Jane Russell Had a Backstreet Abortion that Left Her Infertile and Later Adopted Children with Bob Waterfield

Jane Russell, a delectable actress who rose to fame in the 1940s after her first film "The Outlaw," never had kids naturally owing to her infertility caused by a back street abortion. However, she adopted three kids with her husband.

Jane Russell, born in 1921, in Bemidji, Minnesota, began her career as a star in Western films and musicals as a young adult, after media mogul Howard Hughes discovered and cast her in "The Outlaws" during her time as a receptionist.

Russell's first acting role was due to her killer body, and after Hughes's success of reshooting the film due to initial disapproval, she became famous for her looks.

She later worked on other productions ranging from movies to musicals, "The Young Widow," "The Paleface," "The French Line," "Fox Fire," and one of her outstanding features alongside Marilyn Monroe, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes."

Despite not growing up with a knack for theatrical works, once Russell had the opportunity to work in the field, she built an impressive resume and later founded a production company known as Russ-Field, with her first husband, Bob Waterfield.

ABORTION TRAGEDY

During her teenage years, the iconic actress became pregnant for Bob; at the time, they were not married. So she sought an abortion, which was performed by a quack in a back street. This decision nearly cost her her life, and Russell confessed that she fell ill afterward.

JOURNEY TO MOTHERHOOD

Russell never had kids naturally, and she knew about her infertility, so after her marriage to Bob Waterfield, the couple adopted three kids, Tracy, Thomas, and Robert Waterfield.

It was easy adopting Tracy and Robert, who were American citizens. However, Thomas' adoption drew a lot of backlashes.

First, his parents were Irish who willingly gave him up for adoption even though the country prohibited non-British citizens from adopting. Then, however, his dual citizenship offered him the opportunity to be taken to America.

This action brought condemnation from the media and Parliament, which ultimately affected her husband, who asked his wife to give back the child, a request Russell never honored.

The mother of three later became an adoption activist and created World Adoption International Fund, an organization that aided international adoption for American parents.

RUSSELL'S MARRIAGES

The former actress was married three times. After she divorced Bob due to infidelity by both parties, Russell found love a second time with an actor named Roger Barrett.

Their fairytale was short-lived, as three months after their wedding, Barrett passed away after suffering from a heart attack. However, his widow married John Calvin Peoples, a real estate broker, and former Air Force officer six years later. However, their marriage ended in 1999, after his death.

Peoples death stirred a drinking habit in Russell, who also lost one of her kids. She was later put into rehab and lived until age 89, when she passed away after suffering from a respiratory illness.