Shortly after her divorce from Wilding, Taylor was quick to marry film producer Mike Todd, and by her own account, she was unfathomably happy with him. “God, I loved him. My self-esteem, my image, everything soared under his exuberant, loving care” (per “Elizabeth Takes Off”). The two had met during Taylor’s previous marriage. By the time she had filed her separation paperwork, Todd was already aggressively attempting to court the 24-year-old star; he was some 23 years her senior.
Taylor and Todd married in Acapulco, Mexico, in February 1957 and welcomed their daughter, Elizabeth Frances Todd, in August of that year. The couple’s union was one of frenzied love. Their boisterous personalities craved the spotlight, with the couple going so far as to stage fights in public so they could share a laugh over the morning paper the following day. According to Debbie Reynolds, a fellow actress and friend, she had never before seen such love and devotion between a couple.
Tragically, Mike Todd died in a plane crash on March 22, 1958, in New Mexico. The event absolutely scarred Taylor, and for a time, the actress did not believe she could continue after her husband’s death. For the remainder of her life, Taylor was always honest with how attached she was to Todd’s memory. “I have had two great loves in my life. Mike Todd was the first” (per “Elizabeth Takes Off”).
