Olivia de Havilland Biography, Age, Height, Husband, Net Worth, Family
By Sophia Koch
Her turbulent relationship with her only sibling, Joan Fontaine, was press fodder for many decades, with the two reported as not speaking and permanently estranged since the death of their mother in 1975, when Joan claimed she had not been invited to the memorial service; which event she claimed she only managed to hold off until she could arrive by threatening to go public. Joan also wrote in her memoir that her elder sister had been physically, psychologically and emotionally abusive when they were young. And the iconic photo of Joan with her hand outstretched to congratulate Olivia backstage after the latter's first Oscar win and Olivia ignoring it because she was peeved by a comment Joan had made about Olivia's new husband, Marcus Goodrich, remained part of Hollywood lore for many years. Nonetheless, late in life, Fontaine gave an interview in which she serenely denied any and all claims of an estrangement from her sister. When a reporter asked Joan if she and Olivia were friends, she replied, "Of course!" The reporter responded that rumors to the contrary must have been sensationalism and she replied, "Oh, right - they have to. Two nice girls liking each other isn't copy. " Asked if she and Olivia were in communication and spoke to each other, Joan replied "Absolutely. " When asked if there ever had been a time when the two did not get along to the point where they wouldn't speak with one another, Joan replied, again, "Never. Never. There is not a word of truth about that. " When asked why people believe it, she replied "Oh, I have no idea. It's just something to say. . . Oh, it's terrible. " When asked if she had seen Olivia over the years, she replied, "I've seen her in Paris. And she came to my apartment in New York often. " The reporter stated that all this was a nice thing to hear. Joan then stated, "Let me just say, Olivia and I have never had a quarrel. We have never had any dissatisfaction. We have never had hard words. And all this is press.
