Debbie Reynolds Devoted Herself to Grandkid after Carrie Fisher's Death & Still Had Strength after Failed Marriages

Hollywood starlet Debbie Reynolds endured a lot of adversities throughout her life and found comfort in caring for her children and grandchild.

Actress Debbie Reynolds was a strong person, and even three failed marriages did not break her. Reynolds was first married to singer Eddie Fisher, whom she wed in 1955. The pair welcomed two children together, Carrie and Todd Fisher.

Reynolds believed she had found her Prince Charming when she met the actor but little did she know that he would leave her high and dry. Eddie left Reynolds for her dearest friend, actress Elizabeth Taylor in 1958.

Reynolds was left shocked by her husband's actions, said her close friend, Ruta Lee, in an interview with Closer Weekly in April 2019.

Lee also revealed that the father of two stopped financially supporting his brood once he abandoned the family: "He never sent any money, so I found it a little scary." Reynolds and Eddie divorced in 1959.

The businesswoman became a single mother and did her best to give her children a family. Soon, she found another man who was able to provide for her and the kids, Harry Karl, whom she married in 1960. Lee explained that her pal went for an "older man" who could be responsible and become a father figure to her two kids:

"She wanted a good father to her children because Eddie was not. So, she picked an older man that was like her dad who could take care of them."

Things turned sour when Reynolds, her new husband Karl, and the kids moved into a marble-clad estate. She learned who he really was when he started stealing money from her savings to gamble and spend it on prostitutes.

He spent $100 million of his and his wife's fortune during their time together. When the duo divorced in 1973 following 13 years of marriage, the "Bright Lights" star was stuck with a $3 million bill from Karl's creditors.

Lee said if any other woman found herself in the same situation, they would have "felt defeated," adding the difference with her friend was that "she had that tenacity."

Unfortunately, Reynolds's third husband, Richard Hamlett, whom she wed in 1984, was also bad news. He also stole money from her while she was trying to make a decent living for her kids and lied about it.

After her second marriage failed, the mother of two worked hard to avoid filing for bankruptcy, but that did not last for long, thanks to her third spouse, Hamlett.

In 1997, Reynolds filed for bankruptcy after she had to pay him $270,000 in their divorce filing. She wanted to buy out his interest in the Las Vegas casino they bought together.

The situation became so unpleasant that one of her employees resigned because of Hamlett. Lee recalled that the said employee confided in her, telling her that she could not sit and watch Reynolds' husband "lying" about his misdeeds as he was using her money "for his personal use and not accounting for it."

How Reynolds Moved on from the Heartbreaks

Reynolds' last divorce left her utterly broken and devastated because she believed that she had finally found "happiness with a man," said Lee.

Following her failed marriages, the Texas native started to lean on her children, Carrie and Todd, a bit more.

The"Halloweentown" star's son Todd even helped her recover some of her prized possessions following her turbulent love life experiences.

Lee revealed that Todd went with his mom to the house she once shared with Hamlett and gained access through the window. He recovered everything that belonged to her.

Like his famous mother, Todd is an actor and a director. The California native also has a producer title under his belt.

The singer's daughter Carrie also followed in her footsteps and became an actress, best known for her role in the movie franchise, "Star Wars."

Reynolds' Devotion to Her Daughter & Grandchild

However, she sadly passed away on December 27, 2016, after suffering a heart attack on an airplane. She never regained consciousness. Carrie was 60 years old when she died, leaving behind her one and only child daughter, Billie Lourd.

Per People, a close friend, Sue Cameron, revealed the Hollywood star's death left her mother broken, but she found a reason to continue living for her granddaughter, Lourd:

"Debbie wanted to be there for her granddaughter Billie. After Carrie died, she had a reason to live, to take care of Billie. I don't know how long she would have lived, but she really did want to live for Billie."

Heartbreakingly, that never came to be as Reynolds suffered a stroke and died instantly, only a day after her daughter passed. Shortly following the news of her passing, her son Todd openly talked about her final hours in an interview with E! Online.

The cinematographer shared his mother said she was going to be with her late daughter before she took her last breath, adding the "Charlotte's Web" star expressed being heavily "stressed."

Todd said although his mom tried to compose herself in the event of her daughter's death, "she was under a lot of emotion and stress from the loss," which ultimately "triggered" her own death.

Per Harpers' Bazaar, Reynolds died on December 28, 2016, at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles at age 84. She and Carrie left then-24-year-old Lourd to mourn their losses. Her uncle explained the situation for her was horrific because she was too young to lose two loved ones at more or less the same time.

Per She Knows.com., the actress got candid about the double tragedy on the "New Day" podcast in 2021. The mother of one said the dark period was heavy on her, especially when the media twisted the things she said following her mom and grandmother's deaths:

"I still hesitate and stutter because it's really hard for me."

The "Scream Queens" alum has since created a family of her own by welcoming her first child, Kingston, with her husband, producer, and actor, Austin Rydell. The couple tied the knot in 2022.

Although she is making new memories with her son and spouse, Lourd still longs for her mother and grandmother. She said her child and husband are now her "favorite people in the world."