William Holden

:For the North Carolina Governor by this name, please see William Woods Holden. For the California Lieutenant Governor by this name, please see William Holden (politician).

Private life and death

Holden was married to the actress Brenda Marshall from 1941 to 1971, when they divorced. The couple had two sons and he adopted the daughter of his wife's first marriage. Holden had a busy social life, maintained a home in Switzerland and also spent much of his time working for wildlife conservation as a managing partner in an animal preserve in Africa. He began a relationship with actress Stefanie Powers who shared his interest in animal welfare (Powers later became President of the "William Holden Wildlife Foundation" and a director of their Mount Kenya Game Ranch).

Related Topics:
Brenda Marshall - 1941 - 1971 - Switzerland - Wildlife conservation - Africa - Stefanie Powers

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Holden reportedly had a seven year affair with Eva May Hoffman (wife of composer Emil Newman, Randy Newman's uncle) which produced two children, Arlene Newman (who later married Dennis Crosby) and William Robert Newman.

Related Topics:
Emil Newman - Randy Newman - Dennis Crosby

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William Holden died of a fall in his highrise apartment on the seaside cliffs of Santa Monica, California in 1981. His body was found on 16 November, but forensic evidence suggested he had died on on November 12th. Holden had been alone, heavily intoxicated, and slipped on a rug, gashed his head on a table, and bled to death. Evidence suggests he was conscious for at least half an hour after the fall, but may not have realized the severity of the injury, and failed to summon aid.

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Holden's body was cremated. His ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.

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