Charlie Chaplin: The actor, writer, director and composer was married four times. His first, second and fourth wives were teenagers though the last marriage, to Oona O'Neill (daughter of playwright Eugene), lasted until his death. He had an affair with actress Joan Barry who brought a paternity suit against him: Chaplin was ordered to support the child until she was 21.

Mary Astor and George S. Kaufman: The Hollywood actress and the Broadway playwright had an affair she documented - along with many others - in her diary. She and her second husband were divorced in 1935 and he took full custody of their daughter. The following year she sued for custody. Claims and counterclaims ensued and the diary turned up but was ruled inadmissible because pages were missing. Lurid alleged excerpts found their way to the press. Eventually the former couple shared custody and Astor continued her career, winning a best supporting actress Oscar for The Great Lie (1941). The diary was impounded and later destroyed.

Errol Flynn: In 1942, the Australian star who had big appetites for sex, alcohol and drugs, was separately accused by two 17-year-old girls of statutory rape. He was acquitted, but the scandal damaged his career. During the trial he met Nora Eddington, 19, who worked in the courthouse. She became his second wife.

Ingrid Bergman: The married star fell in love with Italian director Robert Rossellini in 1950 while working with him on a film in Italy and became pregnant. Bergman was denounced by a US senator in the chamber as "a powerful force for evil". She divorced her first husband when the baby was born and married Rossellini, leaving him in 1957. She was "forgiven" by Hollywood and won her second best actress Oscar for Anastasia (1956).

Elizabeth Taylor: The star "stole" singer Eddie Fisher from his wife, Debbie Reynolds, but worse was to come. Taylor and Richard Burton began an affair while filming Cleopatra, igniting what they called Le Scandale. It was the beginning of their longtime tempestuous and very public relationship during which they married and divorced twice.