Sun. Oct 4th, 2026
Joan McCracken was once married to Truman Capote's lover of decades.

By Photo by "Bruno of Hollywood" - eBayfrontback, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31137662

S23E8: Joan McCracken and Jack Dunphy

Dancer and actress Joan McCracken became one of America’s biggest stars in the 1940s after her scene-stealing role in Oklahoma! as Sylvie, “The Girl Who Fell Down.” In her real life, she was challenged by a secret diagnosis of diabetes in an era where management of the disease was complicated at best, and her marriage to fellow dancer Jack Dunphy – who would go on to be Truman Capote’s partner for decades – was wrecked her affair with a French songwriter. Joan would become Bob Fosse’s second wife and a major influence in his career. Given how brief her life was – she died at just 43 – her story is an impressive array of spiderwebs into both the Trashy Divorces Cinematic Universe, and Alicia’s Done & Dunne podcast.

Want early, ad-free episodes, regular Dumpster Dives, bonus divorces, limited series, Zoom hangouts, and more? Join us at patreon.com/trashydivorces!

Want a personalized message for someone in your life? Check us out on Cameo!

To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to info@amplitudemediapartners.com.

Alicia’s Receipts

The Girl Who Fell Down: A Biography of Joan McCracken, by Lisa Jo Sagolla (Amazon)

Fosse/Verdon: The Tragic Story of Bob Fosse’s Second Wife, Joan McCracken | Vanity Fair

Truman Capote’s Complete Dating History and Boyfriends, Explained (townandcountrymag.com)

There’s Gotta Be Something Better Than This (hazlitt.net)

Celebrity history – Joan McCracken (pineshistory.org)

Joan McCracken Was More than Bob Fosse’s Second Wife (townandcountrymag.com)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *