Connery's Ex-wife Speaks Out About Alleged Domestic Abuse
14 August 2006
Connery's Ex-wife Speaks Out About Alleged Domestic Abuse
SIR Sean Connery's ex-wife Diane Cilento has spoken out for the first time about the violence she allegedly suffered at the hands of the James Bond star, more than 30 years after their marriage ended.
The Australian-born actress wed Connery in 1962, shortly after her first marriage was annulled, and when she was a bigger star than the then unknown Scot.
But she claims their marriage turned sour when she was staying with her husband in Spain while he filmed THE HILL in 1965.
She tells British newspaper the Daily Mail, "I was a bit drunk. Once inside our room in the darkness, I felt a blow to my face and was knocked to the floor and passed out for a few seconds.
"Then I was screaming, we were both shouting. I got to my feet and tried to fight back, but another blow sent me flying. I managed to get into the bathroom and locked myself in. I spend the rest of the night sprawled on the bathroom floor, covered with towels, whimpering.
"(When I looked in the mirror the next day) I felt sure my face would never be the same again. I was in shock - no one had ever treated me like that, it was confusing, and I felt ashamed in a way - and afraid of the press finding out."
From that day onwards, Cilento felt she could no longer trust her husband but she stayed with him for eight more years until their divorce in 1973.
She continues, "Everything had changed. Looking back, I think my conviction that Sean was my loyal protector, the one person who always made me feel safe, had been shattered.
"I still loved him deeply, but he would never again be the same person I had trusted unconditionally."
The Australian-born actress wed Connery in 1962, shortly after her first marriage was annulled, and when she was a bigger star than the then unknown Scot.
But she claims their marriage turned sour when she was staying with her husband in Spain while he filmed THE HILL in 1965.
She tells British newspaper the Daily Mail, "I was a bit drunk. Once inside our room in the darkness, I felt a blow to my face and was knocked to the floor and passed out for a few seconds.
"Then I was screaming, we were both shouting. I got to my feet and tried to fight back, but another blow sent me flying. I managed to get into the bathroom and locked myself in. I spend the rest of the night sprawled on the bathroom floor, covered with towels, whimpering.
"(When I looked in the mirror the next day) I felt sure my face would never be the same again. I was in shock - no one had ever treated me like that, it was confusing, and I felt ashamed in a way - and afraid of the press finding out."
From that day onwards, Cilento felt she could no longer trust her husband but she stayed with him for eight more years until their divorce in 1973.
She continues, "Everything had changed. Looking back, I think my conviction that Sean was my loyal protector, the one person who always made me feel safe, had been shattered.
"I still loved him deeply, but he would never again be the same person I had trusted unconditionally."
Contactmusic
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