In this week’s DIVA Dating Digest, we take a look at the relationships of the infamous American poet and playwright
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGES BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
As we say farewell to LGBT+ History Month, it’s only right that we finish off by talking about one of the most iconic sapphics in history: Mercedes de Acosta. The American poet, playwright, and novelist was pretty much the Shane McCutcheon of the Golden Age!
Known for her many lesbian affairs with the stars of the time, Mercedes sent shockwaves in Hollywood in 1960 when she published her memoir Here Lies The Heart which seemed to confirm the rumours of her dalliances.
Here are some of the stars that Mercedes was (allegedly) romantically involved with…
Isadora Duncan
Known as one of the pioneers of modern contemporary dance, Isadora Duncan crossed paths with Mercedes in 1917 at Amagansett in New York. In her memoir, Mercedes wrote: “I caught my first sight of Isadora standing in the sun, and at once I felt the dunes, the reeds, the beach, the sea – all of these – in some strange way mingled with her and she was part of them.”
The pair continued their relationship largely in France but were separated for a number of years before coming back together in 1925. Mercedes found Isadora in a hotel in Paris with no money. Only a couple of years later, in 1927, Isadora was killed tragically when her scarf got caught in the wheel of a car, breaking her neck in the process.
Eva La Gallienne
During her years of separation from Isadora, Mercedes met British-born actress, director, and producer Eva La Gallienne. The pair met in 1920 and quickly formed an intense, passionate relationship which lasted for five years.
Celebrity biographer Darwin Porter, who knew Mercedes personally, told GO magazine that the star once said: “If you write my life story one day – and I suspect you might – you’ll need a chapter devoted to my love affair with Eva La Gallienne. We were madly in love, our affair lasting for five tumultuous, argumentative, jealous years. Yes, we ‘strayed’ and fell into the arms of other lovers, but we always returned to each other for comfort, solace, understanding, and a grand and fiery passion.”
When Mercedes published her memoir later in life, Eva was furious about the implications made surrounding their relationship, calling her a liar.
Greta Garbo
Perhaps Mercedes’ most famous relationship was with one the greatest screen actresses of all time – Greta Garbo. She was one of the most glamorous and popular motion-picture stars of the 1920s and ’30s, often playing strong-willed and powerful heroines.
Mercedes first fell in love with Greta after she watched the 1926 film The Torrent in which Greta played a poor young Spanish woman named Leonora. The pair would later meet at the home of Austrian actress/screenwriter Salka Viertel where they began their iconic relationship. The couple would stay in and out of touch for 30 years, and the nature of their relationship was only uncovered after their personal letters were found.
Marlene Dietrich
We can’t talk about the Golden Age of cinema without mentioning Marlene Dietrich. The German-American actress and singer rose to fame for her style and her portrayal of women throughout the war effort. It’s rumoured that Marlene and Mercedes were romantically involved due to a number of personal, passionate letters found which were exchanged between the pair.
In her memoir, Mercedes revealed that she first saw Marlene at a dance recital in 1932. In one of the letters Mercedes gave to Rosenbach before her death, Marlene wrote: “I kiss your beautiful hands and your heart— forever, M.”
DIVA magazine celebrates 30 years in print in 2024. If you like what we do, then get behind LGBTQIA media and keep us going for another generation. Your support is invaluable.