Getty Actor Gary Oldman and fourth wife Alexandra Edenborough arrive at premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' "Red Riding Hood" at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on March 7, 2011 in Hollywood, California.
Gary Oldman, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his transformation into Winston Churchill, has had a messy love live. He’s been married five times.
Oldman’s five spouses include one Hollywood icon (Uma Thurman), one fellow Academy Award nominee (Lesley Manville) and one marriage ruptured into abuse accusations that he denied. Oldman is currently married to Gisele Schmidt, whom he wed late in summer 2017. You can learn about Gisele Schmidt here.
Goldman is 59 and has three children with two of his ex-wives.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Oldman’s First Wife Was Lesley Manville, Who Is Also Nominated for an Oscar
Lesley Manville attends the London Film Critics Circle Awards 2018 at The Mayfair Hotel on January 28, 2018 in London, England.
There could be at least one awkward run-in on the red carpet between Gary Oldman and one of his ex wives.
Gary Oldman was married to Lesley Manville from 1987 to 1990. Oldman’s first wife is also nominated for a 2018 Academy Award. Manville received a nod for best supporting actress for the movie, Phantom Thread. Oldman’s nom comes for his portrayal of Churchill in Darkest Hour.
The couple wasn’t married long, but the union did produce a son. “Oldman and Manville met while acting at London’s Royal Court Theatre and wed in 1987. By 1989, Oldman had moved on to Hollywood—without Manville and their infant son, Alfie, born only three months before Oldman left the country and his marriage,” reported Vogue Magazine.
Manville told W Magazine that there wouldn’t be “fisticuffs” on the red carpet between her and Oldman. “Manville raised their son, now an adult with a career as a cameraman and a family of his own, largely by herself, but in the decades since he has formed a genial relationship with Oldman and they’re all happy for each other’s success,” reported W Magazine.
2. Oldman Said Being Married to Uma Thurman Was Like ‘Living With an Angel
Uma Thurman.
Hollywood legend Uma Thurman was Oldman’s second wife. They were married from 1990 to 1992. Their marriage was described in Vanity Fair as “turbulent.”
“Another reason Uma dropped out of sight was that she was involved in a turbulent relationship with actor Gary Oldman, whom she married in 1991,” reported Vanity Fair in a length profile of Thurman. The magazine quoted her as saying the marriage was “a mistake, but you know, what can I say? He’s a truly great actor. We met when I was 18. He was 12 years older. It was a crazy love affair that ended, as it needed to. He was my first love. I had no prior experience.”
Terry Gilliam told Vanity Fair of the couple: “There was a great change in Uma. She seemed to be drawn to difficult people-maybe she was trying to prove something-and had somehow aged overnight, lost her youth, which she has since regained.”
Vanity Fair noted that “The marriage began to crumble after the fast-living Oldman was arrested for drunken driving,” quoting a friend of Uma’s as saying, “Gary will always be crazy. It takes a special kind of woman to put up with him,” but added that Oldman compared Uma to Venus and said, “You try living with an angel!”
3. Oldman’s Third Marriage to Donya Fiorentino Ended With Bitter Accusations
Los Angeles. Javier Bardem (left), Donya Fiorentino (Oldmans wife), Julian Schnabel, and gary Oldman at the 16th Annual IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, California, Saturday, March 24, 2001.
Oldman’s third marriage was to Donya Fiorentino from 1997 to 2001. The marriage ruptured into a series of contentious and salacious accusations. “Gary Oldman’s estranged wife has accused him of beating her and blowing thousands of pounds on alcohol, drugs and prostitutes as they square up for divorce,” reported UK Daily Mail.
The allegations flew back and forth both ways, with each denying the other’s charges. “In response, he accused her of only marrying him because he was famous. He described her as a hopeless addict and liar. She had also been unfaithful to him,” reported UK Daily Mail of the ugly divorce.
She described their marriage as being like a “nightmare” and a “car crash.” She alleged in court papers, “As I picked up the phone to call the police, Gary put his hand on my neck and squeezed. I backed away, with the phone receiver in my hand. I tried to dial 911. Gary grabbed the phone receiver from my hand and hit me in the face with the telephone receiver three or four times. Both of the children were crying.”
Oldman called the allegations “replete with lies, innuendoes and half-truths” and Oldman’s manager told The New York Daily News that “Donya’s claims were completely investigated by police and the district attorney’s offices. No charges were ever filed.”
They had sons Gulliver and Charlie together.
4. Oldman Paid Millions to His Fourth Wife When They Also Divorced
Actor Gary Oldman and Alexandra Edenborough attend the “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” premiere at the Palazzo del Cinema during the 68th Venice Film Festival on September 5, 2011 in Venice, Italy.
Oldman’s fourth wife was Alexandra Edenborough from 2008 to 2015. According to US Weekly, “In the documents obtained by the Associated Press, the Dark Knight actor, 57, agreed to fork over $3.3 million to Edenborough. The papers also revealed that the couple have divided their many assets, including their homes and cars. Oldman will keep two of the couple’s homes and multiple cars, the AP reported.”
In 2014, Oldman told The Independent that he hoped the marriage to Alexandra was his last. “I’m not proud to say that though,” Oldman said of his many marriages. “But I’ve had a few goes at it now, so I’ve probably learnt something from the first three. Practice makes perfect. Isn’t that what they say? I’m not proud that this is my fourth marriage. But this is a good one. Hopefully, my last one.”
Edenborough is a singer-songwriter. According to Page Six, Oldman blamed their age gap on the relationship not working out.
5. Gary Oldman Says Wife Number Five Is the One Who Will Last
GettyGary Oldman (L) and Gisele Schmidt (R) attend the British Independent Film Awards held at Old Billingsgate on December 10, 2017 in London, England.
Gary Oldman is now married for a fifth time. Will marriage number 5 work when the others have failed? He thinks so. His fifth wife is named Gisele Schmidt.
“You know, sometimes you have to go through the others,” Oldman told The New York Daily News. According to the newspaper, Oldman “cites Schmidt’s first marriage as evidence that she’s going to be a good wife.”
“Her ex, they were together 20 years and they have a 9-year-old son, he’s a great guy,” Oldman said to the newspaper. “He was at our wedding. We’re all very friendly. He even said, ‘We should have been friends, I wasn’t Mr. Right.’ But they’re great buddies.” Oldman told Daily News that he and Schmidt were like peas in a pod.