queried about bisexuality among Hollywood’s leading ladies, Stanwyck mentioned, “I heard that Dietrich, Garbo, and many European actresses, leaned both ways. Later, I discovered it to be true.” Intrigued by her statement, Hadleigh pressed, “You found out?” But Stanwyck chose not to delve deeper into the subject.