Ex-wife of billionaire Howard Hughes claims the recluse was ‘cruel’

The ex-wife of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes recalled their grueling relationship that ended amid his “unthinkable and harmful” behavior towards her.

Hollywood golden girl Terry Moore, 94, dished out her troubled relationship with Hughes from the time they secretly married in 1949.

The actress, best known for her 1952 film Come Back Little Sheba, tied the knot with the film producer while on an overseas boat. But documentation of their marriage has never been found since Hughes allegedly tore up their marriage papers.

Recalling their short-lived eight-year marriage, Moore said it was all “very complicated” before she left Hughes and said “yes” to Jean Peters in 1957.

Hughes died of kidney disease in 1976 aged 70 and Moore revealed that she believes he craved it after years of “manipulating” her as a “young woman.”

Recalling their short-lived eight-year marriage, Moore said it was all “very complicated” before she left Hughes and he said “yes” to Jean Peters in 1957. Pictured: Moore holding a photo of Hughes

“He was the most charming man you could ever find,” Moore said PEOPLE. He was also a liar. And he did unthinkable things. He did so many things that hurt me. Was he cruel?

“I guess you could say he was cruel, but I didn’t know he was cruel. He was just too much for me to handle. I was too naive.’

Hughes, who spent his life building his empire and previously owned RKO studios, shrunk to 100 pounds before his death. He died while being airlifted to receive medical care.

“I think he paid for it in the end. He had a horrible death. He could manipulate so much. I was too young and too innocent,” she told the news outlet.

Recalling the first time she met Hughes, the actress said she was in a Hollywood restaurant with her then-boyfriend in the 1940s.

“My agent brought him [Hughes] over,” said Moore.

At the time, she believed that Hughes presence in the restaurant was a coincidence. But over time he has figured out that maybe it wasn’t.

“We thought it was accidental, but there was nothing accidental with Howard. It was all set up,” she said.

“It developed into a friendship and then into a great love,” Moore told the news outlet. ‘You can’t be more eccentric than him. Everything was bigger with him.’

It wasn’t long before Moore and Hughes’ relationship took off on “heady, exciting, adventurous” dates.

“It was the first time I was ever in love,” Moore recalled, adding that he taught her how to fly a plane.

“I would have been just as happy if it hadn’t happened,” she added.

The actress, best known for her 1952 film Come Back Little Sheba, tied the knot with the film producer while on an overseas boat.

Hughes’ died of kidney disease in 1976 at age 70 and Moore revealed she believes he craved it after years of “manipulating” her as a “young” woman. Pictured: Howard Hughes and Terry Moore

Recalling the first time she met Hughes’s, the actress said she was at a restaurant in Hollywood with her boyfriend at the time in the 1940s. Pictured: Moore in 1949

At the time, she believed that Hughes presence in the restaurant was a coincidence. But over time he has figured out that maybe this wasn’t the case, since his actions were always calculated. Pictured: Howard Hughes

Reflecting on their marriage, Moore said a boat captain had married them. She is still unsure if the marriage was valid because Hughes destroyed their papers.

While Moore has not disclosed further details about her taunting marriage, she has never been able to verify the legitimacy of her relationship with Hughes.

Despite dropping out before Hughes’ marriage to Peters in 1957, his sons gave her an undisclosed amount of money from the producer’s multibillion-dollar empire after his death.

Moore said the amount was “no more than eight figures.”

But Hughes was one of many men after Moore’s heart in the mid-20th century. According to the actress, she was once asked out by Elvis Presley.

She turned him down because she “knew nothing would ever come of it.”

Aside from Presley, Hollywood’s golden boy Tyrone Power had always been on Moore’s horizon.

Power starred alongside Moore in the 1953 adventure film King of The Khyber Rifles. At the time, Moore was supposedly married to Hughes, but wasn’t shy about revealing that she believed he was “so sexy and beautiful.”

But Hughes was one of many men after Moore’s heart in the mid-20th century. Hollywood golden boy Tyrone Power had always been on Moore’s horizon. The two shared the spotlight in the 1953 film King of the Khyber Rifles

Moore has been acting since he was ten and doesn’t seem to be slowing down his career anytime soon. Pictured: Moore on Oct. 30

Moore has been acting since he was ten and doesn’t seem to be slowing down his career anytime soon. She is starring in the upcoming movie, Silent Life: The Story of the Lady in Black.

She plays the role of the lady in black who is known to visit Rudolph Valentino’s grave every year with a rose.

She told the news outlet, “I felt I had to do this part.” Moore added, “My health is great. I like watching movies, sports and reading.’