Joan Crawford’s Ex-Husband, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Adamantly Rejected Her “Mommie Dearest” Portrayal
Joan Crawford’s Ex-Husband, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Adamantly Rejected Her “Mommie Dearest” Portrayal
Staff AuthorMon, May 11, 2026 at 7:45 PM UTC
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Joan Crawford and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
Credit: Getty
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Joan Crawford was portrayed as an abusive mom in her daughter Christina's memoir and the subsequent film, Mommie Dearest
The memoir came out a year after Crawford's death, but those close to her rejected some of the claims made
During an appearance on Nostalgia Tonight with Joe Sibilia, entertainment historian Steve Randisi opened up about how Crawford's first husband, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., reacted to negative talk about the actress
Joan Crawford had a fierce defender in her first husband.
Appearing on Nostalgia Tonight with Joe Sibilia, entertainment historian Steve Randisi spoke about his friendship with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Despite their split, Randisi said that Fairbanks "loved his ex-wife," to whom he was married from 1929 to 1933.
He continued, "They were good friends. They remained very, very friendly towards each other. She always sent him birthday cards, Christmas cards, and you could not say... the slightest negative comment about Joan Crawford when you were in the presence of Douglas Fairbanks Jr.”
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Joan Crawford with daughter Christina and son Christopher
Credit: Getty
Fairbanks would often refute ideas that Crawford was cold and cruel, which stemmed from his daughter Christine's tell-all memoir of shocking child abuse, Mommie Dearest. Randisi recalled mentioning the movie to Fairbanks in 1990 and said he could immediately sense Fairbanks’ discomfort.
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"I could tell by the expression on his face," Randisi recalled. "And I said, 'Oh, no, no, no, no, I'm not going to say anything bad.' "
Crawford adopted Christina in Las Vegas in 1939, per The Guardian. The move came after her second marriage, to Franchot Tone, came to an end. At the time, it was illegal in California for a single woman to adopt, according to a 2010 retrospective on Crawford in The New Yorker.
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Joan Crawford
Credit: Getty
Fairbanks was among those in Crawford's life who believed the actress was misrepresented by her daughter in both the memoir and its subsequent film adaptation.
“When I mentioned the book and the film Mommie Dearest to Mr. Fairbanks, he shook his head and he said, ‘No,’ ” Randisi shared. “‘That story is about somebody that I did not know.’ So he was dismissive of that.”
Many people in Hollywood came to Crawford’s defense, but Christina has not backed down from the claims. After the book, Christina became an advocate for children of parents with alcoholism and those who have suffered abuse. She has testified in federal hearings and advised Los Angeles County when it reorganized its family courts.
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