Paul Newman was once known as Hollywood’s Mr. Perfect, with his pretty face, masculine personality, and typical tough guy roles that swept any girl off her feet. The discovery of his potential as a famous s*x symbol was all thanks to his second wife, Joanne Woodward.
Newman died of lung cancer in 2008 at the age of 83, but beneath his gorgeous appeal and international fame, he became the face of philanthropy. In his posthumous memoir, the late actor revealed all this and more.
Paul Newman Revealed A Spicy Secret About His Marriage With Joanne Woodward
Paul Newman was married to Jackie Witte, with whom he shared three kids. But after meeting Joanne Woodward, there was an unexplainable spark that he could not extinguish. In fact, the actor credited his second wife for awakening the s*x symbol in him. He wrote in his memoir, Paul Newman: The Extraordinary Life of An Ordinary Man:
“Joanne gave birth to a s*xual creature. I’m simply a creature of her invention.”
He recalled how they left a “trail of lust” wherever they went, filling the room with romance. In 1958, Newman left Witte and married Woodward. One of the most striking lines in the book was the actor describing how he would come home to his new wife in Beverly Hills and would find her spicing up the room with a fresh coat of paint. He recalled:
“‘I call it the F—k Hut,’ she said proudly. It had been done with such affection and delight. Even if my kids came over, we’d go into the f—k hut several nights a week and just be intimate and noisy and ribald.”
His youngest daughter, Clea Newman Soderlund, revealed she didn’t know about the “f—k hut,” but she attested to her parent’s love for each other. She shared via The Guardian:
“To get into their bedroom, they had one ordinary wooden door and then also a really thick door, and both locked on the inside. It was a very sexy relationship. It wasn’t a fairytale, but he was really, really in love with Mom.”
Despite their intimate passion for each other, Newman and Woodward also faced problems, mostly because of the actor’s drinking habits. He recounted:
“Joanne and I still drive each other crazy in different ways. But all the misdemeanors, the betrayals, the difficulties have kind of evened themselves out over the years.”
There is no perfect relationship, but Newman and Woodward seemed to have found their perfect match in each other, as evident in their 50-year marriage.
Paul Newman Redefined The Meaning Of Philanthropy
Fans only saw the good things in Paul Newman’s life, but in his memoir, the actor chronicled his struggle with losing his son, Scott. The lad passed away at age 28 due to a drug overdose. The Hustler star admitted:
“I want to embrace the responsibility for that. What would it have taken to avert that? I don’t think I could have gone into films and been a movie star. I couldn’t have drunk. I couldn’t have been a risk taker. I think that’s enough for me to say right now.”
Because of this painful experience, Newman channeled his sorrow into building the Scott Newman Center, a place dedicated to drug abuse prevention. He also founded SeriousFun, a summer camp for extremely ill kids.
Soderlund revealed her father’s biggest regret in life was when he discovered he was terminally ill, but still wanted to help more people. Newman changed the meaning of celebrity philanthropy and showed the world that he not only had a handsome face but a kind heart as well.
Sources: Paul Newman: The Extraordinary Life of An Ordinary Man, The Guardian
