Hollywood has long been a realm of secrets, some darker than others. Few, however, rival the tragic and mythic legacy surrounding the mysterious death of Paul Bern. This tale intertwines murder, haunting, and the lives of two of Hollywood’s most iconic actresses: Jean Harlow and Sharon Tate.
In 1932, Jean Harlow, the “platinum blonde bombshell,” was at the height of her career, one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading women. In July of that year, the industry was stunned by her sudden marriage to MGM executive Paul Bern. At nearly twice her age, small in stature, and not particularly handsome, Bern seemed an unlikely suitor. However, what he lacked in looks, he made up for in intelligence, talent, and, crucially, influence. Together, they became one of Hollywood’s elite power couples.
Harlow moved into Bern’s quaint Bavarian-style Craftsman home, nestled in the hills above Los Angeles, in the affluent Benedict Canyon neighborhood. Whether their time together was truly happy remains a matter of speculation. It’s fair to assume, however, that their life was not the fairytale romance the media might have imagined. Just two months after their marriage, Paul Bern was dead, killed under mysterious circumstances, and Jean Harlow found herself America’s most famous widow.
Harlow moved into Bern’s quaint Bavarian-style Craftsman home, nestled in the hills above Los Angeles, in the affluent Benedict Canyon neighborhood. Whether their time together was truly happy remains a matter of speculation. It’s fair to assume, however, that their life was not the fairytale romance the media might have imagined. Just two months after their marriage, Paul Bern was dead, killed under mysterious circumstances, and Jean Harlow found herself America’s most famous widow.
Excerpt from Paul Bern’s suicide note:
Dearest,
Unfortunately, this is the only way to make right the frightful wrong I have done you and wipe out my abject humiliation. I love you.
You understand that last night was only a comedy.
Paul
The controversy surrounding Paul Bern’s death remains unresolved to this day. Did he kill himself, or was he murdered? When Bern’s butler discovered the body, his first call was not to the police but to the offices of MGM. A small army of studio executives quickly descended upon the scene, compromising the crime scene as they worked to control the narrative. At the time, Harlow was one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood, and it is widely believed that the studio would go to great lengths to protect their investment, even destroying or manufacturing evidence. The police were only called two hours after MGM’s intervention.
Conflicting statements emerged during the inquest. Some witnesses pushed the suicide narrative, suggesting Bern’s purported impotence drove him to take his own life in shame. However, this theory seems unlikely, given that Bern was rumored to be having an affair with his secretary. Other accounts, such as that of the cook, claimed Bern was not alone that night and was visited by a mysterious woman. Among the clues that were quickly erased by studio executives were the discovery of a woman’s bathing suit at the pool (which was not Harlow’s size) and two wine glasses near the body.
The identity of the mystery woman is widely believed to be Bern’s former common-law wife, Dorothy Millet, whom he continued to support financially. The most pervasive theory holds that Millet visited Bern that night, knowing Harlow was out of town. Whether she came with intent or an altercation ensued, it is speculated that she shot Bern and fled the scene. Adding an eerie layer to the story, Millet threw herself from the deck of the ferry Delta King and drowned in San Francisco Bay two days after Bern’s death.
Jean Harlow never spoke publicly about her husband’s death, and tragically, she would die only five years later after a sudden illness, taking whatever secrets she knew with her to the grave at the age of 26.
Fast forward 30 years to 1963. Celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring purchased the Bern-Harlow home and moved in. Soon after, he began dating up-and-coming actress Sharon Tate, who frequently stayed with him in the Benedict Canyon house. Sebring and Tate remained close friends even after Tate married director Roman Polanski. However, their friendship would end tragically on the night of August 8, 1969, when Tate, Sebring, Abigail Folger, Steven Parent, and Wojciech Frykowski were murdered by members of the Manson Family. Tate was also 26 years old at the time.
In 1970, a posthumous interview with Sharon Tate was published in which she recalled a terrifying experience in the Bern-Harlow house. According to Tate, she woke in the middle of the night to find a strange little man in her bedroom. Running in fear, she encountered a ghostly figure hanging from the stairwell with its throat slit. Was this a premonition, a curse, a bad dream, or perhaps just journalistic embellishment? We may never know for certain, but it certainly adds a chilling page to the annals of Hollywood mythology.
Jason Roberts is a Seattle-based author noted for his acclaimed western horror series The Dead Wind Trilogy as well as other works of cosmic horror infused with historical fiction. His web-based series, Dark Distractions examines paranormal mysteries, unexplained phenomena, and all things strange.
