Dyan Cannon established herself as one of Hollywood’s most magnetic and celebrated performers, known for seamlessly blending humor and emotional depth across genres. Her acclaimed career, spanning generations, earned her three Oscar nominations, three Golden Globe nominations (winning one), and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1983. Viewers recognize her from iconic films such as Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, The Last of Sheila, Heaven Can Wait, and Deathtrap. Despite her professional achievements, one of the most defining chapters of her life unfolded away from the set: her intense and complex romance with screen legend Cary Grant.
In the early 1960s, a then 61-year-old Cary Grant became instantly captivated by Cannon, who was 28 and already a familiar face on television. After an eight-month pursuit, the couple married. Cannon later expressed that she “loved him deeply and was committed to him,” but their relationship came with a steep personal cost. Grant had “very firm ideas” about how his wife should look, behave, and even think, pressuring her to quit her acting career and change her appearance and mannerisms. Cannon admitted that she constantly tried to mold herself into his ideal, suppressing her own needs and instincts, which ultimately became destructive.
The marriage lasted only three years, ending in a painful divorce in 1968. Cannon later claimed that Grant had treated her in a “cruel and inhuman manner,” alleging emotional cruelty and pressure. She ultimately realized she “couldn’t breathe in that atmosphere anymore” and chose to walk away, though she maintained that she had no hidden agenda in loving him. The end of the marriage initiated a long process of rediscovering her own identity, separate from Grant’s influence and the industry’s demands. Out of their union came their daughter, Jennifer, who remains Grant’s only child and kept them connected after the split.
Despite her heartbreak and the subsequent public scrutiny, Cannon chose to look back on the experience with perspective rather than bitterness, stating she was “grateful for the experience” as it shaped her into the woman she is today. She famously refused “millions” to write a tell-all book after Grant’s death, waiting until she was ready to share her story authentically in a memoir about the complexities of love and relationships.
Even into her late 80s, Dyan Cannon continues to face the public gaze and the harsh double standards applied to women in Hollywood. Yet, she credits her sustained joy and resilience to her deep Christian faith, calling herself a “big God girl.” She volunteers and hosts a monthly Bible study, using spirituality to find meaning after her struggles. Dyan Cannon’s life story is a testament to the fact that true beauty and legacy are found not in frozen movie moments, but in resilience, self-respect, and the quiet, steady joy of finally becoming “a happy puppy now.”