For eight years, from the mid-1960s to the early 70s, Elizabeth Montgomery charmed America with a little nose wriggle as she portrayed the enchanting Samantha Stephens in the TV sitcom Bewitched.
When she wasn't on-screen, Montgomery was busy being involved with various charitable causes and political activism. She was a known advocate for equality and AIDS patients, and even volunteered with the AIDS Project in Los Angeles.
However, there's a lot more to the star's life that the public did not know about.
According to Herbie Pilato's book,Twitch Upon A Star, Montgomery's off-screen life was allegedly filled with personal ups and downs and she struggled to find happiness.
"She had a dark side to her," Pilato told Mail Online.
The tell-all book also revealed the big reason why the actress was drawn to "troubled men" and went through multiple marriages and affairs.
Pilato delves into details about Montgomery's famous relations with many of Hollywood's leading men, including Elvis Presley, Gary Cooper and Dean Martin. He also touches on the star's friendship with President John F. Kennedy.
"She enchanted every man she ever met," Pilato said of Montgomery. Adding, "But she seemed drawn to troubled men, not nice guys."
Turns out, there's a heartbreaking reason why she sought out those types of men.
Pilato explained that Montgomery, the daughter of movie legend Robert Montgomery, had a "father complex." Her rebellion from her father, forced her to fall for older men who physically and mentally abused her.
"He didn't want her to become an actress and that sparked the beginning of her resentment," said Pilato. "He was her toughest critic as an actress and was very hard on her personal life too, from the way she walked and her posture to her penchant for older men. He was horrified. He thought she was trying to replace him with all her older lovers."
He continued, "She was conflicted, trying to please her father but also rebelling against him. She wanted him to play her father on Bewitched but he refused. I think he resented the fact that his daughter had become a bigger star than he was."
The author also explained that despite having four kids with her third husband and being wealthy, Montgomery never found true happiness.
Up until her death in 1995, Montgomery didn't fully resolve her daddy-issues. However, she was starting to break away from the pattern of being with older men. In fact, her last husband, Falcon Crest star Robert Fox, was nine years younger than her.
They were together for 20 years despite her affair with former ballet star and actor Alexander Godunov. The pair eventually got married, but Montgomery died 18 months later from cancer.
