Tom Selleck has been a heartthrob ever since he found fame in the 1980s – and with his rise to stardom came more interest in his personal life.
The Blue Bloods star, 79, has been with his second wife, Jillie Mack since 1983, and they have a love story worthy of Hollywood – but it hasn’t been completely scandal-free.
In the late 80s, his marriage became the center of attention when Italian bombshell Sophia Loren moved next door to Tom and Jillie, and he was plagued by rumors of infidelity.
Keep reading to find out what really happened between Tom and Sophia…
Tom met actress Jillie in 1982 after he saw her perform in Cats in the West End. He was so taken with her, that he went to watch the performance eight times, later describing her as “the personification of joie de vivre”.
The couple reportedly went for dinner one night and have been together ever since. Once her contract for Cats was up, she moved to the U.S. where their relationship blossomed.
Wedding
Tom and Jillie tied the knot on August 7, 1987, in a wedding chapel near Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The wedding, with only a handful of family members present, was a complete secret with everyone donning fake names to throw off the media.
The minister was expecting ‘Tom Jenkins’ and ‘Suzie Mark’ to arrive at the chapel – needless to say, he was surprised when the actor and his bride arrived.
Ranch life
After welcoming their daughter Hannah, now 35, in 1988, Tom and Jillie moved into a 65-acre ranch in California’s Ventura County, formerly owned by Dean Martin.
The Magnum P.I. actor has spoken fondly several times about leading a quiet life on his ranch, spending his time tending to the flowers and trees and riding around on his ATV to make sure things were always in order.
However, their life on the ranch became much more interesting to the public when Sophia Loren moved into the neighborhood.
Sophia Loren
Sophia and her late husband, film producer Carlo Ponti, bought the 40-acre property next door to Tom and Jillie’s sometime in the 1980s.
While it’s not known how friendly the neighbors were, Tom previously claimed that his wife had permitted him to be unfaithful to her with Sophia – but only under specific circumstances.
“It had to happen just like this,” he explained to The Telegraph. “If I was on my way to Home Depot and she was out on the driveway in her bathrobe and she said exactly these words, ‘Thomaso, would you like a cappuccino?’ I could go in.”
However, as Tom said: “But it never happened, and she sold it.”
Sophia moved away from California, putting the ranch property on the market. Today it is owned by actor Jamie Foxx, although according to the Django Unchained actor, Tom has yet to meet his new neighbor.
Speaking to Contact Music, Jamie said: “He’s my neighbor but I don’t know how to say hi… celebrities, we don’t like to bother anybody, so we don’t talk. I’ve gotta find a way to say hello.”
