Who Was Bo Derek’s 1st Husband John Derek? How Their Love Affair Began When She Was 16

Bo Derek may have waited nearly two decades to marry her current husband, John Corbett , but she was quick to wed her first husband, John Derek, after turning 18.

Closer takes a look back at Bo's first marriage with the late actor, filmmaker and photographer, whom she was in a relationship with until his death in 1998.

What Was John Derek Famous For?

Born Derek Delevan Harris on August 12, 1926, John's career took off after he returned from serving in World War II. The legendary Humphrey Bogart gave him the stage name John Derek and cast him as Nick "Pretty Boy" Romano in 1949's Knock on Any Door .

However, he was best known for his roles in All the King's Men (1949), Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950), The Ten Commandments (1956) and Exodus (1960), among others.

According to the Cinema Shorthand Society , John once said he "was never into" acting, explaining, "If they'd given me the greatest role in the world, it wouldn't have helped. I used to go to the directors of my films and say, 'I'm not an actor but I'll turn up on time and know my words.' In the 13 films I made, I only ever did one take per scene. Directors never went for a second because they knew it'd be no different from the first. I never liked acting. Or my films. Maybe one, a cheap little Western called The Outcast ."

He went on to pursue photography and directing, working on films such as Once Before I Die ; Childish Things ; Tarzan, the Ape Man ; Bolero ; Ghosts Can't Do It ; and Fantasies , which starred Bo and was released in 1981, years after it was shot in 1973.

John Derek Was Married 3 Times Before Marrying Bo

Though John had an extensive career in Hollywood, he was perhaps best known for the women he was married to. His wed his first wife, ballerina Pati Behrs Eristoff, in 1948. They had two children: a son, the late Russell Andre, and a daughter, Sean Catherine . The couple divorced in 1956.

One year later, he married Ursula Andress years before she rose to fame as a Bond girl in Dr. No ; however, they eventually split and divorced in 1966. Two years later, he eloped in Mexico with actress Linda Evans , though they split after John began an affair with Bo during their time filming a movie together. Linda filed for divorce in 1974.

How Did John and Bo Derek Meet?

John met Bo (who then went by her real name, Mary Cathleen Collins) when he cast her at age 16 in his movie Fantasies , which was reportedly then under the title And Once Upon a Time . John, who was 30 years her senior and married to Linda at the time, began an affair with Bo while they were filming in Greece, according to Interview magazine. They stayed in Europe to avoid statutory rape laws until Bo turned 18 and they returned to the United States.

"I feel terrible about it," Bo told Interview in 2016 regarding the affair. "John was married to Linda [Evans] at the time, whom I worshipped and adored, and who was so kind to me. And then, when all this happened, I was at least halfway responsible for some serious pain she went through."

She added, "I was young, yes, but I've been thinking about it. I don't know why I never put it together, being responsible for the breakup of their marriage, but the dots didn't connect for a while. I just hate myself when I think about doing that. That's the worst thing you can do. It was very complicated and dramatic, obviously. Some people could say it was meant to be, though, because I was with him until he died. But that just sounds like an excuse to me. It's still the wrong thing to do."

John and Bo were married on June 10, 1976.

What Was John Derek's Cause of Death?

John died on May 22, 1998, of cardiovascular disease in Santa Maria, California, at the age of 71.