The Tragic Story of Ernest Hemingway's Supermodel Granddaughter, Margaux Hemingway

She was erstwhile thought to beryllium nan look of a generation, but connected July 2, 1996, supermodel Margaux Hemingway, nan granddaughter of beloved writer Ernest Hemingway, was recovered dormant successful her Southern California apartment. 

The exemplary and actress, who graced nan screen of countless manner magazines successful nan 1970s, died from a “massive overdose of barbiturate,” the Los Angeles Times reported. A spokesperson for nan Los Angeles County coroner later said nan charismatic origin of decease was “acute barbiturate intoxication,” and nan magnitude — which her assemblage didn’t person clip to digest earlier she died, according to nan New York Times — was accordant pinch an intentional overdose.

Standing 6 feet gangly and pinch twinkling eyes, Margaux burst onto nan segment earlier turning 21. Early successful her career, she inked a woody pinch Fabergé's Babe perfume for $1 million, an unheard-of sum for a exemplary successful nan '70s. In 1975, Time mag called her "New York's Supermodel.” While her position successful nan Big Apple soared, she ne'er felt comfortable among nan stars, having antecedently lived successful Ketchum, Idaho, a mini municipality whose organization hovered astir 2,000 successful nan mid-'70s.

"It sounds glamorous, and it was. I was having a batch of fun. But I was besides very naive erstwhile I came connected nan scene,” she told PEOPLE successful 1988 for a screen story. “I genuinely thought that group liked maine for myself — for my joke and bully qualities. I ne'er expected to meet truthful galore master leeches."

Although she leaned into nan lifestyle, she afloat embraced its trappings, admitting she was an “alcoholic" and yet checked herself into nan Betty Ford Center, a famed curen center, erstwhile she was 32.

“For a time, I was surviving nan life of Ernest Hemingway,” she told PEOPLE. “I deliberation intoxicant drove my grandfather to suicide, but I'm still live because I did thing astir it.”

Born pinch nan sanction Margot, she changed it to “Margaux Hemingway” upon learning that her parents had named her aft nan Château Margaux vino from France, according to The New York Times. Still, her sanction and her two-and-a-half-year matrimony to movie shaper Errol Wetson opened doors. 

“For me, becoming a personage was for illustration being successful nan oculus of a hurricane. Suddenly, I was an world screen girl. Everybody was lapping up my Hemingway-ness. They wanted to swipe elbows pinch maine aliases brushwood up against me,” she told PEOPLE. 

It didn’t return agelong earlier nan Lipstick character was a regular astatine Studio 54 successful New York City.

“I drank to loosen up. I ne'er thought past that intoxicant would go a problem. In my grandfather's time, it was a kindness to beryllium capable to portion a batch and ne'er show it. And for illustration him, I wanted to unrecorded my life to nan fullest, pinch gusto,” she said successful nan PEOPLE interview. “I ever thought intoxicant would springiness maine nan spot and courageousness to do immoderate I wanted to do. In fact, it made maine little capable to deliberation clearly.”

Margaux admitted to having intelligence wellness struggles and turning to alcohol, peculiarly aft nan extremity of her first matrimony to Watson and her 2nd matrimony to Bernard Foucher, to whom she was joined to for six years. 

“I grew very depressed complete nan nonaccomplishment of this marriage,” she said of her narration pinch Foucher. “My thoughts were erratic, and I had problem pinch my representation ... But I was ne'er a fall-down drunk, and admitting that I was an alcoholic astatine that clip would person been arsenic shameful arsenic saying I was a murderer.”

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Eventually, Margaux turned to Hollywood, appearing successful respective movies and direct-to-video features successful nan mid-1980s and early 1990s. Still, she ne'er rather achieved nan aforesaid level of occurrence she had arsenic a model. 

The 42-year-old was nan 5th Hemingway successful 4 generations to allegedly dice by suicide. In fact, Margaux's decease came connected nan eve of nan 35th day of her grandfather's decease from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The famed author, who was joined 4 times and had 3 children, was 61.

At nan time, The Independent reported that nan For Whom nan Bell Tolls author’s brother, sister and begetter had each died by suicide.

If you aliases personification you cognize is considering suicide, please interaction nan National Suicide Prevention Lifeline astatine 1-800-273-TALK (8255), matter "STRENGTH" to nan Crisis Text Line astatine 741-741 aliases spell to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.