Mia Farrow Recalls Her 1966 Wedding to Frank Sinatra: Why She ‘Wore Whatever’ Was in Her Closet

Mar. 15, 2025

Mia Farrowis looking back on her 1966 wedding toFrank Sinatra, revealing the secrets behind herunderstated wedding gown.

During an appearance onThe Drew Barrymore Showthat aired Friday, Nov. 8, the actress, 79, shared that her nuptials with the late “My Way” crooner had been a spur of a moment thing — so much so that she had little time to choose a dress for the occasion.

“I only knew the day before when we were going to get married, so I had to wear whatever I had in my closet,” recalled Farrow, who was on the show alongsidePatti LuPone, her costar in Broadway’sThe Roommate. “It was like that, yeah.”

Farrow and Sinatra met on the 20th Century Fox lot in 1964 and quickly fell in love. Two years later — when Farrow was 21 and Sinatra was 50 — he proposed.

Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow cut their wedding cake at the Sands Hotel following their wedding on July 19, 1966.Bettmann

Bettmann

“So I would crawl around the [floor] and I would go to the refrigerator, and I would open it from the floor — which isn’t easy — and try to get a pizza out or… something to eat,” she shared. “And then he would call and I would just pretend everything was just fine, but it was a freaky thing."

“He called and he said, ‘I think we should get married tomorrow,' " Farrow recalled. “I’m like, ‘Oh, ok!' "

“Oh my God,” a surprised Barrymore responded, adding “Isn’t life so wild?”

Frank Sinatra with American actress Mia Farrow standing on the deck of the yacht Southern Breeze during their trip in New England waters in August of 1965.Bill Eppridge/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

Bill Eppridge/The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

“He left me because I wouldn’t leave the movie when he told me to leave it,” Farrow recalled to Barrymore. “It had another month. He had some dispute with the head of the studio and he said, ‘I’m taking my girl out of this,’ that kind of thing. [But] when he told me to leave it, I said, ‘How can I leave it?’ You know, I’m the daughter of a director and an actress … my mother was Maureen O’Sullivan and my father was a movie director, and I couldn’t leave a movie. And I was in every shot, and it was almost [done]; I had one more month.”

Farrow went on to reveal she never thought Sinatra would actually divorce her, but then one day, “his lawyer came on set [and] served me with divorce papers.”

She toldThe Guardianin 2007 that their age difference was a factor in the relationship ending, saying that she felt she was “less mature than any other 19-year-old” she’d ever known.” This immaturity came to play after the divorce as she admitted to theLos Angeles Times, “I was too immature to handle that situation. … I became very withdrawn and tried to find other values in life.”

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Sinatra exchange fond glances following their wedding on July 19, 1966.Bettmann Archive

Bettmann Archive

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However, Farrow shared in an interview withVanity Fairin 2013 that the pair “never really split up” and still kept in touch after the divorce. Their long-lasting friendship lasted until his death in 1998.

Last year, she even paid tribute to the late star on what would have been his 107th birthday on Instagram. Alongside a photo of him, she wrote, “I bet he has those angel choirs singing some great new songs!”

“This was the first photo I took with the Rolleiflex camera he bought for us. He was teaching me how to use it,” she continued. “Happy Heavenly Birthday C.B. I will always love you.”

The Drew Barrymore Showairs weekdays (check local listings).

source: people.com