Tuesday Weld emerged as one of Hollywood’s most enigmatic stars in the late 1950s thanks to her delicate beauty and rebellious spirit.
Best known for her roles in The Cincinnati Kid (1965), where she starred alongside Steve McQueen, and Pretty Poison (1968), Weld earned critical acclaim for her ability to portray complex, emotionally charged characters.
Though she often shied away from the spotlight, her unforgettable performances left a lasting impact on American cinema.
Tuesday Weld almost never got to see her mom anymore
In an interview with Life in 1971, the actress opened up about her challenging upbringing. She shared that her father’s wealthy family had offered to take care of her and her siblings’ education, but only if her mother, Yosene Balfour Ker, would agree to never see them again.
She said, “Mama was an orphan who had come here from London but so far as my father’s family was concerned, she was strictly from the gutter. I have to give Mama credit—she refused to give us up… So I became the supporter of the family.”
As a teenager, she was a wreck
Tuesday Weld’s early life was far from typical. She started modeling at just 3 years old to help her family and soon found success on TV with roles in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis and Hollywood films.
But the pressure of fame came with a heavy price. By the age of 9, she suffered a nervous breakdown, and by 12, she was battling alcoholism.
“As a teenager I was a wreck,” Tuesday told The ENQUIRER. “I drank so much I couldn’t remember anything.
She revealed that even when she didn’t have jobs, she would get up in the morning and say, “Goodbye, Mama, I’m going to school” and then she’d head for the Village and get drunk.
“I always felt so terribly old. I would stay up three or four days at a time yet the miracle was that it never affected my work.”
Tuesday Weld struggled with inner battles throughout her life and sought various methods to find peace, including hypnosis, therapy, and psychoanalysis. Over time, she managed to break free from her mother’s controlling influence.
This personal triumph allowed her to shine both in her career and with her fans, earning the admiration of her peers along the way.
She once fell in love with a man who was homosexual
According to IMDB, Weld had fallen in love with a homosexual and when it didn’t work out she felt hurt. The emotional toll drove her to a desperate act, taking a combination of aspirin, sleeping pills, and gin. Fortunately, her mother found her in time to save her life.
She said, “A bottle of aspirin, a bottle of sleeping pills, and a bottle of gin. I was sure that would do the trick, but Mama came in and found me. I was in a coma for a long time and I lost my hearing, my vision and several other things. When I recovered, I decided that I should try to get some help.”
The actress looked older than she was
At just 12 years old, Tuesday Weld was cast in Rock, Rock, Rock! to play a teenage girl, even though she was still a child herself. What made the situation more unsettling was the fact that her on-screen boyfriend was portrayed by a 21-year-old actor, creating a striking contrast in their ages that only added to the strangeness of the role.
Her romantic partners were significantly older
Weld’s romantic life was as dramatic as her roles onscreen. She had high-profile relationships with Frank Sinatra, Raymond Burr, and George Hamilton. At just 16, she dated John Ireland, a 45-year-old actor from Spartacus, which sparked outrage from her mother.
To regain control over her life and career, Weld used her position as the family’s primary breadwinner as leverage. She threatened to quit acting if her mother continued to interfere, famously declaring that there would be “there ain’t gonna be no more money for you, Mama” if her mother didn’t back off.