Michael Douglas’ ex who broke up with him months before his first marriage — meet his Oscar-nominated girlfriend

After starring together in the 1971 movie Summertree, Michael began dating his co-star Brenda Vaccaro, not long after her divorce from Martin Fried the year prior. The pair were together from some time between 1971-72 to late 1976.

The American star, now 85, began her career on the stage, making her Broadway debut in 1961. Her career on the stage continued to skyrocket in the ’60s, earning three Tony nominations in that decade alone.

She achieved recognition on screen with her 1969 film debuts, Where It’s At and Midnight Cowboy, both of which earned her Golden Globe nominations. In 1976 she earned a Golden Globe win and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her turn in Once Is Not Enough. Brenda also has four Primetime Emmy nominations (and one win).

Her other notable film credits include Capricorn One (1977), Heart of Midnight (1988), Love Affair (1994), The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), and Nonnas (2025).

Michael and Brenda were a powerhouse couple of the ’70s, bolstered by their increasing profiles in Hollywood during that decade (Michael earned his first Oscar in 1976 as the producer of Best Picture winner One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest).

The couple lived together during the later part of their relationship, and while reports suggested they had an unofficial wedding ceremony, it was never confirmed (she did call it a “hippie wedding” in an interview with Closer Weekly).

In an essay for The Hollywood Reporter in 2020, Brenda spoke fondly of her ex’s father Kirk Douglas after his passing, shedding light on her relationship with the Wall Street star. “He treated me like a daughter-in-law,” she wrote. 

“He couldn’t get Michael and me married — Michael was a hippie, and it was not cool to get married in those days. But he would come up to me and say, ‘Tell me you’re trying, just tell me you’re trying.’ He wanted us to have a baby.”

The couple’s seven year relationship came to an end when Brenda fell in love with actor Don Stroud, admitting to Closer that it was a move she’d come to “regret.”

“I regret all of it,” she shared. “Everything was different back then. There were a lot of drugs. We hung out with Anjelica Huston and Jack Nicholson, and it was a crazy time.”

In late 1976, Michael met Diandra, the daughter of an Austrian diplomat. They tied the knot in March 1977 after a whirlwind romance. They had one son together, Cameron Douglas, before divorcing in 1995.

In 1977, not long after the break-up, Brenda tied the knot with William Bishop. The union was short-lived, however, as they divorced the next year. She then married Charles Cannizzaro in 1981, which ended in divorce once again the year after.

She found her happily ever after, however, with Guy Hector in 1986. The pair remain together to this day and keep their relationship private, save for attending events together on the regular. She continues to actively work as well.