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The Four Wives And Tragic Legacy Of John Drew Barrymore: A Deep Dive Into The Barrymore Dynasty's Troubled Heir

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John Drew Barrymore, the handsome but famously troubled heir to Hollywood's most legendary acting dynasty, lived a life defined by immense talent and profound personal turmoil, a legacy that extended directly through his four marriages and four children. While his daughter, the beloved actress Drew Barrymore, has brought his name back into the spotlight, the full story of his chaotic romantic life and the women who shared his name remains a captivating, and often heartbreaking, chapter in Hollywood history. As of December 12, 2025, the recent passing of one of his former wives and the continuing public life of another provide a fresh perspective on the complex man who was the son of John Barrymore and the father of a new generation of performers.

Barrymore's life was a whirlwind of quick marriages, divorces, and children born across several decades, making his marital history notoriously difficult to track. His relationships produced four children—each from a different mother—who have carried on the Barrymore name, for better or worse. This detailed look explores the four key women who were John Drew Barrymore's spouses and partners, revealing their own stories and the children they shared with the dynasty's black sheep.

John Drew Barrymore: A Biographical Profile and Marital Timeline

John Drew Barrymore, born John Blyth Barrymore Jr., inherited the dramatic flair and the self-destructive tendencies of his famous lineage. His life was a constant battle between his acting potential and his struggles with addiction and the law. He passed away on November 29, 2004, but his complicated family structure continues to fascinate.

  • Full Name: John Blyth Barrymore Jr. (later legally changed to John Drew Barrymore)
  • Born: June 4, 1932, in Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
  • Died: November 29, 2004 (Age 72)
  • Parents: John Barrymore (father) and Dolores Costello (mother)
  • Half-Sibling: Diana Barrymore (from his father's second marriage)
  • Occupation: Film Actor (Active 1949–1976)
  • Total Children: 4 (from four different mothers)
  • Total Marriages: 4

The Four Spouses Who Shared the Barrymore Name

John Drew Barrymore's romantic life was characterized by intense, short-lived unions. While three women are consistently cited in official records as his wives, a fourth partner is crucial to understanding his complete family legacy, as she was the mother of his fourth child. Each relationship contributed a child to the sprawling Barrymore family tree.

1. Cara Williams (1952–1959): The Golden Age Actress

Barrymore's first wife was the accomplished actress Cara Williams, a Brooklyn-born talent known for her roles in films like The Defiant Ones, which earned her an Oscar nomination. Their marriage began in 1952 (some sources say 1953) and lasted until their divorce in 1959.

  • Marriage Duration: c. 7 years (1952/53–1959)
  • Child: John Blyth Barrymore III (born 1954), who also became an actor.
  • Current Status: Williams, born Bernice Kamiat, was one of the last remaining actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age. She passed away recently on December 9, 2021, at the age of 96, making this a significant and recent update to the Barrymore family history.

2. Gabriella Palazzoli (1960–1970): The Italian Interlude

Following his divorce from Cara Williams, John Drew Barrymore traveled to Italy, where he met and married Gabriella Palazzoli, an Italian actress. Their relationship lasted for approximately ten years, from 1960 to 1970. This period marked a brief shift in Barrymore's career as he worked on European films, often referred to as 'peplums' or sword-and-sandal epics.

  • Marriage Duration: c. 10 years (1960–1970)
  • Child: Blyth Dolores Barrymore (born 1960), named after his mother, Dolores Costello, and his ancestor, Maurice Barrymore's wife, Georgiana Emma Drew.
  • Current Status: Palazzoli, born in 1935, has maintained a very private life since her divorce from Barrymore. Little public information is available about her current life, in stark contrast to the publicity surrounding his first and third wives.

3. Ildiko Jaid Mako (Jaid Barrymore) (1971–1984): The Mother of Drew Barrymore

Perhaps the most famous of John Drew Barrymore's wives is Ildiko Jaid Mako, a Hungarian-born aspiring actress and model who later adopted the name Jaid Barrymore. Their marriage, which began in 1971 and ended in 1984, produced the family's most successful modern star: Drew Barrymore. Jaid's relationship with John was reportedly tumultuous, marked by his substance abuse and erratic behavior, which heavily influenced Drew's famously difficult childhood.

  • Marriage Duration: c. 13 years (1971–1984)
  • Child: Drew Barrymore (born 1975), the Golden Globe-winning actress, producer, and talk show host.
  • Current Status: Jaid Barrymore is still alive and maintains a presence in the media, often through her daughter's public comments. Recent reports indicate that Drew Barrymore continues to financially support her mother, highlighting the ongoing, albeit strained, connection between the two. Jaid has also pursued writing and other creative projects.

4. Nina Wayne (Partner, Mother of Jessica Barrymore)

While only three women are consistently listed as having formally married John Drew Barrymore, actress Nina Wayne is widely cited as his fourth wife and is the mother of his fourth child, Jessica. Wayne was a television actress in the 1960s, known for guest roles on popular shows. This relationship, while perhaps less formally documented than the others, is crucial to completing the list of his children.

  • Relationship Status: Partner/Fourth Wife (Mother of his fourth child)
  • Child: Jessica Blyth Barrymore (born 1966).
  • Tragic Fate: Jessica Barrymore's life ended tragically in 2014 when she was found dead in her car in California from an accidental overdose of alcohol, meth, and prescription drugs. Drew Barrymore released a statement following her half-sister's death, expressing her condolences.

The Enduring Legacy of the Barrymore Children

The four children fathered by John Drew Barrymore—John Blyth III, Blyth Dolores, Drew, and Jessica—represent the diverse and often challenging inheritance of the Barrymore dynasty. The complexity of their family tree, with each having a different mother, speaks volumes about their father's restless nature and the intergenerational trauma that has plagued the family.

  • John Blyth Barrymore III: Like his father and grandfather, he pursued acting, though his career was also marked by personal struggles. He is the only son to carry the full name forward.
  • Drew Barrymore: The most successful and well-adjusted of the siblings, she has openly discussed her difficult relationship with her father and her path to sobriety and professional success. Her public life is a testament to overcoming the family's historic challenges.
  • Blyth Dolores Barrymore: She has maintained the most intensely private life of the four, choosing to largely remain out of the public eye and away from the Hollywood machine.
  • Jessica Blyth Barrymore: Her untimely death in 2014 was a sad reminder of the darker side of the Barrymore legacy, mirroring the struggles faced by her father and his half-sister, Diana Barrymore.

Topical Authority: The Barrymore Name and Hollywood's Royal Family

The story of John Drew Barrymore and his spouses is inextricably linked to the broader "Barrymore acting dynasty." This lineage, which includes his grandfather Maurice Barrymore and his famous great-aunt and great-uncles (Ethel, Lionel, and John Barrymore), is often called "Hollywood's Royal Family." John Drew’s marriages and children ensured the name continued into the 21st century, but his personal failures often overshadowed his professional life.

The wives of John Drew Barrymore were not merely footnotes; they were women of talent and substance—an Oscar-nominated actress (Cara Williams), an Italian film star (Gabriella Palazzoli), and a resilient mother (Jaid Barrymore)—who were drawn into the orbit of a charismatic but deeply troubled man. Their individual stories, from Cara Williams' long life and recent passing to Jaid Barrymore's ongoing connection to her famous daughter, ensure that the complex saga of John Drew Barrymore's romantic life remains a compelling piece of Hollywood history.

john drew barrymore spouse
john drew barrymore spouse

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