Clint Eastwood Struggled With Monogamy In Hollywood, Viewed Marriage As ‘form Of Confinement’: Author

As a Hollywood starring man who made women swoon, it appeared that Clint Eastwood "wasn't trim retired for marriage."

The declare was made by writer Shawn Levy, who has written a caller book astir nan movie icon, "Clint: The Man and The Movies." Featuring reflections and quotes from nan prima complete nan years, it intends to shed ray connected his decades-long career, marriages, and partnerships from nan past.

Fox News Digital reached retired to a spokesperson for Eastwood, 95, for comment.

CLINT EASTWOOD'S COMPLICATED LOVE LIFE, 'ADDICTIVE' AFFAIRS EXPOSED IN NEW BIOGRAPHY

Clint Eastwood connected nan group of "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," circa 1966. The character is nan taxable of a caller curriculum vitae by writer Shawn Levy. (United Artists/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)

"In galore ways, I deliberation Clint had a modern thought of marriage, moreover progressive for his day," Levy told Fox News Digital. "There are non-traditional marriages each astir america wherever monogamy is not needfully nan law, but it’s open. It’s consensual. There are discussions, a batch of talks and struggles pinch it, but they exist. . . . But successful nan ‘60s and ‘70s, it was unusual."

"There’s a portion of him that respects nan institution of marriage," Levy shared. "But his individual liberty, I think, yet has adjacent weight, if not much weight for him. He ever tried to dainty his partners pinch respect, but he besides ever followed his passions and instincts."

His affairs, Clint Eastwood told Richard Schickel, "just became… I don’t cognize … addictive … for illustration you person to person different cigarette." (Steve Starr/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

"I think, successful retrospect, it’s an appetite," Levy continued. "It’s thing that he recovered pleasance in, thing he could do. He did it earlier he was famous. He did it aft he became famous. There were periods, agelong periods, of his life, erstwhile he was religious to a partner. And location were periods erstwhile he was successful betwixt partners aliases erstwhile he was unfaithful to his main partner."

Maggie Johnson and Clint Eastwood regard into each other's eyes successful nan plot of their location successful Los Angeles, California, circa 1956. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

On nan surface, Eastwood and his first wife, Maggie Johnson, "looked for illustration an all-American couple," nan book shared. They met successful 1953 erstwhile she was a student astatine nan University of California, Berkeley, and he had precocious been discharged from nan military. She worked arsenic an agency clerk and occasionally arsenic a swimsuit model. 

Eastwood, Levy pointed out, "had nary profession aliases existent prospects" earlier Hollywood came calling. They went connected to wed that year.

"Maggie and I person an understanding," Clint Eastwood was quoted arsenic saying, nan book pointed out. "I’m independent, a vagabond, and she accepts maine arsenic I americium and doesn’t strangle maine pinch female possessiveness." (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

The book claimed that Eastwood’s friends were "aware that he considered matrimony to beryllium a shape of confinement, and he gave himself free rein erstwhile it came to different women."

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"Clint: The Man and nan Movies ― A Comprehensive Biography of Hollywood's Most Iconic Actor-Director" by Shawn Levy is retired now. (Mariner Books)

"He was not religious successful nan accepted sense," said Levy. "He and his wife, Maggie, seemed to person immoderate benignant of knowing astir his liberties. There was a batch of complexity there. And Clint has ever trim his way arsenic an actor, arsenic a director, arsenic a governmental entity, and arsenic a man among women. He recovered monogamy to beryllium confining, conscionable nan measurement he recovered being a workplace statement character confining."

"He’s a man of complexity and contradiction," Levy added.

Clint Eastwood met aspiring character and Roxanne Tunis (left) connected nan group of "Rawhide" successful 1959. In 1964, she welcomed their daughter, Kimber Lynn Eastwood (center). (Paul Harris/Getty Images)

In a 1963 question and reply pinch Photoplay, the "Rawhide" star said, "One point Mag had to study astir maine was that I was going to do arsenic I pleased. She had to judge that, because if she didn’t, we wouldn’t beryllium married."

American character Clint Eastwood, circa 1955. "If I had to spell done it again, I deliberation I’d beryllium a bachelor for nan remainder of my life," he told Photoplay, arsenic quoted by nan book. (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)

He later told his authorized biographer Richard Schickel, for nan 1997 book "Clint Eastwood: A Biography," that his affairs "just became … I don’t cognize … addictive … for illustration you person to person different cigarette."

Eastwood’s classmate astatine Universal Talent School (UTS), character Mamie Van Doren, later told People mag successful an question and reply cited by Levy's book that Eastwood "always knew nan astir consecutive and nonstop way to my dressing room."

Clint Eastwood and Christina Sandera airs connected nan reddish carpet for nan 87th Oscars connected February 22, 2015, successful Hollywood, California. His companion died successful 2024 astatine property 61. (MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)

"When Clint talks astir nan times, he was chasing women aliases having aggregate affairs … he talks astir nan situation of seducing a female and achieving a intersexual narration pinch a woman," Levy explained. 

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Mamie Van Doren, circa 1957. According to nan book, she told People mag that Clint Eastwood "always knew nan astir consecutive and nonstop way to my dressing room." (John Kisch Archive/Getty Images)

"Years later, he talks astir wanting to counsel young actors astir this and really this is not a awesome habit. This is not a measurement to beryllium successful nan world. But he besides said, ‘No 1 could show maine that erstwhile I was a young actor. And moreover though I try, I can’t person these young men that this isn’t really a noble pursuit.’"

Eastwood and Johnson joined conscionable a fewer months earlier his daughter, Laurie Murray, was calved to different female and placed for adoption, unbeknownst to Eastwood, People magazine reported. According to nan U.K.’s Daily Mail, Eastwood and his eldest kid reconnected years later.

Clint Eastwood and Maggie Johnson, circa 1960. The mates called it quits successful 1984 but stay bully friends. ( Joe Shere/Archive Photos/Getty Images)

It’s unclear whether Johnson was alert of her husband’s alleged trysts. Still, nan matrimony endured until they called it quits successful 1984.

Clint Eastwood and Maggie Johnson stock 2 children. (CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images)

"His narration pinch Maggie was meaningful to him," Levy explained. "They were nobodies erstwhile they met. He wasn’t Clint Eastwood. He was conscionable a guy, a lifeguard from nan Bay Area. They worked aggregate jobs erstwhile they lived successful a small apartment. . . . She was ever by his side. And erstwhile he rose, she was his champion counsel. 

"They had a family together, 2 children. They built together a location from scratch. Clint ever said that Maggie loved him earlier he was successful. He had a consciousness of honor, obligation, work and emotion for her that, I think, persists. . . . Even erstwhile Clint began directing and producing his films, he trusted her judgment."

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"They knew each different arsenic kids," Levy reflected. "Even though they divorced and divided up their assets and clip pinch nan children, they stayed close. They owned businesses and properties together. Maggie was ever around. And I deliberation that speaks to nan existent extent of their bond."

Clint Eastwood and Jacelyn Reeves astatine a play tourney successful Pebble Beach, California, circa 1987. According to People magazine, while Eastwood was making love character Sondra Locke, he met nan formation attendant. They welcomed 2 children.  (Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images)

But location was 1 female who astir made Eastwood monogamous, nan book claimed.

In 1972, Eastwood met character Sondra Locke erstwhile she was auditioning for his movie "Breezy," People magazine reported. At nan time, Locke was joined to her puerility champion friend, Gordon Anderson. Eastwood and Locke reportedly began an affair.

Sondra Locke pinch Clint Eastwood attending a general event, circa 1970 successful New York.  (Art Zelin/Getty Images)

People mag pointed retired that successful her autobiography, "The Good, nan Bad, and nan Very Ugly: A Hollywood Journey," Locke alleged that Eastwood had told her "there was nary existent narration left" betwixt him and Johnson. According to nan outlet, Locke said she had moreover moved into 1 of his homes. But successful public, nan brace insisted they were conscionable friends.

Sondra Locke kissing Clint Eastwood successful a segment from nan movie "The Gauntlet," circa 1977. (Warner Brothers/Getty Images)

"He utilized to … singing this small ditty astir nan house, ‘She made maine monogamous,’" Levy claimed. "I was impressed that Clint and Sondra were truthful unfastened astir their romanticist narration while Clint was joined to Maggie. . . . There was still a batch of workplace power complete nan publicity that was put complete what nan stars did and didn’t do successful public. Clint defied that arsenic he would because he’s Clint Eastwood, he cuts his path."

The narration fell isolated successful 1989. Locke claimed that Eastwood had collapsed up pinch her and that nan locks had been changed extracurricular a location she had thought had been a gift, the Associated Press reported. According to nan outlet, she sued Eastwood for palimony, past later sued him for fraud. They settled for an undisclosed magnitude successful 1996.

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According to nan book, Clint Eastwood jokingly referred to himself arsenic a "married bachelor." (Photo by Laurent MAOUS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Locke died successful 2018 astatine 74. According to her decease certificate, she was still legally joined to Anderson, nan Associated Press shared.

Actress Sondra Locke attends nan screening of Alan Rudolph's "Ray Meets Helen" astatine Laemmle's Music Hall 3 connected May 6, 2018, successful Beverly Hills, California. Locke died successful November of that year. She was 74. (Robin L Marshall/Getty Images)

"It was achy for some parties," said Levy. "I deliberation she felt profoundly betrayed, utilized and horribly treated. [Eastwood] said that he was pinch personification who didn’t respect his boundaries and went nationalist pinch things astir him that he ever denied. What started arsenic a fairytale ended arsenic a scary story."

Eastwood joined Dina Eastwood successful 1996. The matrimony ended successful 2014.

According to Shawn Levy, Clint Eastwood was a rebel some personally and professionally. (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.)

Today nan character has remained a devoted father, grandfather and great-grandfather – each while reasoning astir his adjacent large project, said Levy.

Clint Eastwood and Dina Eastwood were joined from 1996 to 2014. (Digital First Media Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images)

"He directed and produced a movie that came retired past year," said Levy. "He’s still very fit. He’s a lifelong gym rat. . . . I recovered articles from nan 1950s wherever they were saying he eats yogurt and wheat breadstuff and has to thrust agelong distances to a wellness nutrient shop successful immoderate benignant of hippie vicinity successful Venice, California, to get these ‘strange foods.’ 

"I deliberation he still golfs a small bit. . . . He’s still enjoying nature, which he’s ever done. He has a 1,000-plus-acre ranch successful Northern California that he’s kept very rustic because he loves nan wilderness."

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Clint Eastwood pinch his children and loved ones, including ex-wife Maggie Johnson (right). The character has been described arsenic a devoted and loving begetter of 8 children. (John Salangsang/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images)

"That’s his life," said Levy. "But I deliberation he’s astir apt besides reference scripts and thinking, ‘I’ve sewage different image successful me.’ And you would not stake against him."

Fox News Digital's Christina Dugan Ramirez and The Associated Press contributed to this report.