Biography
Abigail Adams, originally named Margaret Thomas Adams, was born on January 11, 1922. While attending the University of North Carolina as a freshman, she was discovered by modeling agent Harry Conover. She left school and relocated to New York City to pursue modeling. Her film debut came in the 1942 comedy Moonlight Masquerade. For a brief period, she used the stage name Tommye Adams. On January 22, 1942, she married 41-year-old actor Lyle Talbot, but the marriage was annulled eight months later. Abigail had romantic relationships with Tony Martin, Mickey Rooney, and pianist Jose Iturbi. In 1944, she began a tumultuous romance with actor George Jessel, who was 23 years her senior and had three previous marriages. They broke up and reunited multiple times. Abigail appeared in small roles in over a dozen films, including Bathing Beauty and Marriage Is A Private Affair. In March 1945, she was arrested for hit-and-run driving, but the charges were dropped after George Jessel testified on her behalf.
In December 1947, Abigail's apartment was destroyed by fire. By then, she was struggling with a serious drinking problem and her career was declining. Her final film was the 1948 comedy The Fuller Brush Man. George proposed to her with a heart-shaped diamond ring but did not set a wedding date. Their relationship remained on-again/off-again. Abigail began singing in nightclubs and wrote a screenplay. She suffered from severe insomnia and started taking sleeping pills at night. In 1950, she attempted suicide by slashing her wrists. On December 12, 1954, she was arrested for public intoxication, and shortly after, her relationship ended. On February 13, 1955, at the age of 33, she died from an overdose of sleeping pills. She was found in bed wearing a blue nightgown. The police ruled her death accidental, though many believe it was suicide. Abigail Adams was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Charlotte, North Carolina.
