Despite her divorces from Giorgio Della Terza, Ben Brierly, and John Dunbar, Marianne Faithfull’s legacy continues through her partners.
An English singer-actress, she gained fame in the 1960s with her hit song “As Tears Go By” and became one of the leading female artists of the British Invasion in the United States.
Highlights
- Marianne Faithfull was a well-known English singer and actress who became famous in the 1960s.
- She was married to John Dunbar, Ben Brierly, and Giorgio Della Terza and got divorced with all three of them.
- Faithfull was in a highly publicized relationship with singer Mick Jagger, which ruined her career.
Faithfull’s career started in 1964 when she was discovered at a Rolling Stones party. In the 1980s, she released a spate of albums and began peening her own story into a book about her life.
She produced several successful records and also appeared in movies such as The Girl on a Motorcycle and Hamlet.
Among the many accolades she received over the years were the 2009 World Lifetime Achievement Award and a French cultural award in 2011.
The Love and Heartbreak of Marianne Faithfull: Her Three Marriages
In 1965, Marianne Faithfull was young and full of love when she married John Dunbar, a Mexican-British artist, collector, and former gallerist. That same year, the couple had a son, Nicholas.
The music mogul shared about her first marriage saying:
I fell in love with somebody who was totally poor, but really a gas, and I realized it didn’t mean a thing.
#MarianneFaithfull (1946 – 30 January 2025) age 78.
So long Marianne …. pic.twitter.com/0Sa25gPYM0
— Lauren Thompson (@lauren_tho4607) January 30, 2025
She dreamed of a peaceful life as a scholar’s wife, but her busy music career made things difficult, and Mr Dunbar lost interest, so the two separated in 1966.
Moreover, in 1979, the singer married punk rocker Ben Brierly, a member of “The Vibrators.”
For seven years, the pair was married, but Brierly’s infidelity broke her heart, and they parted ways.
Later, she married Giorgio Della Terza, an actor known for American Hog and Twenty Peaches in a Box. However, the two kept their relationship very private.
After three years, they divorced, but she never spoke about their marriage.
Marianne Faithful and Mick Jagger: Love, Scandal, and Heartbreak
Marianne Faithful and Mick Jagger had a stormy and intense love affair from 1966 to 1970.
Their romance started when Jagger broke up with his then-girlfriend Chrissie Shrimpton, a model.
I am so saddened to hear of the death of Marianne Faithfull. She was so much part of my life for so long. She was a wonderful friend, a beautiful singer and a great actress. She will always be remembered. pic.twitter.com/aFAu1TwNTO
— Mick Jagger (@MickJagger) January 30, 2025
Furthermore, the musician became thoroughly infatuated with him and left everything for him, putting all her energy into that relationship.
However, their relationship was a series of ups and downs, scandals, and personal problems.
The most infamous incident occurred in 1967, and there was a police raid at the residence of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.
The actress was unclothed but for a fur rug, and the press published false rumors about her, which tarnished her image while Jagger and Richards became even bigger stars.
In 1970, their relationship finally collapsed and Faithfull overdosed on barbiturates while in Australia, almost losing her life.
Additionally, Jagger ended the affair, and she further descended into addiction and depression.
Later in life, she felt her ex reaped the benefits of his bad boy image, but she was forgotten in pieces.
Despite all that, theirs is considered one of the most famous and sad love affairs of rock and roll.
Additional Information
- Marianne Faithfull’s net worth is estimated to be around $15 million as of 2025.
- She was born to her father, Major Robert Glynn Faithfull, a British intelligence officer, and her mother, Eva.
- She grew up with her half-brother, an English artist based in Berlin and London.
