Rita Moreno Shares Horrific Story Of Marlon Brando’s Mistreatment

Stage and screen icon Rita Moreno is speaking out on the treatment she received from Marlon Brand on the set of Désirée and throughout their eight-year relationship together. The 90-year-old EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner revealed that Brando’s treatment sent her into a deep depression.

Moreno Attempted To Take Her Own Life

According to Moreno, Brando was “extraordinary in many, many ways,” but he was a “bad guy.”

 “He was extraordinary in many, many ways, but he was a bad guy. He was a bad guy when it came to women. I was such a different person then. I had all the makings of a doormat,”

The abuse from Brando was so extreme that Moreno attempted to end her life. 

In an interview with Jessica Chastain, Moreno said:

“So whenever he lied, I would look at him and I’d say, ‘Marlon, look at me.’ And he’d start to grin this kind of — I don’t want to use the bad word — that poop-eating grin. I could read him like a book and that’s why he loved me, and that’s why he mistreated me in so many ways. I tried to end my life with pills in his house. That’s how I tried to do it. I didn’t understand that if I was going to kill this pathetic, sad, trod-upon Rita, the rest of Rita was also going to go with me. I really didn’t seem to understand that. But that’s what the attempt was. It was an attempt.”

Moreno noted that Brando attempted to rekindle the relationship, but she said he had changed.

“He lost a big part of himself, I think. The good part of him, the good Marlon that Rita loved.”

Not The First Accusation Against Marlon Brando

Marlon Brando was notoriously difficult to work with throughout his career, from refusing to learn his lines to demanding in one movie to wear a bucket on his head and work with a little person.

His worst offense, though, is what allegedly happened on the set of Last Tango in Paris. Noted for its intense eroticism, the film came under fire in part due to the infamous “butter” scene that, it turned out, was filmed without the consent of co-star Maria Schneider. 

Director Bernardo Bertolucci admitted that he and Brando devised the scene and didn’t inform Schneider as they wanted to catch her by surprise:

“I wanted her reaction as a girl, not as an actress.”

Bertolucci acknowledged that Schneider despised him and Brando for the scene. The actress shared that she felt raped by the scene and that neither man apologized for their actions.

Should We Reevaluate Brando’s Legacy?

I think it is safe to say that Brando was a bit of an eccentric and a bit of a weirdo.

He was challenging to work with, but his brilliant acting and commitment to the method made him one of Hollywood’s leading men and most revered actors. Brando even taught acting for a brief time, and some A-List stars learned through his unorthodox teaching methods. 

But we can’t ignore the fact that Brando was a known abuser of women and wasn’t the best guy to many people.

In these situations, it is best to acknowledge that while Brando was a great actor, he was, by all accounts, not a good person.

Watching his movies and admiring his craft is not an endorsement of his actions.

Understanding that great people are often complex is essential. Too often, we dismiss someone’s entire work for unrelated actions. I don’t believe that is productive. To give the complete picture, we must show Brando’s influence while also noting his flawed personality.

Has cancel culture gone too far? Does Marlon Brando deserve to be “canceled,” or was he a product of his time?

Next, read this: Actress Rita Moreno Disrespects the President With Classless Gesture.