The Unlucky Lives of the Barrymore Family

The marriage that had once captivated Hollywood finally fell apart. Years of drinking, jealous fights, and public embarrassments had turned love into exhaustion. Dolores, worn down by his unpredictable behavior and erratic moods, took their children and left, ending a union that had long teetered between passion and chaos.

Divorce came in 1934, with gossip columns feasting on every ugly detail. He was devastated but couldn’t stop drinking. Dolores withdrew from acting to raise their children quietly, while he spiraled further into decline. What had begun as a golden romance ended as another chapter in the Barrymore family’s heartbreak.