Who were Erin Brockovich's three husbands? A look at activist’s troubled relationships that included extortion
It will not be news to most of us who have watched the Julia Roberts starrer 'Erin Brockovich', that Brockovich struggled in her personal life. In the film we see Julia Roberts struggle with three young kids, one who is literally a babe-in-arms. However, we don't get to know much at all in the film, about the father or fathers of these three young children.
Let's now delve into Brockovich's relationship history and in case you were wondering where George from the movie fits in, we'll clear that up as well.
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Brockovich's first marriage was to Shawn Brown a house painter, who is also the father of her children Matthew and Katie. Their relationship has been terribly acrimonious especially after Brown threatened to tell tabloids that she mistreated her three children. Brown was arrested and charged with extortion, but he wasn't alone in trying to extort money from Brockovich.
Brockovich's ex-boyfriend Jorg Halaby, who is the inspiration for the rough diamond biker George played by Aaron Eckhart in the film, also was part of the extortion attempt with Brown. They were caught red-handed however when they were lured into a sting with their lawyer and filmed accepting money from Brockovich and her boss, Ed Masry. Reportedly they had threatened to tell the tabloids that Masry and Brockovich were having an affair and that she mistreated her children.
The extortion incident not surprisingly devastated Brockovich who said in an interview with The Guardian in 2001, "That extortion really pissed me off. I hope they have a good life and find the riches that they so want, and they can move on. But I don't want to be a part of anything that they do, ever. What really floored me was the twisted sense of entitlement."
Erin's second husband was Steven Brockovich, the father of her daughter Elizabeth known as 'Beth'. She met Steven a stockbroker when she became a secretary at a Reno brokerage. The two married in 1989. It was a very short-lived marriage however and they divorced in 1990.
Erin's third marriage was to actor and country musician DJ Eric Ellis in 1999. They married in Hawaii and Erin at the time said he was one of the top three men she knew, the others being her father and Ed Masry. However third time was not a charm. Eric Ellis filed for divorce in 2012 citing "irreconcilable differences." According to reports, Eric wanted spousal support.
It seems that finally at the end of the day the man that truly stood by Brockovich and let her be herself was her boss Ed Masry played by Albert Finney in the film. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Brockovich says, "He allowed me to do me and didn’t stifle that. He said 'No, I think she’s on to something and I’m going to support that.' We did everything together. Those were some of the best times in my life. He had a great sense of humor. He understood people. He was OK to learn something from me and we learned from each other. He was always the best, I was holding his hand with his son and his wife when he passed. One of the best friends I ever had."
From what we can glean from Brockovich's social media, she seems to be living out another version of happily ever after with her grandchildren and her beloved pets for company.
'Rebel' based on Erin Brockovich's life will premiere on ABC at 10 pm on April 8. You can catch the trailer below.
