Mary Tyler Moore and Robert Levine's romance lasted for more than 33 years. He was by her side when she died at the age of 80 in January 2017.
Mary Tyler Moore, one of the most iconic stars of the 20th century, appeared to have an enviable life with her successful sitcoms and her famous smile. However, in the HBO documentary Being Mary Tyler Moore, it was revealed that privately she longed for a partner who would protect and care for her. After two unsuccessful marriages, to producer Richard Meeker and television executive Grant Tinker, she found that in her third husband, Robert Levine. He was a cardiologist, 15 years her junior, who had unexpectedly connected with Moore while examining her ailing mother at Mount Sinai Hospital according to Parade.
Their relationship deepened when Moore asked Levine to be there for her if any other issues arose with her mother. Moore responded to Levine's request for the actress to phone if her mother had any further concerns by saying, "Is acute loneliness a good enough reason to call you?” Said Levine, "I can't think of a better reason to be awakened at 3 a.m." The couple eventually got married on Thanksgiving Eve in 1983 at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan, a suggestion made by Moore. During her bridal shower, Moore shared a heartwarming story with her friends, including Betty White, about how Levine had made her a tuna sandwich one night when she was hungry, per PEOPLE.
"It was the most loving thing that anybody had ever done for me ever before in my life," Moore said. "I've been given jewels. I've been given a lot of things that we all think are obviously of value," she added. But no gift held more value for the actress compared to "that tuna fish sandwich that was for nothing, from someone who gave it only to me."
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Long after hits like The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show had ended their runs, as well as after late-career efforts that included outstanding performances in movies like Ordinary People and Stolen Babies, Moore, and Levine's romance lasted for more than 33 years and he continues to love her after her death. He was by her side when she died at the age of 80 in January 2017.
Reflecting on his time with the legend, Levine described their love story as "magic." He said, "I cry, I laugh," as per PEOPLE. "I'm just bowled over by how extraordinary she was." He also told the outlet that he considered it a privilege "to be her protector and care for her and hold her.”
References:
https://people.com/archive/cover-story-behind-her-smile-vol-44-no-18/
https://parade.com/130517/kevinsessums/mary-tyler-moores-lifetime-of-challenges/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Kevin Winter
