Inger Stevens was a Swedish-American actress who rose to fame in the 1960s with her roles in films and television shows. She won a Golden Globe award for her performance in the sitcom The Farmer’s Daughter, and appeared in several other popular shows such as The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. She also starred opposite Harry Belafonte in the sci-fi film The World, the Flesh and the Devil, and Clint Eastwood in the western Hang ‘Em High. She was considered one of the most beautiful and talented actresses of her time, but behind her glamorous image, she struggled with personal issues and unhappiness. On April 30, 1970, she was found dead in her Hollywood home at the age of 35. What was the cause of her death, and what led to her tragic demise?
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A Troubled Childhood and a Secret Marriage
Inger Stevens was born Ingrid Stensland on October 18, 1934, in Stockholm, Sweden. Her parents divorced when she was six years old, and her mother abandoned her and her younger brother Ola. Her father moved to the United States with his new wife, leaving Inger and Ola in the care of a maid and later an aunt. In 1944, Inger and Ola joined their father in New York City, where he was studying at Columbia University. Inger attended Manhattan High School, but ran away at 15 to work in burlesque shows in Kansas City. She returned to New York at 18, where she worked as a chorus girl and a model while taking acting classes at the Actors Studio.
In 1955, she married her agent Anthony Soglio, but they divorced in 1958. In 1961, she secretly married Ike Jones, a black actor and producer who was the first African-American to graduate from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television. Their interracial marriage was kept hidden from the public until after her death, as it could have damaged her career at a time when racial discrimination was rampant in Hollywood. Jones later claimed that they were still married when she died, but this was disputed by her family and friends.
A Rising Star with a Dark Side
Inger Stevens made her film debut in Man on Fire (1957), starring Bing Crosby. She then appeared in several other films, such as Cry Terror! (1958), The Buccaneer (1958), and The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959). She also guest-starred in many TV shows, such as The Aquanauts (1960), Route 66 (1961), The Eleventh Hour (1962), and Sam Benedict (1962). She gained recognition and popularity for her role as Katy Holstrum, a Swedish governess who marries a congressman, in the sitcom The Farmer’s Daughter (1963-1966). She won a Golden Globe award for Best TV Star – Female in 1964 for this role.
However, despite her success and fame, Inger Stevens was unhappy and insecure. She suffered from depression and anxiety, and attempted suicide twice in 1959 and 1960. She also had a history of substance abuse, especially alcohol and barbiturates. She had several affairs with married men, such as Burt Reynolds, Dean Martin, James Mason, and Anthony Quinn. She also had an abortion in 1965, which left her unable to have children.
A Mysterious Death
On April 30, 1970, Inger Stevens was found unconscious on the floor of her kitchen by her friend Lola McNally, who had come to visit her. McNally called an ambulance, but Stevens was pronounced dead on arrival at the Hollywood Receiving Hospital. The autopsy confirmed that she died of acute barbiturate poisoning, specifically a lethal dose of the sedative Demerol. Her blood alcohol level was also high at 0.17%. The coroner ruled her death as a suicide.
However, some aspects of her death remain unclear and controversial. For instance, why did she take such a large amount of Demerol when she had no prescription for it? Where did she get it from? Why did she leave no suicide note? Why did she have bruises on her face and body? Was she involved in a fight or an accident before she died? Did someone else give her the drugs or force them on her? Was there foul play involved?
Some of her friends and colleagues speculated that she was murdered by someone who wanted to silence her or harm her. Some suggested that it could have been one of her lovers or their jealous wives. Others believed that she was depressed over her failing career or her lonely life. Some claimed that she had planned to reveal her secret marriage to Ike Jones to the public before she died.
The truth about Inger Stevens’ cause of death may never be known for sure. What is certain is that she was a talented and beautiful actress who left behind a legacy of memorable performances and a mystery that still fascinates her fans. According to TV Show Stars, she was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, next to her father. Her epitaph reads: “Inger – A time to love and a time to die.”
