30. She Was The Richest Child Star
At the top of her game, Shirley Temple raked in a staggering $10,000 a week. She was the highest-paid child actor around, and with all that money waiting for her, Temple’s future seemed golden and secure. By the time she grew into an adult, she’d made around $3.2 million…or so she thought.
31. Her Father Betrayed Her
Imagine Shirley Temple’s surprise when she finally got to peek at her bank accounts and found—not millions, but only $44,000. Her father had betrayed her in the most devious way possible. Allegedly, he had not been placing her income in a trust fund for her. It was an infuriating situation—but Temple’s reaction was even more shocking.
32. She Forgave Him
Shirley Temple’s father had treated her terribly by failing to protect her childhood earnings. However, she later described the whole fiasco with tremendous grace and forgiveness: “For reasons some may find inexplicable, I felt neither disappointment nor anger”.
Clearly, Shirley Temple was made of stronger stuff—and perhaps that’s how she survived the trying years to come.
33. She Received A Terrible Warning
David O Selznick was a huge name in Hollywood, and some may know him as the producer of Gone with the Wind—but he was also a predator. His artistic director Anita Colby even warned Shirley Temple against him, telling her to be wary of him if she “found him [Selznick] in stockings”. This may sound a bit cryptic, but Temple learned firsthand what this warning alluded to.
34. A Corrupt Producer Came For Her
When she was 17, Shirley Temple had an encounter with David O Selznick that she never forgot. During a meeting, Selznick tried to grasp her hand. That’s when Temple looked at his feet and noted the stockings she’d been warned about. Alarm bells began ringing in her head. She knew she needed to get away fast—but Selznick had a messed-up trick up his sleeve.
That Hagen Girl (1947), Warner Bros.
35. He Harassed Her
Disturbed by Selznick’s behavior, Temple turned to leave. Unfortunately, Selznick knew just how to stop her. There was a switch on his desk that automatically locked the door to the room. The young actress was now prey, trapped in an office with the most despicable kind of beast. He began stalking her around the room.
36. She Dodged His Advances
In recalling this terrifying incident, Temple later wrote, “Blessed with the agility of a young dancer and confronted by an amorous but overweight producer, I had little difficulty avoiding passionate clumsiness”. Though she managed to dodge the producer’s aggressive advances, this wouldn't be the last time a powerful man came after her.
37. He Threatened Her
According to Temple, another big Hollywood producer, whom she only referred to as “Wizard,” also tried to get physical with her. When she rejected him, he said, “Look I’m going to be a big executive. We’re going to have to get along… What I had in mind was just a workplace formality”. This was a thinly-veiled threat—but Temple had the most courageous response.
38. She Rejected All Of Them
Shirley Temple wasn’t about to be pressured into something she did not want to do. She quipped back, “It may be in your contract, but not in mine”. Unbelievably, she endured more moments like this throughout her career. Even at the age of 35, Temple could not shake these awful men. Enter: George Jessel.
Jessel was a comedian—but behind closed doors, he was a woman’s worst nightmare.
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39. He Ambushed Her
George Jessel wanted to “discuss a key role” with Shirley Temple, inviting her to a private meeting. It went so wrong. Alone together, he sprung on her. He loosened his trousers and even tried to pull up her shirt. This wasn’t long after her encounter with Wizard, but nonetheless, Temple felt blindsided. Again, she played the hero of her own story.
40. She Didn't Hold Back
Shirley Temple couldn’t believe that this was happening again. She did what she needed to do, kneeing him hard in the groin. She later wrote of the incident and Jessel’s reaction: “Pain, disgust, and hate flickered across his face, but I felt no mercy”. At this time in her life, Temple had already met so many cruel men. In fact, one of them had been none other than her first husband.
41. She Married The Wrong Man
In 1943, Shirley Temple was only 15 when she met her future husband John Agar. Two years later, they tied the knot, eventually welcoming their daughter, Linda Susan. Agar even broke into acting and made two films with his wife, Fort Apache and Adventure in Baltimore. On the surface, they seemed like the ideal nuclear family—but horrifyingly, this marriage was rotten to the core.
42. He Was Brutal With Her
In Shirley Temple’s autobiography, she painted a heartbreaking picture of her marriage to John Agar. Apparently, after they said “I do,” their rocky relationship nosedived. Agar was not a good husband. He had a severe drinking problem and mistreated Temple. Not only did he hurt her physically, but he was chronically unfaithful. This was no “happily ever after”.
43. She Left Him In The Dust
Temple and Agar’s twisted “romance” lasted only five years. In 1949, Temple reached the end of her rope and sued Agar for divorce, citing “mental cruelty”. The actress won custody of her daughter and hoped to start a new chapter of her life. It seemed like this nightmare had finally come to a close—but decades later, her awful ex-husband came back to haunt her.
44. He Tried To Get A Petty Revenge
After Shirley Temple’s death in 2014, a 417-page FBI file about her came to light. Its contents were utterly disturbing. You see, in 1969, Richard Nixon nominated Shirley Temple as a UN ambassador. By this time, the actress had pivoted her career to politics and this was undoubtedly a big deal. But her ex-husband John Agar knew how to hold a grudge. His petty revenge knew no bounds.
45. He Tried To Derail Her Life
After this nomination, the FBI began checking to see if Shirley Temple was a suitable candidate. But when they spoke to her ex-husband John Agar, his statements were diabolical. He didn’t recommend her character, and claimed that she was “emotionally unstable”. Additionally, he said that whenever she failed to get her way, she would “overreact”.
But though Agar attempted to sabotage his ex-wife’s new career, he failed horribly.
46. She Had The Last Laugh
Luckily, Shirley Temple had many people in her corner, including Ronald Reagan, who described her as a “very courageous woman of the highest morals”. Her first husband’s petty attempts to destroy her fell through the cracks. Temple got the last laugh in the end. Following her turbulent marriage to Agar, she finally found a good man.
47. She Had A "Happily Ever After"
At the young age of 22, Shirley Temple’s film career had already peaked and was on its way out. She was no longer a beloved child star but a full-blown adult with a divorce under her belt. With her glory days long behind her, Temple retired. But there was a silver lining.
The very same year she quit acting, she met Charles Black. After a brief 12-day dating stint, they married, staying together for the next 55 years, up until Black’s passing.
48. She Survived An Assassination Attempt
Shirley Temple’s shocking autobiography Child Star exposed the horrors of child acting—but one story is so wild, it’s almost unbelievable. When she was 10 years old, Temple appeared for a performance at CBS and began singing “Silent Night”. That’s when a woman in the audience drew a firearm and began pointing it at the young star.
49. It Was The Most Bizarre Story
Luckily, the woman didn’t get a chance to pull the trigger or hurt Shirley Temple in any way. But after being apprehended, the assailant’s dark truth emerged. Apparently, the woman’s daughter had passed 10 years ago on the day of Shirley Temple’s birth. Consumed by grief, this woman believed that Temple had stolen her daughter’s soul. What’s more? She thought she’d be able to free her daughter if she ended Temple’s life.
50. She Had One Last Secret
Though many other child actors met terrible ends, Shirley Temple was not one of them. Despite her unsavory past, she managed to live a long and fruitful life. She beat cancer at the age of 44 and lived to the age of 85. However, her cause of death was heartbreaking.
You see, Temple smoked all her life, but tried to keep this a secret. She didn’t want to influence her fans to follow her bad example. Her cause of death? Progressive lung disease.
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