Hollywood icon Tyrone Power was devoted to his family, but deep down, he always longed for a son, his youngest daughter Taryn Power has revealed. Her father and mother, Linda Christian, split after seven years in 1956, but Taryn said their marriage may have lasted if she had been born a boy.
"My mom said that if I had been a boy, he would never have left," she told Closer Weekly in an interview published in this week’s issue.
Despite this, Taryn insisted her father doted on his two daughters. As a Hollywood star in the '30s and '40s, he would often spend time away from home but would immediately seek out his children's company upon returning home.
Many fond memories were forged and Taryn recalls spending sunny days by the pool, laughing and spending time with her dad.
"I have this memory of hanging on his back in the swimming pool," Taryn said.
"I remember the feeling of holding on to someone I really trusted," she continued. "I felt safe."
Things came to a tragic ending in 1958, when Tyrone abruptly passed away months after marrying his third wife, Deborah Ann Minardos. He was filming a sword-dueling scene for an upcoming film the day that he died.
Tyrone began suffering from pain in his left arm and chest, then lost consciousness. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead of a heart attack.
Two months after his death, Deborah gave birth to a son, Tyrone Power Jr.
"The last chapter of my father’s life was pretty unfortunate," Taryn said. "He never got to see or hold his son. But now we have a half brother who we are very close to."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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