Everybody Knew Her
From an early point in her life, Inga Arvad consistently found herself the subject of contention, which she would later regret. Most of the professional and personal ventures she explored would end up damaged by a decision she made early in her career. As a result, there was hardly a time when she wasn’t being watched—even from the shadows.
1. She Moved Around
Few historical figures have been so publicly obscure, yet so controversial in her time, as Inga Arvad. Her tumultuous life began early. After her birth on October 6, 1913, Inga seemingly had a hard time staying put—although it wasn’t her fault. From her birthplace in Copenhagen, Denmark, her mother took her to England for her education, after which she traveled to Paris, then to Brussels to train in piano, and eventually back to Paris.
It wasn’t long before she entered the spotlight.
2. She Was A Winner
In 1931, when she was 17, Inga Arvad quickly became prominent in the public eye following a national accomplishment. Entering a countrywide beauty contest, she was soon named Miss Denmark and her name flooded the papers. Although she competed for the title of Miss Europe, she was unsuccessful.
Still, following her win, Inga found no shortage of suitors.
Nordisk Tonefilm, Millions in Flight (1934)
3. She Tied The Knot
That same year, Inga’s success in Denmark allowed her to become familiar with many members of society’s upper echelon. As a result, she met Egyptian diplomat Kamal Abdel Nabi, and the two married after only two months. But the whirlwind romance soon turned into a nightmare.
Inga was incredibly unhappy in Egypt, and their marriage was no picnic either. The two divorced in 1933. Free from a miserable marriage, she pursued her passion.
Nordisk Tonefilm, Millions in Flight (1934)
4. She Became A Writer
With a proclivity for writing and current news, Inga Arvad began her career in journalism, working for several outlets on a freelance basis. The most prominent of these during her early career was her work with Berligske Tidene, Denmark’s preeminent newspaper. She had more interests than journalism, though.
Nordisk Tonefilm, Millions in Flight (1934)
5. She Stepped Into The Limelight
Beyond beauty queen and journalist, Inga added “actress” to her resume in the mid-1930s. After meeting Hungarian director Paul Fejos, she starred in his 1934 film Flight From the Millions and would appear in one other movie later in her life. However, among the famous people she encountered, she was about to have her most impactful meeting.
Unknown author, Wikimedia Commons
6. She Met A Dangerous Man
In 1935, Inga’s budding journalism career took a turn that would follow her for the rest of her life. In the years leading up to WWII, the newly appointed Führer was ever-present in the public consciousness but hadn’t yet revealed the full extent of his barbarism. As such, Inga was desperate to get in a room with Adolf to prove her potential.
It didn’t take long for her to secure this interview, but it wasn’t what many expected.
Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1990-048-29A, CC-BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
7. They Avoided Politics
Although an interview with the Führer was exactly what Inga Arvad wanted, it wasn’t for any hard-hitting governmental insights. According to her, since she had no understanding of international politics, she was far more interested in the mundane “little things” about him. She wrote about his interests, likes and dislikes, and habits outside his position.
She also spoke plainly about her own opinion of him.
Nordisk Tonefilm, Millions in Flight (1934)
8. She Described Him Fondly
Inga’s interest in the Führer wasn’t uncommon in the mid-1930s, as many found him a fascinating character, especially before the Holocaust. Her profile of Adolf was skewed quite positively, and she wasn’t shy about promoting the more amiable qualities she believed she found in him. For instance, her article spoke of his charming nature and supposed “kind heart”.
On the other side, the feeling was mutual but perhaps more intense.
Nordisk Tonefilm, Millions in Flight (1934)
9. He Was Enamored
Through their conversations, Inga Arvad grew more fascinated by the Führer, and he became even more infatuated with her. He allowed only a few Scandinavian journalists to meet with him, but he made his affections specifically for Inga known, regarding her as “the most perfect example of Nordic beauty”.
As it turns out, the Führer wasn’t the only one who fancied her.
Nordisk Tonefilm, Millions in Flight (1934)
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10. She Married Again
At around 22 years old, Inga wound up in her second marriage, which was luckily to someone she already had a rapport with. In 1936, she married director Paul Fejos, who took her on a trip through Asia while he filmed a series of documentaries, before sending her back to Europe as he believed it would be safer.
Before they married, he had a unique way of proposing.
11. He Was Straightforward
In a move that would foreshadow how the rest of their marriage would go, Fejos’ proposal to Inga was quite unusual. Away from his soon-to-be betrothed, the director sent a telegram to Inga to ask for her hand. Rather than poetry or other flowery affections, the message simply said, “ARRIVE TOMORROW: WILL YOU MARRY ME?”.
She agreed to marry him, but someone else also wanted her around.
Nordisk Tonefilm, Millions in Flight (1934)
12. He Invited Her Back
Inga’s interview with the Führer wasn’t the last time she spoke with him, and she had left such a mark that he extended a special invitation. Enjoying her company, Adolf brought her as a special guest to watch the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. Unfortunately for Inga, her desire to make a name for herself resulted in others taking notice, including those she likely hadn’t intended.
Bulgarian Archives State Agency, Picryl
13. She Drew Suspicion
International tensions were rising on the approach to WWII, and the US was paying close attention to the Führer’s growing influence. Inga Arvad had become closer than most in her position, and the FBI wasn’t ignorant of how familiar she and Adolf had become. Soon, it was easy for them to suspect her of espionage.
And they weren’t the only ones. Germany was thinking along the same lines.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
14. They Tried Recruiting Her
The same year she attended the Summer Olympics, Inga finally understood how severe her situation was. Beyond the Führer, she had become popular with many members of German high society. With this reputation and her positive profile on the Führer, the Gestapo suggested that she become a spy for them.
Needless to say, this rattled the young journalist.
Bulgarian Archives State Agency, Picryl
15. She Relocated
A few years after leaving Germany, Inga may have realized that Europe’s growing danger was too much to live in the middle of. In 1940, she moved to America without her husband, enrolling in the Columbia School of Journalism. Clearly, this drastic change didn’t sway her from her career choice.
16. She Got A New Job
Following her studies, Inga was lucky enough to find a job in her field relatively quickly. Settling in Washington, DC, she joined the Washington Times-Herald as a columnist, furthering her experience in writing about high society and its gossip. However, her reputation would soon rear its ugly head.
17. They Found Her Out
A year into her work with the Washington Times-Herald, Inga’s biggest secret came out, despite her desire to leave it behind. Another employee found the picture of Inga and the Führer at the Olympics, causing suspicion even within the company that she served Germany.
Naturally, Inga wanted to get ahead of the accusations.
18. They Tried To Explain
Rather than wait for rumors of Inga’s undercover espionage to get out of hand, the higher-ups at the newspaper tried to set the record straight, along with Inga herself. Taking the photo to the FBI—Inga Arvad, her editor, and the woman who discovered the picture tried to explain Inga’s side of the story.
In taking these steps, she only exacerbated the issue.
19. She Made Things Worse
In trying to put the rumors about her to rest and especially throw the FBI’s suspicion off, Inga seemingly did the opposite. Following her meeting with the bureau, the government took an even greater interest in her day-to-day activities. Furthermore, they used more severe measures such as bugging her apartment and intercepting her mail.
While they began watching her more carefully, she made some powerful friendships.
Nordisk Tonefilm, Millions in Flight (1934)
20. Her Roomate Was Famous
While in Washington, Inga roomed with Kathleen Kennedy, one of her co-workers at the Washington Times-Herald. Kathleen worked as a research assistant but was well-known in American society as a socialite, and later on notably as John F Kennedy’s sister. Of course, this led to yet another impactful meaning.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, Wikimedia Commons
21. He Was Infatuated With Her
Throughout her life, Inga Arvad continued to find potential suitors, at times almost too quickly to keep up with. In the early 1940s, Inga and her roommate grew closer as friends, and Kathleen eventually introduced Inga to her brother. After meeting JFK, the two instantly clicked, and he especially was taken with her.
Spending more time together, they tried to keep their courtship from the public eye.
CNN, American Dynasties: The Kennedys (2018)
22. They Hid Themselves
JFK wasn’t on the track to his presidency yet, being a young ensign in the American Navy, but his family still held prominence. Beyond this, Inga was married to Paul Fejos, giving both of them reason to keep any romantic entanglements on the down low. A third factor Inga was still unaware of was that, behind the scenes, the government hadn’t forgotten her.
CNN, American Dynasties: The Kennedys (2018)
23. He Didn’t Buy It
Concerning Inga’s seemingly mundane life as a new resident of America, many higher-ups in the government and law enforcement were sure it was a facade. Elevating past the attention of the FBI’s agents, even Director J Edgar Hoover was certain she was a spy for Germany.
In all fairness, she certainly didn’t help her own case.
24. She Was Complicated
Over the years, in response to the many suspicions others had against her, Inga denied any support for Germany and the Führer following the beginning of WWII. Despite this, some who knew her at Columbia would later recall several instances of her antisemitism. As the FBI looked closer, they quickly picked up on what was going on.
CNN, American Dynasties: The Kennedys (2018)
25. They Saw A Stranger
While the FBI surveilled Inga Arvad, they discovered her ongoing relationship with JFK, although they didn’t know it was him at the time. Judging from their activities, including him visiting her apartment constantly and being seen in public together, the FBI suspected she was having an affair.
Looking back, JFK didn’t try very hard to hide his identity.
Frank Turgeon Jr., Wikimedia Commons
26. His Name Matched
During their investigation, the FBI initially had difficulty figuring out who the new man in Inga’s life was. Although they had the description of a thin, young man, the one detail they had that identified him most was the name “Jack”. While this didn’t immediately answer their questions, it’s easy to see that this was JFK in retrospect.
This mystery caused the bureau to become even more desperate.
National Archives and Records Administration, Wikimedia Commons
27. They Doubled Down
The couple’s attempts to conceal their relationship didn’t last long, and the FBI eventually caught on. Although he wasn’t striving for a Presidency yet, JFK was from a political family, with a father who served as an American ambassador. This connection caused the FBI to increase surveillance efforts, wire-tapping Inga’s phone to listen to their conversations.
This investigation also caught the eye of someone even more powerful.
CNN, American Dynasties: The Kennedys (2018)
28. He Received An Important Message
With Inga becoming more of an issue for those behind the scenes, the FBI received a notice from the highest in the land. Her familiarity with the Kennedys prompted President Franklin D Roosevelt to send Director Hoover a confidential letter, calling for the bureau to watch Inga even more closely.
In addition, those in power did their best to break the couple up.
FDR Presidential Library & Museum, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
29. They Moved Him
Despite their suspicions, those investigating Inga lacked concrete proof and couldn’t legally do anything against her. Instead, they aimed to separate her from JFK to prevent potential espionage attempts. As he was an ensign in the Navy, the job was left to the Office of Naval Intelligence, which relocated him to Charleston, South Carolina in 1942.
This didn’t work initially, and the bureau became more suspicious.
U.S. Navy photo, Wikimedia Commons
30. They Grew More Famous
During their relationship, Inga became the first person to whom JFK divulged his intentions to enter the world of politics. Of course, this became more widespread knowledge, which only placed a larger target on Inga’s back. As a final resort, the government turned to the only man who could end their relationship.
CNN, American Dynasties: The Kennedys (2018)
31. His Father Found Out
Not long after his reassignment, JFK had no alternative but to sort out his priorities. Unable to separate him and Inga through distance, the FBI enlisted the help of the one man with the authority to get the job done—JFK’s father. With the combination of a call from Director Hoover, and concern for his son’s future, Joseph P Kennedy urged JFK to stop seeing Inga.
This spelled the end for them.
Wide World Photos, Wikimedia Commons
32. They Were Through
Although she was unaware of how far the FBI would go to keep an eye on her, Inga hadn’t become ignorant of her controversial past. Mixing with the pressure coming from JFK’s father, Inga knew that the rumors about her would only hinder her lover’s political journey. So, with heavy hearts, the two of them parted ways.
This was doubly unfortunate since Inga was ready to settle down again.
CNN, American Dynasties: The Kennedys (2018)
33. She Wanted To Get Serious
Unlike what many thought, evidence shows that Inga’s relationship with JFK wasn’t simply out of unfeeling ambition. In fact, she was ready to divorce the husband she had been away from for so long and told Kennedy she wanted to marry him. Sadly for her, they weren’t exactly on the same page.
CNN, American Dynasties: The Kennedys (2018)
34. He Didn’t Want To Be Pinned Down
JFK was infatuated with Inga, but he just wasn’t at a point where he was ready to start a family. He remained in this mindset through the rest of the relationship, even with Inga trying to convince him otherwise, which only served to irritate her. Later, Inga would speak about this relationship, trying to hide her feelings.
CNN, American Dynasties: The Kennedys (2018)
35. She Tried To Save Face
Inga Arvad never forgot her relationship with JFK or how she felt about him, even if she later portrayed a different attitude to the public. When recounting this time in her later years, she would refer to their courtship as a "passing affair". Following her separation from JFK, more heartbreak was sure to follow.
U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce, Wikimedia Commons
36. She Was Single Again
While her time with JFK was ending in 1942, Inga still had her marriage to Paul Fejos, at least for a little bit. As it happened, that same year, the two divorced and Inga rejoined the life of a bachelorette. There seemed to be no love lost since, besides her extramarital affair, Fejos was barely present.
Around this time, despite the suspicions against her, she was able to settle permanently.
CNN, American Dynasties: The Kennedys (2018)
37. She Found A Home
For someone who spent much of her life traveling from country to country, Inga finally was able to put some roots down only a few years after her divorce. In 1945, she made the leap and became an American naturalized citizen. The FBI likely wasn’t too happy about this, but they still lacked any true evidence of espionage on her part.
With her new citizenship, Inga was still adamant about fully settling down.
Nordisk Tonefilm, Millions in Flight (1934)
38. She Met Another Partner
Later that year, Inga began a relationship with another politician, whom she met in Los Angeles. Robert Boothby was a British Parliament member, who Inga hit it off with and eventually became engaged to. Like her previous suitors, he was immediately in love but was possibly the most passionate of them all.
Bassano Ltd, Wikimedia Commons
39. He Was Obsessed
Many men who pined after Inga Arvad spoke fondly of her charm and beauty, but none were as intense as Robert Boothby. A departure from the last proposal she received, Boothby asked Inga to marry him once he returned to England but did so through a 20-page letter, in which he begged for her hand in marriage.
In another run of bad luck, this didn’t work out for her.
40. She Was Concerned
Boothby’s efforts to court his love may have seemed like a bit much, but it certainly worked for Inga, who happily agreed to marry him. Unfortunately, since Boothby was a politician, the feelings that inhibited Inga’s relationship with JFK resurfaced. Knowing that her reputation would make Boothby’s career more difficult, she called off the engagement.
Tired of how the others spoke about her, she constantly tried to set things straight.
Nordisk Tonefilm, Millions in Flight (1934)
41. She Clarified Her Stance
Now in the middle of WWII, Inga Arvad had long abandoned any positive view of the Führer she had when they met, a change that she wasn’t shy about explaining. Categorically denouncing his policies, she wanted people to know that she only interviewed him twice and had no attachment to him. However, many media outlets refused to let this connection go.
Only a couple of years later, she met the final love of her life.
Nordisk Tonefilm, Millions in Flight (1934)
42. She Settled Down
In the following years, Inga met and grew closer to American Western actor Tim McCoy while he was filming on an Indigenous reservation. Once again diving head-first into a commitment, Inga married McCoy in 1947 in a small, secret ceremony, likely to avoid the attention she had been the center of for much of her life.
Still, years of experience had turned her into a pessimist.
Columbia Pictures/Dixie Cup Company, Wikimedia Commons
43. She Had Little Hope
Inga’s romantic history hadn’t been successful or happy in many cases, and she understandably expected the worst. Tim McCoy wanted to give her all the luxuries he could offer, including a diamond wedding ring from Cartier. Inga wasn’t on board with this, as she envisioned that the relationship wouldn’t last long, so she requested a $14 Sears ring.
However, against her predictions, the two began a life together.
Internet Archive identifier: motionnew34moti, Wikimedia Commons
44. Their Family Grew
McCoy had entered this new union with three previous children from his first marriage, but the same year he married Inga, she gave birth to their first son, Ronald. Living on their estate in Pennsylvania, she and McCoy welcomed their second son Terrence soon after. Even then, there was a degree of mystery to her family.
Puritan Pictures, Wikimedia Commons
45. She Was Unsure
When her eldest son Ronald was in college, Inga revealed the mystery surrounding his birth. According to her, she was pregnant when she married Tim McCoy and she implied that he was not the only man in her life at the time. As a result, the identity of Ronald’s father was unclear, and Inga believed it could have been either McCoy or JFK.
This was only bolstered by the fact that Kennedy remained present in her mind.
Kheel Center, Wikimedia Commons
46. They Both Remembered
As Inga later told her son, she and JFK allegedly maintained sparse contact over the years and occasionally reunited. Whether or not this is true, other accounts confirm he never forgot her. In later years, a mutual friend stated that every time he spoke to JFK, the President would ask about Inga with a forlorn endearment.
Naturally, Inga was greatly affected by JFK’s demise.
Cecil Stoughton, Wikimedia Commons
47. She Was Despondent
Although she found happiness with her new family, Inga clearly never let go of her love for JFK. Naturally, this made it all the more difficult when he perished in 1963. According to author Scott Farris, once Inga heard the news of JFK’s demise, she retreated to her room and “cried for hours”.
Eventually, Inga’s story concluded.
White House Press Office, Wikimedia Commons
48. Her Story Ended
In the latter decades of her life, Inga Arvad slowly retreated from the public eye, a fact she was undoubtedly happy about. Eventually, she tragically received a diagnosis of untreatable colon cancer. On December 12, 1973, Inga Arvad succumbed to her illness and passed at the age of 60.
Following this, her family realized the truth.
Nordisk Tonefilm, Millions in Flight (1934)
49. They Found Out After
Authorities and the government had paid close attention to Inga and JFK, but the two weren’t always the subject of public gossip. As such, knowledge of their relationship wasn’t widely known until after Inga passed and her memoirs became available. Surprisingly, only then did the rest of her family discover this affair, and the possibility of Ronald’s true father.
While this truth may have come to light, some never got their answers.
U.S. Navy photo, Wikimedia Commons
50. She May Have Been Innocent
Since the moment she conducted those fateful interviews with one of the most heinous villains in history, Inga never escaped the scrutiny of those accusing her of treachery. That said, the FBI never uncovered any proof of the activity they suspected.
While there were several pieces of circumstantial evidence against her, it remains possible that she was simply the victim of a poor reputation.
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