Christopher became difficult and defiant at home, he was labeled as a "problem child" by many schools that he was kicked out of. Christopher ran away from home on many occasions, searching for his "real" mother and father.
Both Christopher and Christina successfully contested Joan's will, according to The Guardian. He also told the Los Angeles Times that he'd received $1500 from waiving his rights to Christina's book, Mommie Dearest and the 1981 film based on the book. Christopher died of cancer in 2006 at the age of 62.
She said on air ''My mother was a very warm person. She was always there when we needed her. She was a working mother, but she always had time for us, and as far as Mommie Dearest, it's a great work of fiction. Christina must have been in another household.
Joan Crawford’s heartbreaking adoption of her first son | David Gary Deatherage
How many biological children did Joan Crawford have?
As Charlotte Chandler writes in her biography of Crawford, Not the Girl Next Door, Crawford was unable to have kids, so she adopted five: a girl, Christina, in 1940; a boy, Christopher, in 1942, who was reclaimed by his birth mother soon after; a second boy, also named Christopher, in 1943; and twin girls, Catherine ( ...
Veteran movie star Faye Dunaway regrets signing on to play Joan Crawford in 1981 classic Mommie Dearest, because the role gave film fans the “wrong impression” of her. The film, in which the actress chilled as an abusive mum, was a huge hit but Faye insists if she could turn back time she would have passed on the role.
Notable personalities who used Tann's services included actress Joan Crawford (twin daughters, Cathy and Cynthia were adopted through the agency while daughter Christina Crawford and son Christopher were adopted through other agencies).
Joan Crawford talking about her children twins Cynthia “Cindy”, and Cathy Crawford, as well as Christina. #joancrawford #oldhollywood #classichollywood #crawford vintagehollywood.
She disagreed so much with Christina's account of things that she took her to court in 1998 for defamation. In Mommie Dearest, Christina maintains that Cindy and Cathy were not twins but that Crawford adopted two girls who looked alike for “publicity” purposes.
Onlookers could not help but admire her shining new veneers. Twice-married Miss Dunaway has previously complained about the state of her teeth and five years ago contemplated getting braces. She said at the time: "You just sort of let your teeth go for a while. But it's time to have something done.
Joan Crawford died in 1977. The movie Mommie Dearest was released in 1981. So, unless Joan Crawford “abused” Faye Dunaway from the grave, there is no story there.
During the Inside the Actor's Studio interview, Dunaway explained that the film was based on an exploitation memoir. She had hoped that the film adaptation would be more nuanced, but the final product, she admitted, was just as exploitative.
Crawford was married four times. First to actor Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and then to actor Franchot Tone. Her third husband was actor Phillip Terry, and her fourth and last husband was Pepsi executive Alfred Steele.
Davis's net worth at the time of her death was $2 Million after adjusting for taxes and inflation. According to her last will and testament, Bette's estate was worth $1 Million. The bulk of the estate was left to her adopted son, Michael Merrill. The other beneficiary was her close friend and assistant Kathryn Sermack.
“I felt like there was a certain either thriftiness or nostalgia there on her part,” she says. Crawford's actual house is still standing, but the production had to find a different home to serve as the exterior.
