The Decades-Long Affair That Shook Clint Eastwood’s First Marriage

Clint Eastwood's reputation as a faithful husband is far from stellar.

The Hollywood legend has kept his personal life private, especially when it comes to his children.

When asked about the number of children he has, Eastwood simply replied, “I have a few.”

It is known that he has six daughters and two sons, each with different women.

However, he was only married to two of them.

His youngest child, Morgan, was born in December 1996, shortly after Eastwood tied the knot with news anchor Dina Ruiz.

The couple divorced in 2013.

The only other children who were born during his marriages were Kyle and Alison, born in 1968 and 1972 respectively, with his first wife, Maggie Johnson.

Eastwood met Johnson, a college student at the time, on a blind date in May 1953, before he rose to fame with “Rawhide” in 1959.

They got married in December of the same year.

Only two months after their wedding, Eastwood fathered a daughter without knowing it until the late '80s.

The public remained unaware until 2018.

By the time Laurie Murray discovered her biological father, Eastwood had already divorced Johnson.

Therefore, the affair that led to the birth of his love child did not directly impact his marriage.

However, this was not the only affair he had during his marriage to Johnson, and it caused significant problems for a long time.

Six years into his marriage, Eastwood began a relationship with Roxanne Tunis, a stuntwoman and actress, whom he met through a mutual friend.

Their relationship became as real as any despite Eastwood's legal marital status.

Although it is unclear how much Johnson knew about the affair, she reportedly accepted the idea of an “open” marriage.

Eastwood once told Playboy, “[She's] a woman who knows how much room I need.”

However, this arrangement did not mean that Johnson was happy about it.

Barbara Eden, who guest-starred in a 1963 episode of “Rawhide,” wrote in her memoir that she could tell Johnson was suffering, especially when she witnessed Tunis openly displaying affection for Eastwood on set.

Eastwood and Tunis continued their relationship until 1973.

During their 14-year affair, Tunis gave birth to Kimber, Eastwood's first acknowledged child, in June 1964.

While some sources claim that Tunis kept the pregnancy and birth a secret from Eastwood, others argue that he knew and was excited to have a child with her.

According to biographer Patrick McGilligan, Eastwood was involved in Kimber's upbringing, although Kimber has given conflicting accounts of their father-daughter relationship.

Eastwood and Johnson separated a few years after his relationship with Tunis ended.

The news of Tunis' death reportedly hit Eastwood harder than expected.

Despite going their separate ways, Eastwood and Tunis maintained mutual respect.

A source revealed that Tunis was one of Eastwood's true loves and that he was devastated by her loss, not only for himself but also for their daughter Kimber.

Eastwood reached out to Kimber to express his condolences, and they shared their grief.

The loss forced Eastwood to confront the fragility of life and consider his own mortality.

However, it also made him appreciate the value of cherishing moments and learning from life's experiences.

Eastwood had always admired Tunis for her serene outlook on life and spiritual nature.

Her presence had a calming effect on him during times of anxiety.

Tunis, who was not only beautiful but also a proponent of meditation, provided solace to Eastwood throughout their relationship.