Where is Mary Marquardt now? Harrison Ford cheated on first wife with Carrie Fisher
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Mary Marquardt, an accomplished chef and illustrator, is widely recognized as the first wife of legendary actor Harrison Ford. The couple met and fell in love during their time at Ripon College in Wisconsin. They married in June 1964, but sadly their love did not withstand the test of time, and they Ford and Marquardt divorced in 1979.
At the start of his acting career, Ford had encountered difficulty securing significant roles. Nonetheless, Marquardt remained a staunch supporter. Their firstborn, Benjamin, arrived on September 22, 1966, followed by their second child, Willard, on May 14, 1969, three years later. Though Ford struggled to find acting jobs, Marquardt did her best to provide for their family by working as a chef.
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Where is Mary Marquardt now?
After her divorce from Ford, Marquardt continued her career as a chef and began working at a Filling Station in Culver City, California, which happens to be owned by her ex-husband. Raising two teenage boys alone was a challenging task, but life slapped her with another blow when she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in the late 1980s, an incurable disease that affects the central nervous system and spinal cord.
Her son Benjamin drew inspiration from his mother's battle with MS and got involved in the Reimagine MySelf program. The program is designed to assist individuals living with MS in reimagining their lives with the chronic disease and adapting to it. In 2018, rumors circulated about her being dead, but she is still battling the disease, with her sons now taking care of her.
What led to the couples' divorce?
After struggling to land significant roles, Ford's career was transformed when he secured the iconic role of Han Solo in the 'Star Wars' franchise. However, Ford's personal life was plagued by rumors of numerous affairs, which constantly circulated in the media. In 1979, Ford and his wife, Marquardt, officially divorced amidst speculation and accusations of infidelity.
It was speculated in media that Marquardt had caught her husband in bed with another woman, which ultimately led to the end of their marriage. The identity of the mystery woman was the subject of much speculation at the time, with many believing it to be screenwriter and TV personality Melissa Mathison, whom Ford later married. However, after nearly four decades, another theory popped up that the woman Marquardt had caught with Ford was possibly his co-star Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in the original 'Star Wars' trilogy.
Ford's Relationship with Carrie Fisher
When rumors of a relationship between Ford and Fisher circulated on the set of 'Star Wars', the media eagerly reported on the speculation. However, in 2016, Fisher revealed in her memoir, 'The Princess Diarist', that she and Ford had indeed had an affair while filming the first Star Wars movie in 1977.
"During the week, it was Han and Leia, and on the weekend, it was Carrie and Harrison," Fisher revealed to People. "It was so intense," she added. In an interview with Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford on the Today show, Fisher divulged that their relationship was mainly sexual, describing it as a "three-month one-night stand." Despite the revelations, Ford described the situation as "strange" in a cover story for GQ.