Clint Eastwood’s first marriage to Margaret (Maggie) Johnson is a story of love at first sight. The couple met in 1953, when Maggie was working as a secretary and Clint was still struggling to make it big in Hollywood. They were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend, and from that moment on, they knew they were meant to be together.
However, while Maggie was Clint’s first wife, she was far from being his only romantic partner. Despite their initial connection, their marriage did not last forever, and they did not exactly have the happy ending that you would dream of in a marriage.
Generally Speaking
Clint Eastwood has 8 children to carry his supreme genes on this earth. One of those children he only got to know when she was 34 years old! Those children all have Eastwood as their father, but don't necessarily share the same mother. So it's fair to say that this family isn't the most simple in the world of Hollywood.
Clint Eastwood's many romantic partners and busy career didn't keep him from doing his best as a father. His children are now all grown up and have glamorous careers befitting members of the house of Eastwood. It's tricky to know where to start when telling the story of the Eastwood family.
An Early Start
The earliest known romantic relationships we know Clint Eastwood was involved in were in his teenage years. We have to go all the way back to when he was just in high school. There was the classic girl next door when he was 14 years old.
The relationship that followed this one was a little less classic — at 19 years old, Eastwood had his first stalker. Her name is unknown, but according to an Us Weekly interview from the 80s, she was 20-something and worked as a school teacher. The two dated for a while, after which she threatened to harm herself if he broke up with her. Yikes!
All Good Things End
Clint Eastwood and Margaret Johnson's whirlwind romance resulted in their marriage less than a year after their first date. The couple appeared to have a happy relationship and went on to have two children together, Alison and Kyle. However, there were issues bubbling below the surface of their marriage that would eventually lead to their divorce.
Clint Eastwood's other romantic relationships and a secret child he had fathered caused tension in their relationship. Despite the challenges that they faced, Clint Eastwood and Margaret Johnson remained committed to their family and continued to co-parent their children after they had already separated.
Too Young
To say that Clint Eastwood's marriage to Margaret Johnson had a rocky start would be the understatement of the century. According to film historian Richard Schickel, Clint believes that he and Johnson were too young to get married and should have waited until they were more established.
It appears that Clint Eastwood's habit of having affairs with his castmates started in 1955, two years after he got married. He had a tiny uncredited role in "Star in the Dust," a film starring Mamie Van Doren. The two met on set and had a closer-than-castmates kind of relationship if you know what we mean.