#9: Phyllis Gates – The End
By 1957, the façade had cracked. Gates accused Hudson of infidelity and filed for divorce the following year, igniting a swirl of speculation the studio scrambled to contain. The split was quiet but tense, leaving Hudson relieved yet wary of further scrutiny.
Their marriage became Hollywood’s most cited example of a “lavender marriage,” designed to protect an actor’s image at the expense of authenticity. Hudson never married again. The end of their union marked the last time he publicly entertained a heterosexual role in real life, retreating deeper into guarded secrecy.