Clint Eastwood’s decades-long marriage to his first wife, Maggie Johnson, is once again under scrutiny following revelations of his serial infidelity outlined in a newly released biography.
According to the New York Post, A new book by author Shawn Levy reveals that Eastwood maintained numerous extramarital relationships during his 31-year marriage, often treating the union as if it didn’t exist.
According to “Clint: The Man and The Movies,” Eastwood openly engaged in affairs while married to Johnson from 1953 to 1984. The biography highlights that Johnson was aware of his behavior, and that Eastwood often lived as though he were unmarried.
Eastwood and Maggie Johnson married in the early 1950s and had two children together: Kyle, now 57, and Alison, now 53. Throughout their marriage, Johnson had to navigate Eastwood’s unconventional beliefs on fidelity and personal freedom.
Levy’s book cites Eastwood’s 1963 statement to Photoplay magazine, in which he told Johnson that he would act as he pleased and that she needed to accept him as he was—or they wouldn’t remain married. He also described himself as independent and not constrained by what he called “female possessiveness.”
The biography portrays Eastwood’s extramarital behavior as consistent and deliberate from early in the marriage. Levy quotes the actor saying he often acted like a single man and that his affairs became almost compulsive.
One of Eastwood’s most well-known relationships during his marriage to Johnson was with actress Sondra Locke. The two began seeing each other before Eastwood and Johnson officially separated. Locke discussed their relationship in her 1979 autobiography, claiming Eastwood told her his marriage was effectively over.
Locke also wrote that she underwent two abortions and later had a procedure to prevent further pregnancies, allegedly due to Eastwood’s insistence. While Eastwood denied these claims after their 1989 breakup, the revelations added strain to his already public personal history.
Eastwood also maintained a prolonged relationship with stuntwoman Roxanne Tunis, which lasted 14 years during his time with Johnson. Tunis gave birth to their daughter, Kimber, who is now 61 years old.
The biography reports that Eastwood often met women through settings tied to his work, such as acting classes, studio lots, and even the apartment complex he shared with Johnson. These encounters often turned into prolonged affairs or relationships with lasting consequences.
His relationships during and after his first marriage resulted in multiple children with different women. With flight attendant Jacelyn Reeves, Eastwood had two children: Scott and Kathryn. He also fathered Francesca with actress Frances Fisher.
One of Eastwood’s least-known children, Laurie, was born in 1954 and placed for adoption without his knowledge. The discovery of her existence emerged later in his life.
Eastwood remarried in 1996, this time to television journalist Dina Ruiz. The couple remained together until 2014 and had one daughter, Morgan, who is now 28 years old. The second marriage was more public, but ultimately ended in divorce.
More recently, Eastwood had a long-term relationship with Christina Sandera, whom he met at a California restaurant. They spent 10 years together, largely away from public attention, only appearing at events occasionally, including a red carpet in 2019.
Sandera passed away in July 2024 from a heart attack at age 61. In a statement following her death, Eastwood described her as a kind and caring individual whose presence he would deeply miss.
Levy’s book revisits earlier accounts of Eastwood’s views on fidelity, including a quote from a 1997 biography authored by Richard Schickel. In that biography, Eastwood admitted that his pattern of affairs became difficult to stop, comparing it to a compulsive habit.
He is quoted as saying that the series of romantic encounters evolved into something “addictive,” likening the pattern to smoking—something he felt drawn to repeat even when potentially harmful.
Levy’s new biography offers a chronologically organized and deeply detailed account of Eastwood’s personal life, focusing primarily on the complicated nature of his first marriage and the many side relationships that characterized that era.