A Closer Look At Judy Garland's Relationships With All Five Husbands

Before he became a movie producer, Sid Luft met Judy Garland when she was 15 and working with his then-girlfriend, Eleanor Powell. In 1950, Luft and Garland started a romance when both of them were ending their marriages. Luft used his ingenuity to take Garland's career in a new direction, one that wasn't dependent on MGM. "She was so incredibly talented that I knew she could land on her feet if she had some help," he explained to The Telegraph in 2001. Luft focused on Garland's singing prowess and booked her for sold-out live shows in London and New York. When Garland got pregnant before their divorces were final, Luft advocated abortion. While he later wrote, "I was as unjustified as I was insensitive," in "Judy and I," (via The New Yorker), at the time he was convinced the out-of-wedlock pregnancy would jettison Garland's career.

Luft and Garland married in 1952, and had two children, Lorna and Joey Luft. Once again, Garland experienced postpartum depression, and she continued to struggle with drug addiction issues and her mental health. Although the couple was married for 13 years, during the final three years they had very little contact with one another, despite still living together.  During divorce proceedings, Garland accused Luft of domestic abuse.

Luft maintained lifelong feelings for his ex-wife. "Whatever bad things happened, you don't fall out of love with somebody like her," he reminisced to The Telegraph in 2001. 

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233 or visit their website.