Hollywood’s Darkest Ingenue

[@IrishAuntie]

We never knew what a horrific childhood Sandra had. With a mother like hers who could have matured into a happy adult. Poor Dee I always thought she had an ideal life. Rest in peace, Sandra.🙏💔

[@jennifursun3303]

oh man you are right

[@marilynwillett804]

Who knows the truth, we weren't there.

[@kipliethurlow9091]

​@user-hu1ym4ul4rI just saw the first gedgit movie first time in years . Absolutely CHARMING,warm,wished it to last forever. Made me feel better.❤

[@ronwade5646]

I played music for a private supper party in Scottsdale early 1990s and it was her home. She was lovely, gracious and kind.

[@margueritemazzeo2904]

Where did she live in Scottsdale?

[@Work1963]

So awesome, thank you for sharing this.

[@virginiaknighten4687]

Was she married at the time? I can’t remember that much about her personal life.

[@catherinekerr2160]

Sandra Dee and Bobby Darin both had serious issues. Her mother was horrible. Bobby Darins sister was actually his mother. He also had serious health problems and died on the operating table at 37. She was brainwashed by her mother. A very tragic life. RIP

[@angelamorrow8973]

He died in recovery not on the operating table.

[@karimanning9232]

Just to be clear Bobby's mother was Nina who got pregnant with Bobby at 17 yrs old, so Nina's mother had Nina lie and say she was Bobby's older sister and that Nina's mom Bobby's grandmother was his mother.

[@southernbygrace3274]

@@karimanning9232right. It wasn’t an uncommon thing back then.

[@anniemae3858]

Still not uncommon

[@bklynn6218]

There's NO life that OUT does anyone's the POINT is that WE ALL are suffering from some form of ABUSE and that in itself is ENOUGH for us ALL to realize. These stories are NOT being told to us to look at someone else and feel sad for their life but that... God is having these stories wake us up to seek the help we need for ourselves and our family 💖💖💖

[@RoseCoat-ui9gh]

I always loved Sandra Dee. She was such a tortured soul who deserved to be happy. Such a beautiful lady inside and out. RIP Sandra with much love. ❤

[@guygranger7894]

I can see why Bobby Darin was so hooked on Sandra . She`s got to be one of the prettiest girls I have ever laid eyes on.

[@jamespenn5788]

So unfortunate how evil people would destroy someone so kind and lovely. Especially her own mother.

[@SarahGriph]

The definition of a True Narcissist

[@debraallison2765]

Hearing the discretion of her mother it sounds like someone destroyed her, and being like she was, was all she knew.

[@shaylow988]

@@debraallison2765that’s nonsense. Simply because you’ve endured bad things doesn’t give you the license to abuse others. That’s the problem today, nobody takes accountability for their own actions. Having come from an extremely abusive home with a meth addicted mother , I can tell you that the cycle is not difficult to break. I could never do to my child what was done to me so miss me with that melodramatic BS.

[@stephanietorres4612]

Unfortunately it happens more often than many are aware. I completely emphasize with her.

[@TrishPost]

​@shaylow988 how about the Father's meth addiction!?! Time to take responsibilit, you said it

[@janadeubner9883]

Sandra had such a tragic life. She was so beautiful from child to adult. I always loved watching her in her movies and later on TV talk shows. I was shocked and saddened the first time I found out how the perfect couple wasn't so perfect after all. RIP Sandra your fans adore and miss you still. 💔

[@virginiaknighten4687]

Oh yes I just adored Sandra Dee. I wanted to be just like her. Her movies were the utmost❤️

[@kipliethurlow9091]

She just had 'it'. I never saw her till she was sat.morn. reruns.JUST LIVED HER.

[@kipliethurlow9091]

❤loved her.

[@virginiaknighten4687]

The movie “A Summer Place” was on the other night. Of course I had to watch it again for the umpteenth time. She and Troy Donahue were so amazing together 💘

[@terribeauchamp7266]

Incredibly sad. If only Sandra had a good mother maybe Sandra's life would have been happy. Sandra was so pretty. May she rest in peace..😔

[@bettyjanemargitis]

how sad. i am shocked that she lived to the age of 62,you do not live long with kidney disease, i am glad she had her son for happyness, may sandra and darin rest in peace,

[@janettewebster2151]

I'm 67 & have had "stable" chronic, kidney disease for many years. I am nowhere near the dialysis, nor transplant stage. It doesn't pay to "generalise"...

[@bettyjanemargitis]

i did not know that a person can be stable with kidney disease. thank you for the input and good health and good luck to you.@@janettewebster2151

[@virginiaknighten4687]

@@janettewebster2151best wishes for your health. Take care of yourself😊

[@alisonabbott91]

I knew some of this, but not all. To go through this kind of abuse is ever lasting and oh so sad!

[@heidibee501]

Sandra's childhood was a nightmare. That seems to happen to child actors more often than not. I loved Sandra Dee. She and Bobby Darin could have had an exemplary marriage, but he only found her desirable as long as she was unattainable. He was clearly a narcissist. She loved him but she didn't know how to save him. Instead she went down with the ship. *She left a legacy of great performances and she saved her son from the same fate.*

[@blancabulgrin5560]

Yes I agree you're very smart,I didn't know she suffered so much.

[@Plowlady222]

It wasn't her job to save him. Any woman with that mindset will always be sadly, the loser.

[@alanosterman7130]

​​@@Plowlady222In a way that is the curse (or blessing) of being a woman. To always wanting to make something better, or a loved one better. To nurture.

[@marilynwillett804]

@@alanosterman7130 Being a woman is a great blessing.

[@alanosterman7130]

@@marilynwillett804 Amen !

[@DDee-oi6kn]

"Dream Lovers" was a fascinating book. Sandra literally didn't make a move or decision by herself - really sad life. I highly suggest the book. Bobby's life was just as horrendous.

[@rachaelmorgan4025]

I was thinking both Sandra and Bobby had it. Bad but in different ways. 5hink about it. Bobby literally had a death sentence hanging over his head since he was a child

[@DDee-oi6kn]

@@rachaelmorgan4025 Yes he did. Plus finding out his sister was his mom!

[@nannem9716]

Yes, I remember her saying in a television interview when the book came out, that as an adult she didn't have the slightest idea how to do any basic everyday things or how to take care of herself or to function on her own. She stated that after Darren died, she was an adult with a child, and her own money, but that she had no idea how to even write a check, because her mother had been so controlling and later Darren's people had handled everything. She had never been allowed to think for herself, learn the simplest life skills, or to discover who she was on her own. Add to that the sexual abuse by her step father and the abuse by her mother, and it's no wonder she drank. It's miraculous that she could even get out of bed in the morning. In all aspects but motherhood, her life was stolen from her. Yet, she clearly was a loving mother, based on how devoted and protective Dodd was to her. RIP, lovely Sandra. ❤

[@nannem9716]

​@@DDee-oi6knAs much as is wrong with society today, it is 100% an improvement that things today are not nearly so secretive. Secrets rarely serve anyone. I was born in the 1960's and I remember as a child being thoroughly confused by how all that seemed to matter to people was what other people thought. I cannot imagine denying your own child just to keep neighbors you barely know and other strangers from judging you. It seems nothing was based in reality, but rather based on keeping up an image, even if that image was totally false. It was all about "appearances".

[@rachaelmorgan4025]

@@DDee-oi6kn yes that had to be a real kick in the head

[@nadiac6042]

This is why we do not judge people 🤔🥲thank you for sharing ❤

[@dianealarcon8304]

No one knows everything that goes on behind closed doors. We have to remind ourselves of that, and treat people with grace.

[@chamed27]

That's just one very good reason. I try not to judge people on any level. It's hard to do, but it's essential to my life as a Christian. Well done video, though highly depressing.

[@whimsygrove9971]

I had a huge wake-up call to this after watching the "Quiet on Set," documentary. As a kid, I used to envy the kids on Nickelodeon. They looked like they were having so much fun all the time. I wanted that lifestyle so badly. Now I realize things aren't always as they seem. Who knew so much abuse was going on? I had an immense crush on Drake Bell when Drake and Josh came out. I watched that show constantly. And I remember thinking, "typical, the hot guy plays guitar and writes music.." when Drake's music was the only outlet he had while he endured horrific abuse at the hands of Brian Peck. I feel so awful for Drake. I cannot imagine the pain, confusion and shame that that poor kid went through. And I feel terrible for judging him. You just don't know what people have gone through.

[@alicewilliams636]

@@dianealarcon8304o

[@dianalee8967]

I loved her that's all I can say it's too sad to say anymore cuz I have to talk and it's hard when you're trying to not to cry. I'm 89 years old and I've kept up with her her whole time through the 50s and the 60s and the 70s.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@Love.America]

God bless you!

[@kathyinwonderlandl.a.8934]

Wow that’s a lovely age to be…you’re lucky …the 50s seems like dream compared to now.

[@ginnylorenz5265]

Bless her dear heart and soul.

[@Factinate]

Rest in peace 🙏

[@dyspraxicrose3307]

I don't think the fact that she was abused makes her 'purity and innocence' counterfeit. That's just the worst sexism. Shame on you!

[@teenastetic3681]

I think the narrater means to point out the tragic irony of how she was displayed by Hollywood and the harsh reality of her life

[@arturodiaz1063]

Both actress and singer were basket cases. She moved away from a dragon to another monster narcissist. She made a very poor transition from a teenage star to an adult actress. Unlike Liz Taylor her screen image did not transcend the challenge of maturity. She remained a very old little girl.😮

[@suet.r.4815]

Speaking as one who suffered as she did at the hands of a parent, I dare say it may have felt counterfeit to her. For my part - though admittedly not being I the public eye the way that she was (and having never read any biography about her) having to keep the secret and having been thoroughly trained and convinced that "good girls must be innocent young ladies" I have gone through most of my life feeling like a fraud and fearful of being discovered!

[@rosieraye8833]

​@@suet.r.4815im sorry you went through that. I too, feel like this. Its like the nature of the beast. Ive been in group therapy where others say they feel like a fraud and some feelings of being liars.

[@mylamberfeeties875]

​@@rosieraye8833isn't hiding the truth lying though? If you are truthful in all things won't that set you free?

[@TheNester.]

I've been in her shoes and I sympathize with her. When you confide in your life partner and they turn around and 💩 on you, its time to move on. Darin was a pitifully, spoiled and egotistical jerk that wanted everyone to worship the ground he walked on. Unfortunate Sandra got stuck with him and his ego. R.I.P. Gidget 🏄‍♀️ 👣

[@gregdowle8031]

Rheumatic Fever was a real killer in those days. It killed a lot of children and crippled others, No wonder he was spoiled and coddled and had everything done for him by his family. He grew up expecting the same from his wife and everyone around him. Don't get me wrong, he acted like an absolute bastard but damn he could sing! That was his one saving grace.

[@rachaelmorgan4025]

​@@gregdowle8031 something overlooked. She didn't leave Bobby he left her. And towards the end she all but took him back

[@laraoneal7284]

Her entire life was tragic. Rip dear Sandra.

[@terrybrowning-e9b]

this is so untrue. i think like most people she had periods of great pain but also like most people that was balanced out by oeriods of great joy. with out the pain we can not recognize and appreciate the joy

[@sagbrady8414]

She was from Bayonne...her father owned the film print shop here...I became friends with him...we never talked about Sandra but we talked about everything else

[@tamibennett8683]

I imagine hie wife drove him nuts & after they split, she probably wouldn't let him see Sandra.

[@sagbrady8414]

@@tamibennett8683 don't know..

[@ckaydw]

I loved her movies so much. As a young girl I watch every one of them. She was so talent and beautiful. Such a shame she was taken advantage of by so many people in her life. Her son was the one that really loved her and watch over her. Rest In Peace Sandra You’re with the Lord Jesus Christ. Out of pain. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🩷🩷🩷

[@PomahXomehko]

Sandra Dee is a American Ukrainian her surname is Zhuk and her parents came from Carpathian Mountains and emigrated to the US living in New Jersey.

[@cejannuzi]

Rusyn actually.

[@debrawilder9551]

U mean russian or Hungarian were no such thing nor is Ukrainian people do your history

[@pearlfeather9326]

Bug

[@625shapiro]

Dodd was an excellent son to Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee

[@carlywright5127]

My sister listens to his music still. No doubt that generation he was very popular.

[@megmeyer7563]

Even after they gave him such a horrible name

[@terrybrowning-e9b]

you have it backwards. he was not supposed to be an excellent son to them. They were supposed to be excellent parents. we learn by example. they apparently failed him.

[@arosefortes6507]

Such a sad tragic horrific life for a sweet person to wake up to each day! The only genuine kind loving person in her life is that of son Dot. I always find it strange how a person often times gets into a relationship that mirrors that of which they grew up with. I'm glad that she had her son to love!

[@TheCelestialnav]

Dodd is Her Son’s, Name !

[@JudeNance]

I came out of an abusive home. My marriage was abusive because it seemed normal. I was accustomed to being abused.

[@eugeniasyro5774]

Dodd. Not Dot.

[@WanderingSpirit-ld1zc]

It's actually more common than it is strange. Women often marry versions of their fathers and go on to create their parents relationship. It takes time to accept that as a child that was normal and that was all you had to go on. So you went with familiarity and called it love. Because _that_ was all you knew love to be.

[@lazyhomebody1356]

Has no one read Freud,lol

[@syheath]

Throughly enjoyed, Sandra will always remain my favorite, innocent child like

[@KatePerry-y5s]

Poor girl!!!!! She never had chance!! 😢

[@kipliethurlow9091]

❤heart wrenching ❤

[@Denise-kc8np]

Incredibly beautiful, Sandra Dee!!

[@GrannyLinn]

I loved her movies, always wanted to BE her. I tried so hard to be that thin, then much later read an interview where she talked about her struggle to stay thin. Incredibly sad.

[@donaldwarren463]

Before she died Sandra was scheduled to be on Larry King Live, Sadly on Feb. 20 , 2005 she died , what was so ironic is My Mother died that same day and year ... when I heard it on the news that morning they also said the time of Death and that was also almost the exact time I lost my mother... On the good side I have always been a big fan and have seen all her films ...

[@thecourtlyalchemist]

Sorry to hear about your mom's death. May she rest in peace. I hope one day we are united with the ones we love and lost.

[@fauzianalwoga]

Just like how my 44 year old mum died on the same day as Tina Turner 😢. My mom grew up watching Tina and she introduced me to her music. Little did we ever imagine that both would die on the same day

[@kathypiazza7228]

⁠@@fauzianalwogaSorry For your loss. Hope you can hold on to the happy memories.

[@K98876]

My Mother and I adored her no matter her age we will always love her❤

[@susanjoycesabo8450]

When Sandra died, the last of my childhood also died. So sad! Her co-star in "A Summer Place" Troy Donahue also had passed away. Both their lives were tragic but seemed perfect on the outside.

[@sandranorman5469]

Loved ❤❤❤ “A Summer Place”. I always pictured myself as Sandra and my future boyfriend as Troy. He was SSSOOO handsome. Incidentally Troy played Merle in “Godfather Part II”-Connie Corleone’s latest boyfriend. And I never watch “Grease” without thinking of Sandra and Troy. 17:59

[@GoodTasteArt]

I so love the theme music that goes with that movie. It is incredibly beautiful! I hated that movie to end.

[@wendiwonderly1419]

Sandra was incredibly damaged and no one was less equipped to help her than Bobby Darin. He tried, she tried and it just didn’t work Their son’s memoir is a great read

[@malcolmdivorty6852]

So sad. Fame is not always the best for us .

[@lillyrush-y9c]

Was her dysfunctional mother & molestation. That happens without fame .

[@Valentina-Steinway]

I had a similar upbringing, without the fame. It was awful.

[@elvis12893]

I am a big fan of Sandra. I read the book Dream Lovers. What a horrible life for a beautiful girl. She did well to raise Dodd as a good man.

[@kaamya921]

It's crazy how when your life as a child was dysfunctional it doesn't matter how much you try as an adult to pick more stable and kind people to share your life with, you still end up drawn to someone dysfunctional.

[@45Grace2009]

Why am I not surprised? She was part of my youth, we loved her ... but there was something there, indefinable. Sadly so many young starlets are put upon and compromised by old men because of their beauty. It's a sad world.

[@maryellengrayberg9146]

RIP Sandra Dee.🙏

[@ambrabridges2161]

Heart valve issues are nothing to play with. My stepfather had an undiagnosed heart murmur and developed an infection in the weakened valve after seeing the dentist to have a crown put in. He thought he had the flu but after two weeks, my mom forced him to go to the doctor and he was immediately admitted to the hospital. He was transferred to a more advanced hospital when the doctors couldn't figure out what was going on. After he was finally diagnosed with endocarditis, they then had to figure out which antibiotic would work through trial and error. One of the antibiotics damaged the balance in one of his ears. Once he was on the correct medication, he was in the hospital for almost another month. In total, he spent nearly three months in the hospital. His heart valve had to eventually be replaced due to the damage caused by the infection.

[@KarenOCallaghan-u5o]

Bobby didn’t have a sister. The woman he thought was his sister was actually his mother.

[@MosaicRose99]

True. Bobby had his own demons in his childhood. He had constant health problems as a child and doctors said he would be dead by age 16. I think this is why his family went overboard in the way they treated him and the fact that they kept that shocking secret from him as you know. He found out that the woman he adored as his mother was really his grandmother and his sister was actually his real mother. When he found this out , it nearly destroyed him.

[@kaleahcollins4567]

Another star that had s similar background was Jack Nicholson. His grandmother raised him as her own his so called sister was his bio mom. This is what was done most of the time if the family didn't want to give the child away but also didn't want the Shane of a baby out of wedlock especially for a young girl and adult lady is one thing but a teenager boy that was the worst

[@usercarefree44]

​@kaleahcollins4567 Eric Clapton legendary guitarist was same. Thought his granmother was his mother and his 'sister ' was actually his mum. Yes it does affect them.

[@Muirmaiden]

Bobby had two half sisters and a half brother. From the woman he thought was his sister.

[@hanagloriaedelblum5693]

Same was true for Jack Nicholson.

[@Nigelsmom2136]

She and Bobby Darin loved each other until their deaths. It was so sad that they couldn't stay together. Neither one of them had a happy childhood. Bobby remarried once but it didn't last. Sandra never remarried.

[@Tornado1994]

Both Sandra Dee and Connie Francis never got over Bobby Darin. Because they were with a Guy who was living on borrowed time. Bobby knew he was going to die untimely.

[@MarkWG]

I am without words. I loved this woman. She was the exact, same age as my mother and I am the exact, same age as Sandra Dee's son, Dodd. I lost my mother in 2011 in much the same way. I never had any idea that Sandra Dee had such a sad life off-screen. It appears that her mother contributed much to Sandra's demise. Not to mention her step-father's incestual abuse. What a complete tragedy. I really feel sorry for her son losing both parents in such a tragic way. I know all too well, the devastating role alcoholism and mental illness can have in a dysfunctional family. I grew up in one as well. I am sure Dodd and I would have much to talk about.

[@shadowrider1370]

I was raised in the 50s, and she was an idol. She was so pretty, and i loved all her movies. A Summer Place with Troy Donahue was my favorite. Little did we all know what she was living thru. I was not impressed when she married Bobby. He was no good and did nothing but hurt her. She died way too young. Fame and beauty are not everything. Rest in peace, sweet beauty!

[@sandysmedley737]

A SUMMER PLACE WAS MY FAVORITE ALSO I CAN WATCH THAT MOVIE OVER AND OVER ❤❤LOVED IT ALL HER MOVIES ❤❤

[@Tornado1994]

She and Bobby loved each other.

[@nomadpi1]

Nearing my eighth decade, I will always picture Sandra Dee as she appeared in the movie, "A Summer Place." The theme music of that film always invoke me to think of Sandra Dee as the teenage girl she portrayed. The comments of her mother's behavior echo other child star's mothers. I wish her life had been better than it was. She deserved a better life than she received.

[@marnieweaver3935]

Always loved her. I feel so bad that she had a horrible personal life.

[@joannmartinez8295]

I do not know much about her, but from what I have read and heard she grew up to be a lovely kind and gracious person despite her childhood.

[@CocoBella88]

Sandra Dee, I had no idea about her life being that damaged… so sad.

[@Factinate]

vey sad indeed

[@terrybrowning-e9b]

yes some of us have it sad, one of my therapit after hearing the tale of my mama said to me. "the wonder of it is not that you survived reasonably sane but that you survived at all. in my more dedpressed moments i wonder if that is a blessing or a curse.

[@carlywright5127]

​@@terrybrowning-e9bno matter what you are born healthy. Keep up the good work. Make life work for you, live in the present not the past. You cannot get it back, and often to reflect on bad stories of the past, it is wrecking. Many of us are making the most of whatever life has given us. Making most of any opportunity. Because that is life. No matter how bad we have it, incredibly others are so much worse off. I always have tried to build on the strengths not the weaknesses. Otherwise fatigue, and sadness will take over . Not only that so many people could not care less. They may pretend otherwise, but only I have the power to make it.

[@mirias6729]

​@@Factinate❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤😊

[@diannelarose4392]

So sad. My heart breaks for her.

[@MelDally-wc9rm]

Poor Sandra Dee had a tragic childhood that not fair.She was a good mother and good actress. Her mother, husband and stepfather are evil they abuse her. Her mother should protect her daughter not neglect her. May Sandra Dee RIP ✌️😢.

[@GeraldLafitte-bf5yz]

I always loved her. We never new the pain and suffering she was going through. May she rest in peace

[@starlingswallow]

This sounds so much like Jeanette Mccurdie's life with her mom.😢

[@BookMaven9]

I was thinking the same thing! Awful

[@grwoobie1297]

Stage mothers are the worst - Brooke Shields Mom; Jon Benet Ramsey mom; Brittney Spears mom; Kim Richards mom. Sometimes the kids don't admit it but they usually show it in some way.

[@Maguz08]

I love the persona she was able to inhabit. I remember her with great joy. She was a competent actor. Terribly sorry to learn how she suffered in her struggles

[@terrybrowning-e9b]

this is great. you get it. you love the person she was meant to be.

[@terrybrowning-e9b]

This is wonderful. You love the person she was meant to be.

[@ammasophia4663]

Children raised by parents who use them have no idea how to deal with problems. Sandra's relationship with Bobby, as narcissist meant she had no idea how to survive or be in a healthy dynamic.

[@susieq2806]

I always loved Sandra Dee. I had a boyfriend who was the male of Sandra. He had deep brown eyes and blonde hair. He was very handsome ❤

[@reapthewhirlwind4166]

The exact same thing happened to my mother back in the thirties when her mother remarried. And of course when my grandmother was confronted years later she wanted to deny that it ever happened

[@terrybrowning-e9b]

they can deny until hell freezes over but it does not change the facts. does it. i have forgotten a great deal of my childhood but the fact of the molestation and the results stemming from it will never leave my memory.

[@hccarson7938]

I loved her, she was my idol when I was in junior high. I remember being upset when she married Bobby Darin, I didn't think he was good enough for her. And apparently, I was right. I also hate it that her mother didn't protect her. Sounds like her mother was a narcissist.

[@christinehall6441]

Bobby Darren was a lech😮

[@Love.America]

💯

[@Tornado1994]

@@christinehall6441 Nah.

[@sandysmedley737]

I always wanted her to be married to Troy Donahue ❤❤

[@Tornado1994]

@@sandysmedley737 She loved Bobby Darin and he loved her too.

[@sandy-quimsrus]

It took me until 54 yo but I finally understand the line in Greease, look at me I'm Sandra Dee ..

[@1234cheerful]

Yes, I remembered that when the video brought up her interview with Roger Ebert. She could have sung the song herself!

[@gsdkelly3372]

Lousy with virginity...

[@brianbrino4310]

So sad and so hard to believe!

[@moiralauten6924]

I thought I'd always read that Bobby died of heart failure, after his (third?) cardiac surgery ("He died at the age of 37 in a hospital recovery room after having open heart surgery in Los Angeles, 1973.") Poor Sandra, eternal peace blessings

[@obscurecelebritynooneremem6876]

I thought that Sandra Dee was at the Hospital and was laying next to Bobby Darin when he passed at least that was what the news said years ago

[@kaleahcollins4567]

She really loved Bobby Darin he was a broken man himself being told that the woman who raised him was his grandma not his mother and his mother was his sister. This is why Sandra and Bobby got close they had a lot in common in Their backgrounds

[@Tornado1994]

Bobby was also living on borrowed time. Doctors had told his Mother Nina that he likely wouldn't make it past 30. Darin had a WEAK Heart.

[@pamfuller7130]

It's too bad. It's a horrible shame. Her mother was not a good mother. What a horrible way to grow up. Her mother was narcistic. We think these people have it all, but low & behold, no one would want their life after all. Jean Harlow's life wasn't good either. She died young. And, Marilyn Monroe. She wasn't some dumb blonde, though. She read a lot & was quite book smart. She just didn't have much common sense. She was book smart, though. She read a lot of books. smart. She had no one looking after her. People just used her. Sad tales these.😢

[@ginaferracini9375]

Sandra was so beautiful may she rest in peace 💕🌺🙏 So sad.

[@elizabethbogard7568]

It's shameful how a bad mother can ruin the entire life of her child. A beautiful girl grew up without valuing herself, without knowledge of how important health is and how to maintain it. So sad. I didn't know.

[@katie7748]

Funny how many people keep talking about her looks. Wonder how many would feel so sad for her if she hadn't been so pretty.

[@margueritemazzeo2904]

​@@katie7748Jealous much?

[@littlebirdie2]

@@katie7748That is a very valid observation.

[@jakevendrotti1496]

Also a bad father. Sandra's father abandoned her when she was a toddler. Where are the fathers? They just disappear into the mist and get off Scott free from public scrutiny. And her stepfather molested her. Disgusting. A good or a bad father can make or break a person's life. Same as a mother

[@minxella12]

Sounds similar to Patty Duke, gad that poor girl was messed up.

[@brendaleverick3655]

She had to sleep between her parents as a pre-teen? Yuck!

[@dumfriesspearhead7398]

I did as well. We didn't have that much room.

[@brendaleverick3655]

@@dumfriesspearhead7398 😧

[@dumfriesspearhead7398]

The thing is when you're young, you just accept it as normal. You don't realise until afterwards just how strange it was. It wasn't THAT uncommon either for a certain generation. A well known TV presenter in the UK (where I'm from) shared a bedroom with her mother as a pre-teen.

[@johnruggiero3366]

I agree , that's strange!!!!

[@MasterofScrutiny]

She was 4 or 5 and her mother married a pedo. It was Sandra he wanted. He probably quietly abused her with her mother lying right next to them.

[@poetcomic1]

There is a LOT more ugly ugly stuff in Dee's childhood. This barely scratches the surface.

[@BetsyRomano]

Ewe

[@sharondiaz137]

Her mother’s boyfriend molested her a small child. The mother did nothing

[@NormieNeko]

What more could there be??

[@judymorgan289]

Her mother needed mental help in the worst way ! wonder what her mother's life as a child was like ? was it a carry over from her childhood ? or was it just her mother to child ?

[@caraqueno]

Her mother, father, and stepfather carried generational trauma in their lives. They would not have done nor behaved the way they did without, themselves, being traumatized. In the 1920's and '30's, when these people were growing up, it was unimaginable for abuse survivors to speak up about their victimization, let alone seek help. Psychotherapy was in it's infancy in that era and only the very wealthy or the criminally psychotic got therapy. It's tragic but no wonder that Sandra Dee's "caregivers" experienced their own trauma and passed down what was done to them to Sandra and what it did to her. My hope is that her son, Dodd, has broken that trauma and is living as healthy and whole a life as possible.

[@terrybrowning-e9b]

the best way to end the trauma is just do not procreate. do not pass that gene of violence along to another generation. i have two sisters and one brother. they did not seem to get the message as they also use violence with or on their children. i will not nor did not do that. because of my mother i chose to deny myself the joy and pleasure of a child and i wanted one desperately.

[@nicoleterry5105]

In the end it is a heartbreakingly beautiful story. The abused and emotionally neglected little girl grew up and tried her darnedest to protect her baby from her fate. Bravo Sandra-Dee ❤

[@joyceyolandastorch8964]

I knew all of this plus more. It was a tragic life for such a pretty woman. Bobby's life was another tragedy. Thank God Dodd seems to be doing well. RIP Sandra & Bobby. 😢😢😢❤

[@Work1963]

God rest her soul and wow, her mother really did fail her miserably.

[@hal7ter]

It is so wonderful that her son's life was not so tragic as his parents'.

[@Guitarbarella]

Every little girl back then wore gloves, hats and even had purses..I know coz I was a kid in the sixties and my older sister had to wear them coz we have pics. Wasn’t till twiggy fashion relaxed for young girls

[@Valentina-Steinway]

I had a similar upbringing. It really does mess one up.

[@Charlotte-on6wz]

My father thought it was a good idea to burn my young fingers over a gas stove. I am in my 70 s and still not over it 😢 2:33

[@terrybrowning-e9b]

my father did much worse. im 80 and i never will get over it.

[@elizabethhannah4704]

There is too much pain, sadness, abuse and loss that people inflict upon others. I hope and pray that you find a way to heal from such trauma. God Bless You Always.

[@johnruggiero3366]

My wife went thru that too!!!

[@terrybrowning-e9b]

and you will not understand this. ony people who understand it will understand it. DO NOT PRAY FOR ME

[@xxxxxxxx3476]

​​@@terrybrowning-e9b Reach out to someone, anyone , who might be able to help you . I know it's not going to change anything for you . You've already said what age you are . And I might add that I'm not very far behind you , being 74 myself very soon . But surely it's never too late to seek some kind of help . Even if it's simply talking to someone else about how you feel . I personally lost touch with someone less than a year ago , who had suffered so many heartbreaking incidents virtually all throughout her life . I thought it might help if she , and yes she is a lady , would be prepared to talk to someone who might have helped her . But she would not do that . Her children know , but very few others do . And this is true , to make matters even worse , she lost her sight a few years ago . I tried to help her , but we drifted apart . And that upsets me immensely . Meaning in the end , even I sort of let her down . We weren't in a relationship . In fact we live 300 miles apart , and I was able to visit her just the once , for a mere four days . And even then it wasn't a full four days , merely hours together . But they left a lasting impression upon me at least . I feel empty without her in my life . But I've now accepted that's the way it's going to be . We have each gone our own separate ways . However coming back to you and your story , please give it a try . Seek help in anyway you can . There's always someone there who is prepared to listen and hopefully help , in some way . Please reach out while you can ❤. D . I've read all of your comments and replies to others . I think I know what your reply might be . But I'm prepared for that .

[@lineaalba4035]

Wasn’t Bobby Darin’s parents really his grandparents and his sister was his mother ? I remember hearing he was the product of a teenage pregnancy. With the family coming up with a way to avoid questions and humiliation in their community.

[@Tornado1994]

His Sister Nina was actually his Birth Mother. His Grandmother raised him as her son and her as his Older Sister. Bobby found out about this secret in 1968. It CRUSHED him. He never found his Biological Father. He tragically died during Heart Surgery at the Way TOO young age of only 37 in December 1973.

[@CarolShook-yg9nn]

Reading about his private life I'd say Connie Francis who still loves him deeply dodged a bullet

[@leslieh4899]

Tragic! She was beautiful on the big screen.

[@GoldyRyun]

I think she was a beautiful and wonderful person , and I wish she could have had a very happy , healthy and wonderful life , best thing in her life was her precious and wonderful son. , rest in peace beautiful lady and also to Bobby , may they both are resting in heavenly peace, both had a hard life with health problems

[@Frieda-t4l]

So much pain, an stepfather. Wow😮😮😮😮😮😮😮

[@noneofurbusiness5223]

I remember my mother saying I was her doll in my early teens. I didn't have vocabulary for this, but I knew something was terribly wrong.

[@kittygoesWOOF]

I hope you didn't have this or Jeanette McCurdy's experience as a child.

[@terrybrowning-e9b]

please forgive me but several people have mentioned Jeanette McCurdy and i do not recognize the name. Would someone please enlightened me. I gather she was/is a fellow sufferer. Thank you all so much. I hope at least some of you will understand when I say Please dont pray for me. I appreciate it but please dont.

[@corneliastefanissin1477]

Such cruelty from a mother. Shameless.

[@mindynickels57]

I was born in 51 so I grew up watching all her movies. I absolutely loved her. Maybe because I came from an abusive family I saw the sadness in her eyes. I never liked her with Daren. He was a wannabe star and wasn’t. He was a singer, a good one but he wanted to be a Frank Sinatra and be both. (I wasn’t a Frank fan) He was a hanger on’er to that crowd of celebrities at that time. It was embarrassing to watch. Yes, he took it out on Sandra as she was in demand and not him. My heart broke for her at the time.

[@Marimarr59]

She was such a sweet actress that i always watched growing up So sorry she had to indure all of that She's resting peacefully until the Resurrection ❤

[@annairwin8147]

I always loved Sandra Dee and still do

[@terrybrowning-e9b]

funny but this sandra dee thing reminded me of a child star before Sandra. Margaret O brien. i wonder what happened to her. she was same generation as Judy Garland. and then before her there was a Ginger Prince. I am revealing my age but i do wonder what happened to them.

[@FlorrieHaggis]

I loved Sandra Dee as a little girl and it is so tragic to see her story and how she suffered.

[@judyingram-kh1vm]

So very sad. This happens so much to young girls, and what sickening is their mom's don't care or they don't believe. My mom told me she didn't want to hear it. So Cold.

[@terrybrowning-e9b]

my mother also did not want to hear it. and when forced to hear it called me a liar and kicked me out of the house. it was the only good thing she ever did for me. I got an education, i married well not once but three times. and i am proud that i never asked for support from any of them. i got myself a PHD and stood on my own two feet. not bad for an unwanted girl child from the hills of Kentucky.

[@CarolynA-726]

When a female’s mother is a narcissist, she marries narcissists because that treatment is what feels normal.

[@soniapinkney1342]

Well said ..😔

[@jakevendrotti1496]

When a female's father is absent, she marries a man who neglects her because that treatment is also what feels normal

[@joannecannon5033]

I was a big sandra Dee fan growing up,always watched her movies,she was very pretty

[@laraoneal7284]

I knew she was SA’d by the stepfather. Molestation is murder of the soul.

[@eugeniasyro5774]

He told her he married her mother to get to her.

[@WanderingSpirit-ld1zc]

NO MAN has the power to destroy the spirit or soul. They only have the power you give them. If someone hurts you, that is not your burden to carry. It's theirs. Maybe they'll carry it, maybe not. But after the initial acceptance of their wrong doing, you drop that bs and move on with your life, you don't keep crying and reliving that bs which is basically letting them hurt you repeatedly. NO. It's their 💩 and you cannot go through life carrying other peoples 💩. They don't get to hurt you _and _break your spirit. _Unless you let them._ But make no mistake, you _do_ have a choice.

[@caraqueno]

@@WanderingSpirit-ld1zc No one has the power to destroy your soul but, when you are the victim of such abuse as Sandra Dee did, that dysfunctional behavior is normalized and it takes a herculean effort, emotionally, to discover the dysfunctionality and recover from a lifetime of it. It takes years and the behaviors learned to cope with that dysfunctionality will rear their ugly heads and, when the person who experienced all that trauma is at a low point, it's oddly comforting to indulge in those behaviors rather than forge ahead with new behaviors. There are people who overcome their traumatic childhoods but it is a journey riddled with minefields and not for the faint of heart. Did you ever suffer any of the traumas that Sandra Dee did? I hope you didn't but, if you did, I would hope you'd express a more compassionate attitude than what I read in your comment.

[@WanderingSpirit-ld1zc]

@@caraqueno Next time break that nonsense up. I read the first and last few sentences and came back to say....I was born without a victim mentality. I Said What I Said.

[@caraqueno]

@@WanderingSpirit-ld1zc And you have to say it publicly, why?

[@Meggiebeth19]

She was a beautiful soul. ❤️

[@TinaFivesten]

Parents should NOT be able to sell out their children and the age for being in the public eye should be set at 20!

[@dianemartinez3]

Loved her grew up as a kid watching all her movies. My mother loved her too. My mom did tell me she had a hard life. Though and her mother was crazy and my mom loved Bobby Darren. So when they got married, she was thrilled. It's so sad that they divorced Hollywood. Really sucks. You know, if you have good parents and someone that's got your back. You may survive. It's a shame that happened to her.I hope she rests in peace.I think they both still loved each other until their death.Bobby Darren and her she was so beautiful.She seemed like such a kind person.I need to read her book

[@GenXWitch67]

The statement, “ I’ve never felt so safe in my life” when she married him, was a huge red flag that he was and had been abusing her.

[@traceymarshall4481]

This is heartbreaking, such a sad soul, she deserved better. So glad her son took after her x

[@gregatkinson7276]

This poor girl had so much happen to her as a child and then some of the worst happens as she ends up with Darin! I feel for her very much.

[@joannmartinez8295]

Her mother definitely had something going on mentally I believe she needed help and a whole lot of it! But back then things like that were not talked about so it is no wonder that Sandra Dee suffered such a terrible childhood 😢

[@mlewis8579]

So very sorry to hear.

[@mirandarights9635]

I've always seen Bobby Darin as creepy. Something about him makes my skin crawl.😖😖😖💀💀💀

[@victoriaadams2171]

Sandra Dee was my favorite growing up as a young adult. 😊

[@GlitznGlamourUS]

WOW Sandra!!! This young lady didn't get a chance to have a childhood. RIH Sandra Dee. I was just thinking her name sound very familiar. Is it me or Remember the movie "Grease" when the "Pink Ladies" had a sleepover and teased Sandy. Rizzo singed a song mocking Sandy calling her Sandra Dee?...

[@bobbierobinson6269]

Sandra was seen as a perpetual virgin to many in the 60s. The Pink Ladies definitely didn't follow that one.

[@sandy-quimsrus]

Yes, I just got the same connection. My middle name is Lee and first is Sandra. I was living in US for 3 years as a child from Australia when Grease came out, that song haunted me.

[@GlitznGlamourUS]

@@sandy-quimsrus I didn't didn't know who Sandra Dee was. I though they just made up the name for the movie. They wrong for that! This woman went through it.

[@terrybrowning-e9b]

i am 80, married 3 times. lived in many countries. i have never and i do not lie, never met anyone who had a happy childhood that "happy childhood" myth is just that, a myth. a fairytale. we get thru life as best we can. we have moments of great joy. we also have vast stretches of anger, unhappiness and shear unadultarated boredom. but oh those moments of great joy/

[@janettewebster2151]

I'm 67 & I had a terrific childhood ♥️

[@amandadassonville4043]

Absoluit agree with you. I'm also 70. Or may it was just that way for us Boomers. I'm ashamed of my grandchildren the way they just expect everything for nothing. I'm ashamed at the the way they behave and speak. And the do not appreciate anything, they just want more. 🐝

[@terrybrowning-e9b]

you must tell the rest of us about it sometime.@@janettewebster2151

[@terrybrowning-e9b]

im so happy for you. one day you must tell the rest of us all about it

[@janettewebster2151]

@@terrybrowning-e9b Perhaps you need to broaden your horizons re social/friendship material? It does seem that you are trapped in an eternal cycle of "like is exclusively attracting like" & "misery loves company". That's a very negative "comfort zone" for anyone to be in. The problem/issue seems to be so embedded, over time, that you couldn't/wouldn't be comfortable/happy with any form of relationship with someone who'd had a happy childhood, because that would be so out of your negative "comfort zone". Do you have children yourself? You (obviously) never forgave those that made your childhood so unhappy & that you aren't aware of why that "forgiveness" is for YOUR sake, not theirs?

[@alipeacock3685]

Her mother sounds horrific !