Let me tell you a story about Debbie Reynolds. On days when she didn’t have anywhere to be, this remarkable woman would hold court from her king-size bed. Picture this: papers, pencils, books scattered all around, and Debbie, dressed in her bathrobe, making phone calls, raising money for her favorite charities, and meeting with her closest friends. “Debbie was such a tiny person,” remembers her close friend and frequent visitor, actress Ruta Lee. “She looked so small in that big bed.”
A Career Full of Talent and Heart
Debbie Reynolds wasn’t just a pretty face. She was a powerhouse of talent, determination, and kindness. This former Miss Burbank became a household name with the 1952 classic Singin’ in the Rain. Her career spanned decades, touching every corner of the entertainment world—films, hit recordings, television, cabaret, and Broadway. But life wasn’t always a walk in the park for Debbie. She faced more than her fair share of heartaches, and yet, she carried herself with grace and resilience.
Learning to Let Go and Move Forward
Ruta Lee, who starred in the 1954 film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and authored the delightful Hollywood tell-all Consider Your Ass Kissed!, shared her insights with Closer. “Debbie learned not to get upset over things she couldn’t control,” Ruta explained. “She would take a deep breath and say, ‘This doesn’t matter. I’ve got to keep myself healthy. I’ve got to keep my kids moving forward. I’ve got to keep working.’ That was Debbie.”
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Before Debbie became the Debbie Reynolds we all know and love, she was Mary Frances Reynolds, the Texas-born daughter of a carpenter and a laundress. “God, she loved her parents. Her father was quiet, stoic, and never laughed,” Ruta, now 87, recalls. “Her mother had a mouth. I think [Debbie’s daughter] Carrie [Fisher] took after her grandmother. She was a bit of a smart-ass, but hardworking and loving.”
Perseverance Amidst Adversity
Debbie’s strong work ethic was something she inherited and lived by every day. When her marriage to her second husband, shoe magnate Harry Karl, ended after 13 years in 1973, Debbie found out he had gambled away all their money. At 41, she started performing in nightclubs just to make ends meet. “She never complained to anyone. I wasn’t even aware of how tough life was for her, when she was literally living out of her car with her children,” Ruta says, who met Debbie in the 1950s. “She borrowed a good chunk of money from me, but she insisted I keep her diamond drop earrings until she paid me back—which she did in no time.”
Debbie later admitted she had “very poor” taste in men. Singer Eddie Fisher, the father of her children Carrie and Todd Fisher, famously left her. Her second husband not only squandered her money but also cheated on her and even quietly offered to set up her friend Ruta as his mistress! “That’s when I lost respect for him,” says Ruta, who declined the offer and never told Debbie about it. “I thought she’s suffered enough. She doesn’t need to know that one of her best girlfriends is being pitched by this schmuck,” Ruta explains. Debbie’s third marriage, to real estate developer Richard Hamlett, also ended after 12 years in 1996.
A Legacy of Kindness and Philanthropy
Despite the heartbreak, Debbie’s life was filled with wonderful moments. She and Ruta were deeply committed to the Thalians, a Hollywood-based charity. Debbie used her vast network in the entertainment industry to raise millions for mental health causes through Thalian galas and other special events. “She said that you can ask anyone for anything as long as it’s for charity,” Ruta shares.
Debbie truly believed in the power of kindness. As a teenager, she refused to stay silent when her friend Paula was ostracized for becoming pregnant and getting married at 16. “Debbie and her mom gave her a shower and invited everyone. And Paula never forgot it,” Ruta recalls. Paula Meehan, who found great success as the co-creator of the Redken hair-care line, remained a lifelong friend. “Paula had this amazing yacht, Sophisticated Lady, which she kept in the South of France,” says Ruta, who was lucky enough to be invited on girls’ trips with Debbie and Paula to France, Italy, Turkey, and Japan. “It was just the most glorious time. To enjoy that kind of luxury and sit back and laugh and rehash all the craziness of this business with your friends.”
Financial Vulnerability and the Fight to Preserve Hollywood's Legacy
The end of Debbie’s third marriage left her financially vulnerable once again. She had invested her money in a Las Vegas hotel that never turned a profit and a collection of Hollywood memorabilia that many didn’t see value in. “They literally threw away our history,” Debbie lamented, referring to her efforts to preserve MGM’s costumes and props.
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She tried hard to find backers for a new movie museum, but in 2001, Debbie was forced to sell off pieces of her collection. Though it broke her heart, the auctions were a massive success. A dress that Audrey Hepburn wore in My Fair Lady, which Debbie purchased for $100,000, sold for a staggering $4.4 million. Other items, including Marilyn Monroe’s dress from The Seven Year Itch, a Charlie Chaplin bowler hat, and a pair of Judy Garland’s ruby slippers, attracted collectors from around the world. “They sold for millions,” says Ruta, “but it’s a shame she didn’t live long enough to really enjoy it.”
After Carrie Fisher’s sudden passing in December 2016, Debbie vowed to stay strong for her granddaughter, Billie Lourd. “But the next day, she was gone,” says Ruta. Asked to remember her friend on live television, “I felt guardian angels keeping me going despite my heartbreak,” Ruta says. “It felt like Debbie tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘You’re on, kid.’”
