Farrah Fawcett and Lee Majors were together for more than a decade before their fame and success got in the way.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on May 7, 2021. It has since been updated.
A marriage stays healthy when both partners' needs are met. For instance, most people look for trust, time, respect, love, affection, loyalty, and communication in their relationship. If two people don't agree on these values, it could be hard for them to have smooth sailing. It's always a balancing act where you are constantly working to keep all your needs fulfilled. When partners are unable to be there for each other, it can create rifts.
The late Farrah Fawcett and her TV star husband, Lee Majors, were a power couple back in the 70s and graced many a fashion magazine cover. However, their marriage crumbled under the pressure of fame and success and left Fawcett in tears.
"I just can’t go from city to city trying to pretend that Lee and I are carrying on business as usual. I remember trying to tell one reporter what I make for Lee’s dinner and bursting into tears. I can’t lie to people. I’m not pretending that I’m someone I’m not, or that I’m someone I used to be," she said in 1979, as per People Magazine.
She was only 32 at the time and touring the nation for her new movie, Sunburn. She tried to deny the separation for months before confessing that their relationship of 11 years was over. She moved out of their home in Bel Air after that.
"I want to give both of us a little time to try to adjust to what has happened," she explained. "I don’t know if we will ever get back together again, and that scares me," she added. "I feel so confused."
It can be a hard time for anyone but to be on the road alone and having to reveal this to the media by herself would have been doubly hard. However, it didn't stop her from being honest about what went wrong in their marriage.
"When Lee married me, he married a very compliant person who just wanted to cook his meals, clean his house and be dependent," she said sadly. "I still like to cook his meals and clean his house, but I’m not dependent anymore. I feel so bad for Lee. I care about him so much, and he is trying to be understanding and protecting," she added.
When they had met in 1968, Majors was already a star thanks to The Big Valley. The Six Million Dollar Man actor became the center point of Fawcett's life until the model got the iconic role in Charlie’s Angels. She became more famous as his stardom waned. She could no longer be the housewife he wanted, but leaving each other wasn't simple for them either.
Majors and she took their sweet time in untangling their lives and often confused the world with their actions. Her estranged husband had flown to Atlanta to be with her for one night in 1979. He brought her a bottle of champagne and a single yellow rose, as a symbol of the 13 he sent her after their first date. He took her to dinner and stayed the night.
"I love Farrah and I always will,” Lee declared later. "There is nothing I would like better than for us to work out our problems," he added.
However, the marriage didn't last and they divorced three years after separating. In 2019, Majors, 82, told People that when they were together, "it was hard to get around. It was not quite as hard as it is today with everyone has a cellphone and the social media is so quick. Back then we only had to deal with the paparazzi at large. A lot of time you could evade them, but not all the time.”
"But there was a year or so when I think I saw her two weeks in one year. It’s very difficult with careers like that. This business is tough. Working 14 hours a day, both of you, and the days went by," he added.
References:
https://people.com/archive/cover-story-why-farrah-split-vol-12-no-8/
https://people.com/tv/lee-majors-reflects-marriage-farrah-fawcett/
Cover image source: Getty Images | Photo by (L) Universal Television (R) Frank Micelotta
