A stunning 1970s actress endured unimaginable hardships, including multiple failed marriages, a suicide attempt, and other personal tragedies. Yet, she found lasting love and remains an icon of timeless beauty decades later.

Her journey from a teenage model to a successful actress was filled with soaring highs and devastating lows. However, beyond her eight failed marriages and other deeply personal struggles, she found lasting love and purpose. Take a closer look at her journey and transformation over the years.

How This 1970s Star Overcame Tragedy to Find Lasting Love

This actress’s rise to fame began unexpectedly. As a teenager, her family relocated to New York City, upending her world and forcing her to give up her beloved horse and dog.

“They [her parents] wouldn’t let me take our dog and took her to the pound,” she recalled. The heartbreak pushed her to pursue independence.

When two neighbors suggested she try modeling, determined to reclaim control of her life, she decided to try. “So, I strolled into Eileen Ford’s agency, and she signed me on the spot,” the icon said.

This decision catapulted her into the fashion world, where her beauty earned her one of the longest-running contracts with Cover Girl — an achievement now honored by the Smithsonian Institution.

Acting opportunities soon followed, but she approached the new career with caution. “People were offering me movies and Hollywood contracts, but I wanted to study acting first,” she explained. After training at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, she began acting in her early 20s.

Despite never setting her sights on becoming a Hollywood icon, she earned acclaim for her work. She became a star, sharing the silver screen with John Wayne in “Rio Lobo” and landing her breakout role in the 1971 film “Summer of ’42.”

However, while her career flourished, her personal life told a different story. At 14, she attempted suicide, an act she later described as a plea for attention rather than a genuine desire to end her life. “I didn’t want to die; I just wanted to be heard. It was just a rebellion against my parents’ decisions,” she said.

The attempt left her in a coma, but surviving the ordeal gave her a new perspective. The actress later used her experience to speak about mental health, especially for teenagers facing crises. “What seems like a bump in the road as we get older can seem catastrophic to a teenager,” she reflected.

Unfortunately, her struggles didn’t end there. At 15, she broke her neck and back in a horseback riding accident. Though physically excruciating, she pushed forward, undeterred by the challenges.

By 17, she married for the first time, beginning a tumultuous romantic journey that would see her walk down the aisle nine times. Each marriage began with hope but ended in heartbreak. “With every single one, I was sure it was it,” she confessed, adding, “I can’t understand how I’m sitting here and not the biggest cynic.”

Amid these personal trials, the model-turned-actress also faced postpartum depression following the birth of her first child. With a limited understanding of the condition at the time, she admitted herself to a hospital for treatment, where she underwent electroshock therapy.

“I had regressed to a place [mentally] where I didn’t hurt […],” she shared, explaining that the therapy was intended to bring her back to the present. While the experience was traumatic, it marked another step in her journey toward understanding her mental health.

Then, one of the most harrowing experiences in her love life came during her fifth marriage, when her husband was accused of abusing her daughter. At first, the “Summer of ’42” star didn’t know what to believe.

“[…] We were in court for a year and I didn’t know who to believe,” she admitted. Her ex-husband even passed lie detector tests, which added to the confusion.

It wasn’t until he committed similar acts with another stepchild in a later marriage that his guilt was confirmed. The experience deeply affected her family, but over time, she and her daughter rebuilt their relationship.

Despite these setbacks, she never lost her desire to find lasting love. That hope was finally realized in her ninth marriage to music producer Mervin Louque. “I know I’ll be with him forever,” she said of their union. For the first time, the actress felt a deep sense of peace and stability.

Reflecting on her previous marriages, she described them as almost performative, likening them to taking on a new character each time. “With each marriage, it was almost like doing a new character and going on location, setting up house with a new extended family, new stepchildren,” she explained.

“Looking back, I don’t know how I did it,” the actress added. In Louque, she finally found a partner who provided the lasting love and companionship she had always sought.

Years later, her passion for horses, which began in childhood, became a central part of her life. The Hollywood star founded Hope & Healing at Hillenglade, a therapeutic retreat for military veterans and their families.

“After 40 years of breeding and showing horses, being able to share them in a therapeutic manner with soldiers comes full circle from my suicide attempt,” she said. The nonprofit uses equine therapy to help veterans overcome trauma, providing a place of solace and healing.

Now in her later years, this actress has embraced aging with grace and authenticity. While she acknowledges the pressures of Hollywood, she chooses to focus on inner peace rather than outward appearances. “I don’t think anything is wrong with plastic surgery, but I haven’t had it,” she said.

Surrounded by her husband of more than two decades, her children, and her grandchildren, she remains a testament to resilience. Reflecting on her life, she admitted, “I try to look at everything as a learning curve.”

This actress is none other than Jennifer O’Neill, whose story, through heartbreak, tragedy, and healing, serves as an inspiration to anyone who has faced setbacks and continued to dream. Take a look at her transformation over the years and marvel at her ageless beauty at 76.

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