Agnes Moorehead - Private Life

Private Life

Moorehead married actor John Griffith Lee in 1930; they divorced in 1952. She and Lee adopted an orphan named Sean in 1949, but it remains unclear whether the adoption was legal, although Moorehead raised the child until he ran away from home. Sean had gotten into the 'wrong crowd' and at one point, Moorehead found a gun in his drawer. After he left, neither one ever heard from the other again. Moorehead herself did not bear any children. In 1954, she married actor Robert Gist; they divorced in 1958. Moorehead also had a close friendship for many years with fellow actress Debbie Reynolds. Many people have speculated (and sometimes insisted) that Moorehead was in fact a lesbian or bisexual, but while anecdotal evidence is highly suggestive, there is no conclusive proof to substantiate this claim.

Moorehead was a devout Presbyterian as she grew older, and, in interviews, often spoke of her relationship with God. In one of her last films, What's the Matter with Helen? (1971), she played an evangelist. Shortly before her death, Moorehead sought Christian causes to benefit after her death through her estate.