Editing Greta Garbo (section)

=== Relationships ===
Garbo never married, had no children, and lived alone for most of her adult life. Her most famous romance was with her frequent MGM co-star [[John Gilbert (actor)|John Gilbert]], with whom she lived intermittently in 1926 and 1927.{{sfn|Swenson|1997|pp=122–127, 129–135}} Soon after their romance began, Gilbert began helping her develop acting skills on the set and teaching her how to behave like a star, socialize at parties, and deal with studio bosses.<ref name="Gross">Gross, Michael. ''New York'' magazine, "Garbo's Last Days", 21 May 1990, pp. 39–46</ref> They co-starred again in three more hits: ''Love'' (1927), ''[[A Woman of Affairs]]'' (1928), and ''[[Queen Christina (film)|Queen Christina]]'' (1933). Gilbert allegedly proposed to Garbo numerous times and she finally accepted, but backed out just before the wedding.<ref name="Gross" />{{sfn|Vieira|2005|p=38}}{{sfn|Paris|1994|p=125}} "I was in love with him," she said. "But I froze. I was afraid he would tell me what to do and boss me. I always wanted to be the boss." In later years when asked about Gilbert, Garbo said "I can't remember what I ever saw in him."<ref name="Gross" /> According to [[Ava Gardner]]'s autobiography, Garbo admitted to her that Gilbert was the only man she'd ever really loved but he had "let [her] down" by having a "superstitious affair" with "a little extra" during their last film and she had never forgiven him.<ref>{{Cite web |title=GarboForever Garbo Story by Ava Gardner |url=http://www.garboforever.com/Garbo_Stories-02.htm |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=www.garboforever.com |archive-date=27 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927105024/http://www.garboforever.com/Garbo_Stories-02.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1937, Garbo met [[Leopold Stokowski]], then conductor of the [[Philadelphia Orchestra]], with whom she had a brief, but highly publicized relationship while the pair traveled throughout Europe the following year; whether the relationship was romantic or platonic is uncertain.{{sfn|Swenson|1997|pp=368–382}}{{sfn|Paris|1994|pp=349–351, 353–355}} In his diary, [[Erich Maria Remarque]] discusses a liaison with Garbo in 1941,{{sfn|Swenson|1997|pp=414–415}} and in his memoir, [[Cecil Beaton]] described an affair with her in 1947 and 1948.{{sfn|Swenson|1997|pp=457–460}}{{sfn|Paris|1994|pp=404–409}} In 1941, she met the Russian-born millionaire George Schlee, who was introduced to her by his wife, fashion designer [[Valentina (fashion designer)|Valentina]]. Nicholas Turner, Garbo's close friend for 33 years, said that, after she bought an apartment in the same building, "Garbo moved in and took Schlee from Valentina right away."<ref name="Gross" /> Schlee would divide his time between the two, becoming Garbo's close companion and advisor until his death in 1964.{{sfn|Swenson|1997|pp=428–504}}{{sfn|Paris|1994|pp=412–552}}

Garbo once said: "If I were ever to love anyone, it would be [[Mauritz Stiller]]."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hall |first=Chris |date=2019-10-27 |title=From the archive: the story of how Greta Garbo became a star |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/oct/27/from-the-archive-the-story-of-how-greta-garbo-became-a-star-1970 |access-date=2023-07-10 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=10 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230710001341/https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/oct/27/from-the-archive-the-story-of-how-greta-garbo-became-a-star-1970 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Recent biographers and others have speculated that because it can be assumed she had intimate relationships with women as well as men, Garbo was [[Bisexuality|bisexual]], possibly even "predominantly [[lesbian]]".{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:{{Sfn|Paris|1994|p=249: "Garbo was technically bisexual, predominantly lesbian, and increasingly asexual&nbsp;..."}}<ref>"I think it is fair to say that a same-sex relationship was her obvious choice, despite numerous affairs with men." {{Cite news |last=Daum |first=Raymond |title=The Private Garbo |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/07/books/l-the-private-garbo-747495.html |access-date=9 October 2012 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=7 May 1995 |archive-date=12 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112021058/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/07/books/l-the-private-garbo-747495.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Sfn|Vickers|1994}}{{sfn|Vieira|2005|pp=134–136 passim}}{{sfn|Schanke|2003|pp=103–113 passim}}<ref>"Spirit of Garbo". Laramie, Moon (2018). Spirit of Garbo. London: Martin Firrell Company Ltd. {{ISBN|978-1-912622-02-3}}, p. 43.</ref>}} In 1927, Garbo was introduced to stage and screen actress [[Lilyan Tashman]], and they may have had an affair, according to some writers.{{sfn|Paris|1994|pp=251–255}}{{sfn|Vieira|2005|p=26}} Silent film star [[Louise Brooks]] stated that she and Garbo had a brief liaison the following year.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Louise Brooks: Portrait d'une anti star |isbn=978-2-85940-012-5 |first1=Louise |last1=Brooks |author-link=Louise Brooks |year=1976 |publisher=Phébus |location=Paris |first2=Roland |last2=Jaccard |language=fr |trans-title=Louise Brooks: Portrait of an Anti-star}}</ref>

In 1931, Garbo befriended the writer and acknowledged lesbian [[Mercedes de Acosta]], whom she met through [[Salka Viertel]], and, according to Garbo's and de Acosta's biographers, began a sporadic and volatile romance.{{sfn|Schanke|2003}}<ref>De Acosta, a [[theosophist]], was interested in esoteric [[spirituality]]. According to biographer Moon Laramie, her relationship with de Acosta prompted Garbo's interest in both theosophy and the occult."Spirit of Garbo". Laramie, Moon (2018). Spirit of Garbo. London: Martin Firrell Company Ltd. {{ISBN|978-1-912622-02-3}}, pp. 129–132.</ref>
The two remained friends—with ups and downs—for almost 30 years, during which time Garbo wrote de Acosta 181 letters, cards, and telegrams, now at the [[Rosenbach Museum and Library]] in Philadelphia.{{Sfn|Swenson|1997|pp=381, 511}}{{Sfn|Paris|1994|p=264}} Garbo's family, which controls her estate,{{Sfn|Swenson|1997|p=559}} has made only 87 of these items publicly available.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Dinitia |title=Letters Push Garbo Slightly into View |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/18/arts/letters-push-garbo-slightly-into-view.html |access-date=7 May 2010 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=18 April 2000 |archive-date=18 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618090339/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/18/arts/letters-push-garbo-slightly-into-view.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2005, [[Mimi Pollak]]'s estate released 60 letters Garbo had written to her in their long correspondence. Several letters suggest she may have had romantic feelings for Pollak for many years. After learning of Pollak's pregnancy in 1930, for example, Garbo wrote: "We cannot help our nature, as God has created it. But I have always thought you and I belonged together."<ref name="Observer20050910">{{Cite news |title=Lonely Garbo's love secret is exposed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/sep/11/film.filmnews |date=10 September 2005 |first=Alex Duval |last=Smith |work=[[The Observer]] |location=London |access-date=17 November 2011 |archive-date=12 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912145436/http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1567211,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1975, she wrote a poem about not being able to touch the hand of her friend with whom she might have been walking through life.{{Sfn|Swenson|1997|p=542}}