The Complicated Love Story of Diahann Carroll and Sidney Poitier: A Nine-Year Affair of Passion, Pain, and Forgiveness

In the golden age of Hollywood, where glamour often masked emotional turmoil, two of the most iconic Black stars of the era—Diahann Carroll and Sidney Poitier—shared a love story that was as complex as it was intense. Their relationship, which began in 1959, lasted nearly a decade and was marked by passion, betrayal, heartbreak, and ultimately, forgiveness.

A Promise Made, A Promise Broken

When Carroll and Poitier began their affair, both were married. Deeply in love, they made a pact to divorce their spouses in order to be together. Poitier even went as far as to buy Carroll a ring and an apartment for them to share. Diahann followed through with her end of the deal, divorcing her husband and preparing to start a new life with Sidney alongside her young daughter.

But as the time came to make their shared dream a reality, Poitier suddenly changed course. According to Carroll’s 2008 memoir, The Legs Are the Last to Go, Poitier told her he didn’t want her daughter living with them. He then changed the locks on the apartment and demanded that she write him a check to cover the costs of purchase and decorating—a request she heartbreakingly complied with.

“I did as I was told, submissive and desperate,” Carroll recalled in her memoir.

Possessiveness Without Commitment

Despite refusing to leave his wife and breaking their pact, Poitier didn’t let go of his hold on Carroll easily. When she attempted to move on and date other men, his reaction turned volatile. She wrote that he became jealous and controlling, reportedly saying:

“You bitch, whore, tramp. I know he just left your bed. I won’t have you running around with other men. You belong to me!”

It was a twisted contradiction—Poitier didn’t want to commit to her fully, yet refused to see her with anyone else.

From Pain to Peace

In time, as both Carroll and Poitier grew older and gained distance from their turbulent romance, they found peace. Carroll eventually forgave him, and the two were able to rebuild a friendship rooted in mutual respect and shared history.

Poitier later acknowledged her brilliance and charm, saying:

“As I got to know her, I realized she was one of the brightest women I had ever known.”

Legacy Beyond Love

Both Diahann Carroll and Sidney Poitier would go on to leave indelible marks on entertainment history—she as the first Black woman to star in her own primetime television series (Julia), and he as the first Black man to win the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Their affair, while painful and deeply complicated, was a reflection of two powerful individuals navigating love, fame, and personal conflict in a world that rarely offered them space for emotional vulnerability.

And though their romance didn’t end in the fairytale they once envisioned, it lives on as a poignant chapter in the lives of two legends who dared to love boldly—even when it hurt.