Abigail Adams was born Margaret Thomas Adams on January 11, 1922, marking the beginning of a life that would be filled with glamour, drama, and heartache. During her freshman year at the University of North Carolina, she was discovered by modeling agent Harry Conover, and her life took a dramatic turn. She dropped out of school and moved to New York City to pursue a career in modeling, making her film debut in the 1942 comedy Moonlight Masquerade.
For a brief period, she used the stage name Tommye Adams, but it wasn't long before she settled on Abigail Adams. Her personal life was just as tumultuous as her professional one, as she married 41-year-old actor Lyle Talbot in January 1942, only to have the marriage annulled just eight months later. She went on to be romantically involved with Tony Martin, Mickey Rooney, and pianist Jose Iturbi, but it was her tumultuous relationship with actor George Jessel that would dominate her life.
The two began a romance in 1944, with Jessel, 23 years her senior, having three ex-wives at the time. They broke up and got back together numerous times, with Abigail even being arrested for hit-and-run driving in March 1945, only to have the charges dropped when Jessel testified in her defense. Her career continued to fluctuate, with bit parts in over a dozen films, including Bathing Beauty and Marriage Is A Private Affair.
Tragedy struck in December 1947 when Abigail's apartment was destroyed in a fire, leaving her with a serious drinking problem and a struggling career. Her last film was the 1948 comedy The Fuller Brush Man, and although George Jessel proposed to her with a heart-shaped diamond ring, he refused to set a wedding date. Abigail continued to have an on-again/off-again relationship with Jessel, while also pursuing a singing career in nightclubs and writing a screenplay.
Despite her efforts to turn her life around, Abigail struggled with severe insomnia and began taking sleeping pills at night. In 1950, she attempted suicide by slashing her wrists, and although she survived, her relationship with Jessel eventually ended. On December 12, 1954, she was arrested for public intoxication, marking the beginning of the end.
Tragically, Abigail's life came to a close on February 13, 1955, at the age of 33, when she was found dead in her bed, wearing a blue nightgown, after overdosing on sleeping pills. The police ruled her death as accidental, but many believe she took her own life. She was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Charlotte, North Carolina, leaving behind a legacy of glamour, heartache, and tragedy.
