Zsa Zsa Gabor's Nine Marriages: Hollywood's Most Prolific Bride
"I'm a marvelous housekeeper — every time I leave a man I keep his house"
Key Facts
What Happened
Zsa Zsa Gabor was born Sari Gabor in Budapest, Hungary in 1917. She arrived in the United States in 1941 and proceeded to build a career not primarily on acting talent but on sheer force of personality — and a matrimonial record that remains unmatched in Hollywood history. She was married nine times, divorced seven times, had one marriage annulled, and her final marriage lasted until her death in 2016 at age 99.
Her roster of husbands reads like a social register of wealth and power. Turkish diplomat Burhan Belge (1937-1941) was her first. Hotel magnate Conrad Hilton (1942-1947) was her second — and the great-grandfather of Paris Hilton. Their daughter Francesca was Gabor's only child. British actor George Sanders (1949-1954) was husband number three — and in a remarkable twist, Sanders later married Gabor's sister Magda, allegedly with Zsa Zsa's encouragement. Financier Herbert Hutner, oil tycoon Joshua Cosden Jr., Barbie doll inventor Jack Ryan, and her own divorce lawyer Michael O'Hara followed in succession.
Her eighth marriage, to Spanish-born Felipe de Alba in 1983, lasted a single day — it was annulled because her divorce from O'Hara had not yet been finalized when she married de Alba aboard a ship. Her ninth and final marriage, to German-born Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt in 1986, made her a princess by title and lasted 30 years until her death. Von Anhalt proved to be her most enduring match, caring for her through years of declining health.
Gabor spent more time in divorce court than perhaps anyone in Hollywood history, yet she approached the institution of marriage with unapologetic enthusiasm. Her famous quips — 'I'm a marvelous housekeeper — every time I leave a man I keep his house,' and 'I never hated a man enough to give him his diamonds back' — made her a cultural icon. She demonstrated that serial marriage, while expensive and emotionally taxing, was a viable life strategy for someone who refused to be defined by any single relationship. Her financial acumen in divorce negotiations ensured she was never left destitute, despite never having a blockbuster film career.
Legal Breakdown: Celebrity Divorce
Serial Marriage and Divorce Proceedings
Gabor's nine marriages illustrate the cumulative legal complexity of serial matrimony. Each divorce required separate negotiations over property, alimony, and assets. The overlapping timelines — her marriage to de Alba was annulled because the O'Hara divorce was not finalized — demonstrate the critical importance of ensuring one divorce is truly final before entering another marriage. Bigamy, even unintentional, can invalidate a subsequent marriage entirely.
Asset Accumulation Through Multiple Marriages
Gabor's famous quip about keeping houses was not entirely a joke. Through successive marriages to wealthy men, she accumulated real estate, jewelry, and financial assets. Each divorce settlement added to her portfolio. This pattern raises important questions about prenuptial agreements, community property, and how prior marriages affect subsequent ones. Courts can consider a spouse's independent wealth from prior settlements when determining alimony in later divorces.
Annulment vs. Divorce
The de Alba marriage annulment highlights the legal distinction between the two. An annulment declares a marriage void — as if it never existed — typically because of a fundamental defect like bigamy, fraud, or incapacity. In Gabor's case, she was still legally married to O'Hara, making the de Alba marriage void ab initio. A divorce, by contrast, ends a valid marriage. The distinction has significant implications for property rights, inheritance, and the ability to remarry.
What This Means for Your Divorce
- →Always verify that your previous divorce is fully finalized before remarrying. An overlapping marriage can be declared void.
- →Prenuptial agreements become increasingly important with each successive marriage, as the financial picture grows more complex.
- →Serial divorce does not necessarily mean financial ruin — strategic negotiation can protect and even grow assets through multiple marriages.
- →The emotional and legal toll of repeated divorce is cumulative. Each subsequent divorce tends to involve more complex asset division and higher legal costs.
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This article is based on publicly available court records, news reports, and legal analysis. It is provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this content.
Divorce laws vary by jurisdiction. Always consult a licensed attorney in your area before making legal decisions.