Journal Entry: Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Dear Readers,

We begin this story meeting Monique Grant. She is a writer who hasn’t had the most amazing career. Monique also hasn’t had the most amazing romantic life either, she was just recently left by her husband of less than a year.

Monique works at Vivant, a magazine, and is pretty low on the totem pole. However, she’s just gotten the opportunity of a lifetime. Evelyn Hugo, one of the world’s most well known actresses, has requested Monique to do a piece with her for an event she’s donating to. When she arrives at Evelyn’s apartment, she finds that Evelyn has different plans for their project together. Evelyn doesn’t want to write a piece about her dresses that she is donating, she wants Monique to write a book about her life and all the truths she’s hidden from the world. Monique, confused and hesitant, agrees to the amazing opportunity. I mean, for an estimated 12 million dollars I would do it too.

The main focus of this book will not just be Evelyn’s life and how she rose to fame, but also about her seven husbands.

Her first husband, Ernie Diaz, she married when she was just 15 years old. Ernie was not Evelyn’s first love, by any means, but he was a means to an end. She needed to get out of Hell’s Kitchen and towards Hollywood, towards her dreams. While Ernie worked, Evelyn skipped school to hangout at a restaurant where actors, producers, directors and all hung out. She was discovered in no time. After months of smaller roles, Evelyn was ready to take on something bigger. However, the network decided that she needed a makeover first. They changed her hair, wardrobe, even her name, and then they told her she’d need to date men of higher status. With that, she left Ernie and moved on to the next.

Next, is Don Adler. Don Adler was originally just a man she dated for publicity, but they were genuinely attracted to one another. They were photographed all over Hollywood at the coolest spots, going out to clubs, and double dates with other famous actors. Then, they married and for a time Evelyn truly loved Don. Then, he started to hit her. After it’d happen, he’d apologize and pretend to be ashamed of himself, but he’d do it again. There’s also this thing with their maid. She’s been selling their secrets to the tabloids, but Evelyn turns the tables on her and manages to get the people back on her side. While she’s with Don she appears in Little Women alongside various other actresses, one being Celia St. James. Celia and Evelyn became great friends, until that night in the laundry room where everything changed for them.

The third husband was Mick Riva. A shotgun wedding in Vegas, that Evelyn planned (more like tricked him into) to draw eyes and ears out of rumor following her.

The fourth husband is Rex North. An entirely calculated marriage that both parties took part in to create some buzz on some upcoming projects of theirs. That’s all it was, they both saw other people during this time and had their fun.

The fifth would be Harry Cameron, her long time friend. Their marriage was also just a scheme they conjured to hide secrets. Evelyn actually had a child with Harry, Connor. They were the best of friends, and family.

The sixth husband would be Max Girard, who only loved showing Evelyn off and not actually being with her. He cared more for having a trophy wife than anything.

Finally, her seventh and final husband, Robert Jamison. He is the brother of Celia St. James, aka the love of Evelyn Hugo’s life. That’s right, you hear it here folks, Evelyn is bisexual. Over the course of her many failed marriages, Celia and Evelyn had an on and off love affair dragging through decades. Robert was just the cover story.

Technically, Evelyn was married once more. To Celia. They didn’t have a real wedding or anything, but shared a touching moment in bed together where they promised to be together until their last breath. Which unfortunately for Celia, was sooner rather than later. She passed at the age of 61.

It turns out, Monique and Evelyn’s story was more intertwined than she thought. You see, Harry Cameron had been drinking and driving one night and got into a terrible accident. There was someone else in the car however. Monique’s father, James. Evelyn pulled Harry out of the car, put James in the front seat with help of her driver. Monique grew up believing her father died because he drank and drove, but really he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Thanks to Evelyn, Monique sees her father in a different light now. Or maybe, it’s her fault that she had spent her life thinking of her father as the bad guy who got himself killed.

We finish the story with Evelyn’s death, and a small piece written by Monique disclosing the relationship between Evelyn Hugo and Celia St. James.

- Grace Sofia