She Was an '80s Hollywood Beauty Who Lost Both Husbands – What Happened?

She outlasted political backlash, dominated prime-time television, and once held the title of the highest-paid actor on screen. But behind the polished roles and industry acclaim was a woman twice tested by the same brutal reality — watching both of her husbands face incurable diseases.

In her prime, she was one of the most recognizable faces on television, praised for her sharp wit, elegance, and commanding screen presence. Off camera, she built a life marked by quiet devotion and personal conviction. But what the public rarely saw was the emotional weight she carried as both a partner and a caregiver.

Twice in her life, she found love that transformed her. And twice, she stayed until the very end, supporting her husbands through illnesses that slowly, cruelly took them away. Her story isn't only about fame or loss. It's about what happens in between: the choices, the caretaking, the moments that don't make headlines, but leave a lasting mark.

A Quiet Force Behind the Camera: Rising Fame and Private Values

Born in 1946, she began her career in the 1960s, quickly making a name for herself with a mix of sharp intelligence and classic beauty. She forged her path in the industry, eventually becoming a defining face of television in the late 1980s.

Her breakthrough role came in the hit series "Murphy Brown", where she played a fiercely independent journalist navigating politics, parenthood, and professional life. The show ran for ten seasons beginning in 1988 and returned for a brief revival in 2018.

She appeared in 258 episodes over the show's run and became one of the most talked-about women on television. At the height of its popularity, she was the highest-paid actor on television — man or woman — a detail she kept largely to herself. "I went to a lot of trouble to keep it quiet," she once revealed, "but it was a lot of money."

In 1992, the show made headlines outside of entertainment when the U.S. Vice President at the time, Dan Quayle, publicly criticized her character for choosing to have a child out of wedlock. His comments sparked a national debate over family values, single motherhood, and media influence, placing Bergen at the center of a political firestorm.

"I just wanted to be a gopher and go underground," she later reflected. Though she chose not to respond publicly at the time, the controversy lasted for months, appearing in newspapers, cartoons, and political commentary.

While she remained a consistent presence on screen, including roles in "Miss Congeniality" (2000) and "Boston Legal" (2004–2008), her personal life rarely made headlines. She wasn't known for scandal or spectacle. Instead, she focused on the work and, in her words, made choices that kept her close to home when it mattered most.

Her private life, while often shielded from public view, would become the space where her strength was most tested.

First Love: A French Romance Across Continents

She was in her mid-30s when she met a French filmmaker who would change the course of her life. Known for his groundbreaking contributions to French New Wave cinema, he was charismatic, brilliant, and unpredictable. Their connection was immediate and mutual.

"When you're advanced in life... your antenna go [sic] up very quickly when you think you have met someone where there will be a deep connection," she once recalled. "And that happened with both of us." They married in 1980 and soon welcomed a daughter, building a life that straddled continents.

Her television work kept her anchored in Los Angeles, while his directing career often brought him back to France. They created a careful rhythm: she would fly with their daughter to New York for one week each month; he would spend another week on the West Coast. The rest of the time, they lived apart.

It wasn't ideal, but it was the compromise they made for love and work. But even with the distance and occasional strain, the foundation of their marriage remained steady. Until everything changed.

Living With Illness: The Lymphoma Diagnosis That Changed Everything

For years, their long-distance routine worked — dividing time between coasts, managing demanding careers, and raising their daughter together. But in the early 1990s, he underwent major heart surgery. Not long after, doctors discovered he had developed lymphoma, a serious and ultimately terminal cancer of the lymphatic system.

The lymphatic system is a vital part of the body's immune defense. It includes lymph nodes — clusters of tissue found throughout the body, especially in the neck, chest, underarms, abdomen, pelvis, and groin — as well as organs like the spleen, thymus, tonsils, and bone marrow.

Lymphoma begins when normal cells in this system, called lymphocytes, change and begin to grow out of control. In healthy cells, DNA tells the cell when to grow, divide, and die. But in lymphoma, DNA mutations cause the lymphocytes to multiply too quickly and live longer than they should.

These abnormal cells can collect in the lymph nodes, causing them and other organs like the spleen and liver to swell. As the disease spreads, it weakens the immune system, damages internal tissues, and leads to symptoms like persistent fatigue, fever, weight loss, and difficulty breathing.

His wife later described how the illness overtook every part of their life. "It's like your life as you know it… [is] hijacked overnight," she reflected. "And the priority becomes the person who is stricken. And because it's a catastrophic disease, it is very dramatic, and it is very painful to watch someone that you care about that deeply be struck down."

In November 1995, Louis Malle, a pioneer of French cinema whose career spanned decades, died at 63. His wife, Candice Bergen, and their ten-year-old daughter, Chloe, were with him when he passed. His death ended a 15-year marriage and left Bergen to grieve while raising their daughter alone.

Rediscovering Joy: A Second Marriage and a New Chapter

Almost five years after losing her husband, Bergen remarried. In June 2000, she wed Marshall Rose, a New York-based real estate developer and philanthropist. They met at a time when Bergen wasn't looking for anything serious, but something about him felt different. "I just thought, 'I trust this man completely,'" she recalled. "By dessert, I was sort of in his pocket."

Rose was well known in civic circles, having founded The Georgetown Company in 1978 and later becoming a trusted advisor to nonprofit institutions across New York. Over time, his focus shifted from commercial development to philanthropy, offering his services pro bono to educational and cultural projects.

Though his professional world was far from Bergen's, their values aligned. Their relationship quickly became a source of joy and stability. When Bergen began filming "Miss Congeniality" later that same year, her new husband visited her on set.

According to castmate Sandra Bullock, the affection between them was unmistakable. She recalled seeing him touch Bergen's face and say goodbye with such warmth that others on set took notice. "We were all on the other side of the stage, a little bitter," Bullock joked. "We were all going, 'Wow. We have nothing. We have absolutely nothing.'"

Another Loss: Parkinson's Disease and the End of a Second Marriage

During her second marriage, Bergen remained active, both professionally and personally. The marriage brought stability and affection, but once again, illness would alter the course of her life. Rose was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurological disorder that slowly affects movement, coordination, and other essential functions.

Parkinson's disease occurs when certain nerve cells in the brain break down or die, leading to a drop in dopamine levels. This chemical helps regulate movement, and its absence results in symptoms like tremors, stiffness, slowness, and problems with balance.

The disease can also cause difficulty with speech, memory, and mood. Though some cases are linked to genetics or environmental factors, many are classified as idiopathic, meaning there is no clear cause.

Rose, who had spent decades shaping New York City's skyline and supporting nonprofit causes, began to decline after years of resilience. On February 15, 2025, he died at home at the age of 88, surrounded by loved ones. A family representative confirmed the news, noting that he and Bergen had been just months away from celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.

According to his obituary, Rose was remembered as a beloved husband, father, and grandfather. He was survived by Bergen, his children Wendi and Andrew, his stepdaughter Chloe, and several grandchildren. His passing marked the end of another long and meaningful chapter in Bergen's life.

The Woman Still Standing

Now 79, Bergen still chooses roles that fit her pace and values. She is set to appear in the upcoming series "Shrinking" and the film "Harvest Moon," both slated for release in 2026. Her reflections on aging have always been direct.

About four years into her marriage with Rose, Bergen faced a health scare. She suffered two small strokes, a medical event that momentarily disrupted her balance and left her disoriented. Thankfully, she recovered without lasting effects, but she admitted that the incident left her thinking more seriously about mortality.

When asked whether she had any lingering symptoms, she responded, "For a few weeks, there were. Now I'm good. But I know that right now I could suddenly just keel over." She spoke candidly about aging, even sharing that she had a "target age" in mind. "I was thinking 88," she said, "because anything past 88 seemed really greedy!"

After decades in the spotlight and decades of quietly managing life's hardest moments off camera, she remains active, self-aware, and unfiltered. Bergen may be best known for playing tough, witty women on screen, but her real-life resilience tells a much deeper story.