And They Said It Wouldn't Last! - January 18, 2008

Pity those poor celebrities. With every move and utterance analyzed and dissected, it's hard for the famous to do anything -- especially get married. With the bust-up of Eddie Murphy's fortnight of wedded bliss, we were reminded of other ill-fated Hollywood nuptials. Murphy's two-week marriage may seem short to some, but there are others that make it look like a lifetime commitment. Rudolph Valentino's 1919 marriage to actress Jean Acker lasted all of six hours -- beating even Britney Spears and Jason Alexander's 55-hour pairing in 2004. Ethel Merman's 32-day marriage to Ernest Borgnine was so painful that her autobiography featured a blank page to denote their time together. Of course, some stars make up in quantity what they lack in quality. Zsa Zsa Gabor has been married nine times, and Mickey Rooney, Lana Turner, bandleader Artie Shaw, and Elizabeth Taylor clock in at eight apiece. Of course, Liz being Liz, she belongs to both clubs, since her 1950 marriage to Nicky Hilton lasted all of eight months. We're thankful it didn't last longer -- the thought of Liz as great-aunt to Paris Hilton is too overwhelming. Suggested Sites... Wikipedia: Hollywood Marriages - he was married to her? The Spruce: Top 25 Shortest Celebrity Marriages - from the altar to the honeymoon, with a detour to the divorce court. USA Today: Celebrity Marriages: Doomed From the Start - remember when Dennis Rodman married Carmen Electra? Neither do they. Insider: The Longest Lasting Relationships in Hollywood - not all of them end in the twinkling of an eye. Elle: 63 of the Shortest Celebrity Marriages - it may be better to have loved than lost, but these stars did both.