What Really Happened Between Al Pacino And Beverly D'Angelo?
Al Pacino and his ex-girlfriend Beverly D'Angelo have certainly had their fair share of ups and downs over the years — but does anyone really know what happened between them?
Before we get into it, it's important to point out just how sweet Pacino and D'Angelo's love story was. In fact, sweet might not even do it justice — perhaps fitting for two actors, their relationship reads a little like a movie. For starters, when they first met, D'Angelo was married to someone else. Not just any someone, though. Far from it, her first husband was an Italian duke. However, as she revealed to People, they weren't particularly concerned with monogamy. Theirs was an open marriage — the only caveat being, "If there were any crise or anything, we'd come back together." Nevertheless, everything changed when D'Angelo met the future father of her two children, Pacino. Soon enough, D'Angelo was asking her titled husband for a divorce ... and that's where the movie-esque scenario took a comedic turn. "He went, 'Oh, that's ridiculous ... Who is this actor?' I said, 'Well, it's Al Pacino.' He goes, 'Al Pacino, he's fantastic. I love him. We divorce!'" she recounted to the outlet.
Unfortunately, the romance was a short one. As Entertainment Weekly reported in 2003, the couple parted ways that year, just two years after becoming parents. And, unlike D'Angelo's divorce, their break up wasn't quite as amicable ...
Things changed when they had kids
In a 2017 interview with Closer Weekly, Beverly D'Angelo revealed that she and Al Pacino had spoken about having kids, early on in their courtship. In fact, she told the outlet that it was one of the things that made her fall in love with him. According to the actor, Pacino, "Looked me in the eyes and said, 'I want you to be the mother of my children.' That's all I had to hear.'"
However, the process of having children certainly put a strain on their relationship. For starters, D'Angelo hinted that getting pregnant had become their chief goal — at the expense of their bond. "When you focus on getting pregnant, you can lose the perspective that you're creating a family," she told Closer Weekly. Post-pregnancy, things only became more dire. For starters, D'Angelo's career played second fiddle to Pacino's. "I couldn't do movies that would take me out of town because of his schedule," she said in an interview with New York Post. Granted, she has no regrets, there. However, her resulting financial situation undoubtedly added to the couple's tensions. According to Vanity Fair, Pacino promised to foot the bill for their kids' needs ... but his shady financial advisor, Kenneth Starr, didn't follow through.
While Pacino, himself, didn't withhold any funds, possibly the last straw for D'Angelo was that he sided with Starr, trusting that he knew best. Soon enough, the new parents parted ways.
... but even after a tough custody battle, they're friends now
In wake of their split, Beverly D'Angelo and Al Pacino were tasked with finding a custody arrangement. As is often the case, the arrangements became something of a battleground, and soon enough, lawyers for the former lovebirds were hurling insults at one another in the court. Pacino's council complained that D'Angelo was seeking more money than necessary, and speaking to New York Post, likened her to, "a baby rental company," via Entertainment Weekly. As for D'Angelo, New York Post reported that she accused Pacino of having, "never changed a diaper," via People.
Ultimately, they managed to hash things out, and in 2004, Today reported that the settlement had (finally) been finalized. Since then, D'Angelo has often spoken of their ever-improving dynamic, which she chalked up to "Moving on" in an interview with Closer Weekly. "The key thing is creating a new history," she explained. She also told Inside of You Clips, "We kind of went from, like, loving each other, becoming parents, hating each other, becoming friends, and then best friends." She's also fiercely protective of their bond, though, so don't expect her to divulge details. As she quipped on Inside of You Clips after one too many questions, "I may be the only person who's never discussed my relationship with him, and I won't now."
From lovers to best friends, we're just happy these two still have such a strong connection.