Hollywood classic actors Jean Acker and Rudolph Valentino had a quite sensational and tumultuous marital life. Although the pair were known for their impact in the industry, they were even more famous for their controversial marriage and sexual orientations.
Jean Acker and Rudolph Valentino were among the Hollywood A-listers who popularized the silent film era in classic times. But as a couple, the duo was known for their rocky marriage that ended almost as it started.
Another detail that plagued their union was the several reports and accounts of their sexuality. Valentino and Acker were man and wife but were reportedly homosexuals, and seeing other people.
Jean Acker And Rudolph Valentino
Jean Acker, a Metro contract player, and actress, actively pursued a showbiz career with the notable help of Metro pictures. Although this did not do much for her career, she got small parts in a few movies.
Despite this, Acker still had a considerable level of recognition. In her heyday, Acker was known for her relationships with different women in the showbiz sphere, including Alla Nazimova.
Her relationship with Nazimova was quite influential for her career. After Acker, a New Jersey native, moved to California, she was able to secure a decent contract because of her friendship with Nazimova.
However, Acker and Nazimova’s relationship did not last. The pair stopped being partners, and Acker moved on with fellow actress Grace Diamond. The two soon had a lovers’ rift and did not see each other for a while.
It was in this period in 1919 that Acker, a wounded lover, met Rudolph Valentino. The pair met at a Hollywood private party and bonded over shared interests. On his own part, Valentino attended the party to keep off his sad thoughts as he had recently lost his mother.
He and Acker saw each other after the party, and in a little while, Valentino fell deeply in love with the actress, or so it seemed. Two months into their courtship, the “The Sheik” actor proposed to the “The Perils of Pauline” actress.
Inside Their Tempestuous Marriage
Acker accepted, and soon they were off to church, walking down the aisle. However, there were reports that Acker merely agreed to marry Valentino to make her lover, Diamond, jealous.
She went through with the wedding ceremony, but it only turned out to be a disaster. Acker confronted her new husband on the night of her wedding, yelling at him and crying that she didn’t love him.
She did not share their bed or consummate their union that night. Instead, Acker ran off to see Diamond. Unfortunately, she also spent the night there and did not return to her spouse for a few days.
The actors’ marriage ended just as it started and broke the record for the shortest Hollywood marriage. Acker revealed during the divorce that she and Valentino never got around consummating their marriage.
All the morbid information of the pair’s marriage came two years after it ended. Also, at this time, Valentino had gained fame for his role in “The Four Men of The Apocalypse.” This put him in the spotlight and under public scrutiny.
“Metamorphoses” actress Anna Karger shared that Acker told her husband their marriage was “all a mistake.” Karger testified that Acker was not the happy blushing bride on her wedding day.
During the dissolution of their marriage, Acker shared that while she and Valentino were man and wife, he did not have a job, nor was he cast in roles. This caused her to be wary as she worried that he would live off of her.
Valentino’s demeanor about his wedding night was questionable because he was indifferent. He reportedly seemed not to be bothered by not consummating his marriage. The topic of his sexual interest also came up, and Acker alluded that her former husband seemed to have adhered to masculine norms.
Valentino’s Sexual Orientation and Love Life
Every now and then, the topic of Valentino’s sexuality comes up, and most notably, he was connected with secret historian Samuel Steward. Steward was gay during his lifetime.
Samuel Steward, who was Valentino’s alleged lover, documented the stories surrounding the “Sheik” actor’s sexual life. There was also evidence of their clandestine affair.
Some of Steward’s items were found in 2010, and he had an alphabetized record of all those he was sexually involved with. One section of the card had personal items belonging to the “Blood and Sand” actor.
Justin Spring, an author who penned Steward’s biography, relayed that the secret historian gave specifics of his sexual encounter with Valentino. Unfortunately, this happened four years before his death.
In an old-time article, fans learned that Steward documented his relationship with Valentino in a catalog that he owned. He labeled the documents, “stud file”.The catalog is a collation of Steward’s sexual partners and encounters.
Personal items including private drawings, sexual paraphernalia, photographs, public hair believed to be Valentino’s, and an autograph from Steward and Valentino were also found. The personal archive included.