Clint Eastwood is well known for his dramatic on-screen work, but his romantic entanglements behind-the-scenes of his blockbuster films have also made headlines over the years.
On Thursday, Eastwood revealed his longtime partner, Christina Sandera, had passed away at 61 in a heartbreaking statement. The pair had been in a relationship since in 2014.
While the 94-year-old actor eventually found true love with Sandera, his past romances have been filled with drama.
Since the actor first rose to prominence back in the early ’60s, he has been through multiple marriages – the first of which was rocked by a bitter cheating scandal, had several on-set love affairs, been linked to a woman 33 years his junior, fathered eight children, and faced sensational allegations of abuse from an ex.
Now, FEMAIL looks back on the up and downs Eastwood’s often tumultuous love life, from his first marriage in his early 20s to his late partner.
Clint married a college student named Maggie Johnson before he was famous
Before Eastwood got his big break, the actor fell in love with University of California student named Margaret ‘Maggie’ Johnson
The two met on a blind date in 1953 – right after Clint, then 23, was discharged from the military and five years before he received his breakthrough role in the CBS series Rawhide.
The young woman was drawn to the then-aspiring actor almost immediately, recalling in Richard Schickel’s book, Clint Eastwood: A Biography: ‘I came down the stairs of the sorority house, and [Clint] had his back to me.
‘When he turned around, I was amazed at what he looked like. Plus, he was understated and that kind of appealed to me.
Long before he was even famous, Clint fell in love with a University of California student named Margaret ‘Maggie’ Johnson. They are seen together in 1960
The two (seen in 1971) met on a blind date in 1953 – right after Eastwood, then 23, was discharged from the military and five years before he received his breakthrough role
While the pair immediately hit it off, the aspiring actor continued to see other women while they were dating.
He even fathered a daughter named Laurie with a Seattle-based woman who has not been identified.
Laurie, who was given up for adoption without his knowledge, only found out about her famous father when she went on a hunt to find her biological parents.
Eastwood and Johnson tied the knot just six months after they met, and were married for more than two decades – despite the actor becoming embroiled in multiple explosive cheating scandals during their union.
They welcomed two kids together – a son, named Kyle, in 1968, and a daughter, named Alison, in 1972 – before they ultimately went their separate ways in 1979.
Their divorce was finalized five years later in 1984.
Despite the Oscar winner’s numerous infidelities, the split seemed to be amicable – and in 2022, more than 40 years after they ended their marriage, their daughter Alison told Fox News that they were still friends.
‘I’m so thankful that both of them are friends. We all celebrate Thanksgiving together,’ she said at the time.
Clint’s 14-year secret romance with Rawhide stuntwoman Roxanne Tunis – while he was married
In 1959, Eastwood became embroiled in a 14-year-long love affair with stuntwoman Roxanne Tunis, whom he met on his show Rawhide.
Tunis, who died at age 93 in August, 2023, was said to be ‘one of Clint’s true loves,’ as per a RadarOnline source.
The source added the Tunis and Eastwood ‘maintained a healthy relationship, until her death.’
The affair reportedly went on for 14 years, and it resulted in the birth of another one of Eastwood’s children, a daughter named Kimber, in 1964. Roxanne is pictured
A source told Radar that the stuntwoman, actress, and dancer ‘was one of Clint’s true loves,’ and that the exes ‘maintained a healthy relationship … until the end.’ She’s seen with Kimber
‘On the set, they were very open about the fact they were lovers,’ an insider told RadarOnline of their romance.
‘After Clint would finish a scene, he’d amble over to Roxanne and stroll around the set with his arm affectionately around her. She was usually in his dressing room trailer.’
Tunis gave birth to the pair’s daughter, Kimber, in 1964.
Their daughter, Kimber – who now works as a makeup artist who has helped do the glam for a slew of reality and game shows like Wheel of Fortune and Dog the Bounty Hunter – confirmed in a statement back in August that Tunis had passed away at age 93 ‘after a brief illness.’
She said that Clint was ‘just as sad as she was’ about the news, and that he sent his condolences to her and his grandson.
Clint’s 13-year-long affair with Sondra Locke, which ended with an explosive lawsuit that saw the actress accuse her ex of causing her severe ’emotional and physical distress’
Eastwood also had an affair with his The Outlaw Josey Wales costar Sondra Locke during his 26-year marriage to Maggie Johnson.
However, the tryst ended with an explosive lawsuit that involved Sondra accusing him of ‘abuse’ and alleging that he purposely tried to stop her from making money after they split.
Their romance began in 1972 – while Locke was married to her high school sweetheart, Gordon Anderson, and he was still with Johnson – and it went on for 13 years.
The actress even lived in one of Eastwood’s many homes from 1975 to 1989, so that they could meet up easily without anyone knowing.
Eastwood also had an affair with his The Outlaw Josey Wales costar Sondra Locke during his 26-year marriage to Maggie Johnson. Pictured is Eastwood and Locke in 1988
Their romance began in 1972 – while Sondra was married to another man, Gordon Anderson, and he was still with Maggie – and it went on for 13 years. They’re seen in 1982
In 1977, when they starred in another movie together – The Gauntlet – speculation started to arise that something was going on between them, but the two insisted at the time that they were just friends.
‘Everybody would love for us to say, “It’s all true, we’re madly in love,”‘ Locke told People in 1978.
‘But people will believe whatever they want to believe. Even if it were true – which it isn’t – I certainly wouldn’t talk about it.’
The couple never had any children, and the actress later alleged in her memoir, The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly: A Hollywood Journey, that Eastwood forced her to get two abortions and made her get her tubes tied because he didn’t want any more children.
The actress claimed that when they split in 1989, Eastwood gave her no warning and suddenly changed the locks to the home she was living in, leaving her belongings in boxes outside.
The actress ultimately sued the actor, accusing him of causing ‘severe emotional and physical distress’ and ‘mental and physical harm’ to her during their relationship.
She claimed in court that he was ‘frequently abusive,’ but Eastwood denied the allegations and said that she was ‘playing the victim’ to try to get money.
In 1977, when they starred in another movie together – The Gauntlet (seen) – speculation arose that something was going on between them, but the two insisted they were just friends
The actress sued Clint (seen together in 1981) after their romance ended, accusing him of causing ‘severe emotional and physical distress’ and ‘mental and physical harm’ to her
‘If you look at [her lawsuit], money was the issue. Somebody can make up stories and put on an act and play the victim,’ he told The Independent in an interview. ‘Some people feel that the world owes them a living.’
In 1990, Eastwood promised Sondra a $1.5 million deal with Warner Bros., which involved her writing scripts for the production company, in exchange for her dropping the suit.
However, five years later, she sued him again for fraud and breach of financial duty after she claimed that Warner Bros. turned down every idea that she brought to them.
The exes ultimately settled out of court for an undisclosed amount in 1996, after The Washington Post reported that the jury went into deliberations and ‘seemed poised to rule in her favor.’
She claimed in court that he was ‘frequently abusive,’ but Clint denied the allegations and said that she was ‘playing the victim’ to try to get money. The exes (seen in 1988) ultimately settled out of court for an undisclosed amount in 1996
‘We felt that he had bought his way out of a palimony suit. More or less 11 out of 12 people had come to the same conclusion,’ one of the jurors told the publication at the time.
While Locke said she felt ‘vindicated’ by the results, she slammed her ex to the outlet, explaining, ‘I’m sorry he is who he is. It was devastating to me to find out who he really was. I loved him. I entrusted myself to him.
‘I think he thought I’d go away, because he always gets his way. He just wills people to do things, he would say that all the time. And he was willing me to go away.
‘But I didn’t. So he had to make it happen, which is not his way… I just wanted to go forward, I just wanted to work. It seemed more important to me.’
She added it was ‘never about money. It was about my fighting for my professional rights.’
While discussing the case with Playboy, Eastwood claimed his mistress was ‘obsessed’ with him and that he did ‘try to help her’ get jobs after their split, but that it simply ‘didn’t work out.’
‘I felt it was like social extortion of a kind, blackmail or whatever you want to call it,’ he said.
Locke passed away in 2018 after a battle with breast and bone cancer.
He welcomed two more kids with a third mistress, a flight attendant named Jacelyn Reeves, during the ’80s
In Locke’s memoir, The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly: A Hollywood Journey, she alleged that Eastwood had several affairs while he was with her.
One was revealed to be a flight attendant named Jacelyn Reeves, with the pair going on to have two children together – a son, named Scott, in 1986, and daughter, named Kathryn, in 1988.
Clint dated flight attendant named Jacelyn Reeves in the ’80s, and they had two kids – a son, named Scott, in 1986, and daughter, named Kathryn, in 1988. Jacelyn’s seen with Scott in 2016
Kathryn is pictured with Clint and his youngest daughter, Morgan (left), on the red carpet in February 2018
They reportedly ended their relationship in 1990 after it was revealed that they had secretly welcomed their children thanks to an expose published by The Star.
Scott, now 38, has followed in his dad’s footsteps, starring in several of his films – including Gran Torino and Invictus.
Kathryn, now 36, started off as a pageant queen, earning the Miss Golden Globe crown in 2005, and has started acting in recent years, landing small parts in the musical movie Jersey Boys and the Zombie flick Virus of the Dead.
Clint dated Frances Fisher in the ’90s and together they welcomed another daughter – but their romance ended after he was caught kissing another woman
Eastwood met actress Frances Fisher during a production party for the movie Pink Cadillac in 1988.
She admitted in Clint Eastwood: A Biography that it felt like love at first sight, gushing: ‘He looked right at me, the way he does every other woman in the world, but it got to me.
‘I mean, when he turns it on, he can turn it on, and I just went, “Oh my God, look at that.”
‘I just saw such beauty in his presence. And I felt like a big piece of the puzzle had fallen in place.’
Soon after his split from Locke, the two started quietly dating. They then made their red carpet debut as a couple in 1992, with Fisher telling People at the time: ‘It’s serious. We have a lot of fun.’
Clint met actress Frances Fisher during a production party for the movie Pink Cadillac in 1988, and soon after his split from Sondra, the two started quietly dating. They’re seen in 1993
Their daughter, Francesca, gained fame when she starred in the reality show Mrs. Eastwood & Company in 2012. Eastwood is seen with Francesca and Frances in 2017
They went on to welcome a daughter together, named Francesca, in 1993, but when photographers caught the star kissing a TV reporter named Dina Ruiz two years later, the romance came crashing down.
They officially parted ways that year after six years together. When asked about their split by the Los Angeles Times, Fisher explained: ‘With relationships, with people, you’re attracted to somebody for a reason.
‘You follow it through, and if you can’t get past the honeymoon stage and get into the deeper meanings of why you’re together… you’re doomed to just stop when things start getting tough.’
They seemed to have ended on good terms because they were photographed together at events numerous times in the years that followed.
Their daughter, Francesca, gained fame when she starred in the reality show Mrs. Eastwood & Company in 2012, which documented her as she split her time between her mom, and her stepmom, Dina.
She was also named Miss Golden Globe in 2013 and had small acting roles in Jersey Boys, Fargo, Twin Peaks, and Old.
Clint married Dina Ruiz in 1996 – but their 17-year-long marriage ended after a romance started blossoming between him and her friend’s ex-wife
Eastwood went on to marry his second wife, Dina Ruiz, in 1996 after he was caught locking lips with her. While it looked like his womanizing days were behind him, his marriage ended after he began dating her friend’s ex-wife.
Speaking of the beginning of their relationship, he explained to Carmel Magazine that he became enthralled with her after she was assigned to interview him about the film Unforgiven in 1992.
They coincidentally crossed paths again at a local event a few weeks later, with Eastwood explaining he couldn’t hide his feelings for her.
‘We got along really well [during the interview] and I guess we flirted a little bit because she took the [footage of it] back to [the news outlet] and one of her associates said, “You’re going to marry him,”‘ he explained of their first meeting.
‘Then we were attending a function out at Spanish Bay and [one of the hosts] said, “Do you mind sitting with Dina Ruiz?”
Eastwood started dating TV reporter Dina Ruiz (seen together in 1998) after that. The two reportedly fell for each other after she was assigned to interview him in 1992
‘I said, “No, not at all.’ We ended up holding hands and doing all that kind of nonsense.’
Almost immediately after he split from Fisher, Eastwood proposed to Ruiz. They married in March 1996 in Las Vegas at Steve Wynn’s estate, and they welcomed their daughter, Morgan, in December of that year.
For more than a decade, the actor was the epitome of a doting husband and father, and it seemed as though the former womanizer had officially put his wild days of secret love affairs and cheating scandals behind him.
In June 2012, however, it seemed as though there was trouble brewing in paradise, as People reported that his and his second wife’s romance had became fractured and that they were sleeping in separate rooms.
It was reported at the time that Ruiz had been leaning on her friend, Scott Fisher, for support amid her marital problems, who was going through his own divorce from a woman named Erica Tomlinson-Fisher.
Tomlinson-Fisher allegedly became concerned that Ruiz and Fisher were having an affair, so she reached out to Eastwood to warn him.
Morgan is seen with her older half-brother Scott Eastwood in 2016
But in a wild turn of events, Eastwood and Tomlinson-Fisher seemingly bonded and struck up their own romance, which left his wife ‘totally shocked.’
Eastwood and Ruiz officially split in late 2013, but she had nothing but praise for her ex when asked about their romance a few months later.
‘He’s lovely, he hasn’t done much. It’s other people around him have done things that have blown me away and again my ex-husband has done nothing [wrong],’ she said during an appearance on Bethenny Frankel’s talk show.
‘He is the sweetest, he is a loving, kind, low-key person so my intuition was still great on marrying a good person.’
She went on to marry Fisher three years later, while Earwood and Tomlinson-Fisher’s romance seemed to quietly fizzle out soon after.
Eastwood and Ruiz’s daughter Morgan has worked in the movie industry. She landed a very small role in Million Dollar Baby when she was a kid, as well as Eastwood’s popular 1992 drama Changeling.
He met restaurant hostess Christina Sandera in 2014 – and dated until she passed away in 2014
Eastwood and Sandera met when she worked as a restaurant hostess at Eastwood’s hotel, the Mission Ranch, in Carmel, California, in 2014.
Eastwood seemed to confirm that he was dating hostess Christina Sandera, who is 33 years his junior, when he brought her as his date to the Oscars in 2015, and the two walked arm-in-arm down the red carpet.
Despite their 33-year age-gap, their romance quickly blossomed after they first met, with little publicly known about their relationship, although she did support Eastwood at various film premieres and awards shows.
Eastwood and Sandera met when she worked as a restaurant hostess at Eastwood’s hotel, the Mission Ranch, in Carmel, California, in 2014. The couple is pictured 2015
On Thursday, the Oscar-winning actor and director confirmed the tragic news of his longtime partner, who died at age 61
Sandera made her red carpet debut with the star at the 2015 Oscars where his drama American Sniper was up for six awards.
She was first photographed with Eastwood in June 2014 with insiders saying she had moved into the $20 million mansion he had built for ex Ruiz months earlier.
They were last seen publicly together in 2019 – with the pair posing in November 2022 with Clint’s daughters in a final social media snap.
The same insider told an entertainment magazine that Eastwood was ‘with Christina and happy.’
‘Clint’s kids have all met Christina and like her,’ the source, who added that the children all thought she was ‘normal,’ said.
On Thursday, the Oscar-winning actor and director confirmed the tragic news of his longtime partner, who died at age 61.
Eastwood said: ‘Christina was a lovely, caring woman, and I will miss her very much.’
A Warner Bros. spokesperson told THR that no further information would be forthcoming on Christina’s death as Eastwood grieves the loss privately.