Editing Ethel Merman (section)

===Marriages and children===
Merman was married and divorced four times. Her first marriage, in 1940, was to theatrical agent William Smith. They were divorced in 1941.<ref name="sonneborn">{{cite book|last=Sonneborn|first=Liz|title=A to Z of American Women in the Performing Arts|year=2002|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=1-438-10790-0|page=141}}</ref> Later that same year, Merman married newspaper executive Robert Levitt. The couple had two children: Ethel (born July 20, 1942)<ref>{{cite news |title=Coroner Says Drugs Killed Ethel Geary |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14307681/ethel_geary_obituary/ |access-date=July 28, 2018 |work=The Greenville News at Newspapers.com |date=August 25, 1967 |archive-date=July 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728191032/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14307681/ethel_geary_obituary/ |url-status=live }}{{free access}}</ref> and Robert Jr. (born August 11, 1945). Merman and Levitt were divorced in 1952. In March 1953, Merman married [[Robert Six]], the president of [[Continental Airlines]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19601115&id=eDJWAAAAIBAJ&pg=3776,5396982|title=Ethel Merman Seeks Divorce|date=November 15, 1960|work=The Spokesman-Review|page=15|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=November 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121133755/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19601115&id=eDJWAAAAIBAJ&pg=3776%2C5396982|url-status=live}}</ref> They separated in December 1959 and were divorced in 1960.<ref name="sonneborn"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19591218&id=USIhAAAAIBAJ&pg=5801,3349008|title=Ethel Merman, Hubby Parted; Blame Careers|date=December 18, 1959|work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|page=17|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=February 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206142133/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19591218&id=USIhAAAAIBAJ&pg=5801,3349008|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Merman's son, he, his sister and mother and even his elderly grandparents had suffered emotional and physical violence from Six.<ref>Caryl Flynn in ''Brass Diva; the Life and Legends of Ethel Merman'' ISBN 978-0-520-229-45-6 pp 251 ff</ref> Merman's fourth and final marriage was to actor [[Ernest Borgnine]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/28/archives/ethel-merman-wed-to-ernest-borgnine.html|title=Ethel Merman Wed to Ernest Borgnine|date=June 28, 1964|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 12, 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=August 19, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819040943/https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/28/archives/ethel-merman-wed-to-ernest-borgnine.html|url-status=live}}</ref> They were married in [[Beverly Hills]] on June 27, 1964,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19640628&id=omJSAAAAIBAJ&pg=1418,3806876|title=Ethel Merman, Ernest Borgnine Wed|date=June 28, 1964|work=St. Petersburg Times|pages=6–A|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=February 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208225309/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19640628&id=omJSAAAAIBAJ&pg=1418,3806876|url-status=live}}</ref> separated on August 7, 1964, and Borgnine filed for divorce on October 21, 1964.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2512&dat=19641022&id=50BIAAAAIBAJ&pg=2166,5885684|title=Borgnine Sues Merman For Divorce|date=October 22, 1964|work=The Morning Record|page=20|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=November 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122201913/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2512&dat=19641022&id=50BIAAAAIBAJ&pg=2166%2C5885684|url-status=live}}</ref> Merman filed a cross-complaint shortly thereafter charging Borgnine with extreme cruelty. She was granted a divorce on November 18, 1964.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19641118&id=ccoxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UAEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7309,901094|title=Ethel Merman Granted Divorce|date=November 19, 1964|work=[[The Blade (Toledo, Ohio)|The Blade]]|page=2|accessdate=September 20, 2014}}</ref> An oft recounted story from their short marriage demonstrated the volatility of their relationship. 
When Borgnine asked Merman how her audition had gone, she replied: "Well, they were mad about my 35-year-old body, my 35-year-old voice, and my 35-year-old face."
"Is that so?" Borgnine responded. "And what did they think of your 65-year-old cunt?" 
Without missing a beat, Merman retorted: "You weren’t mentioned once."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/vulvanomics-how-we-talk-about-vaginas|title=Vulvanomics: how we talk about vaginas|publisher=Times Higher Education|date=November 2, 2015 }}</ref>

In a radio interview, Merman said of her numerous marriages: "We all make mistakes. That's why they put rubbers on pencils, and that's what I did. I made a few lulus!"<ref>Interview with Ray Wickens, April 1979, on [[CHRE-FM]], [[St. Catharines, Ontario]].</ref> In her 1978 autobiography ''Merman'', the chapter entitled "My Marriage to Ernest Borgnine" was a blank page.<ref>{{cite book|last=Flinn|first=Caryl|title=Brass Diva: The Life and Legends of Ethel Merman|url=https://archive.org/details/brassdivalifeleg0000flin|url-access=registration|year=2007|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-22942-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/brassdivalifeleg0000flin/page/352 352]}}</ref>

Ethel Levitt, her daughter, died on August 23, 1967, of a drug overdose that was ruled accidental.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=886&dat=19670824&id=MINPAAAAIBAJ&pg=4809,1739536|title=Ethel Merman's Daughter Dead; Autopsy Slated|date=August 24, 1967|work=The Prescott Courier|page=3|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=February 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205080918/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=886&dat=19670824&id=MINPAAAAIBAJ&pg=4809,1739536|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19670826&id=-XssAAAAIBAJ&pg=5358,4133985|title=Drugs Kill Daughter Of Singer|date=August 26, 1967|work=Herald-Journal|page=24|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=February 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209105326/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19670826&id=-XssAAAAIBAJ&pg=5358,4133985|url-status=live}}</ref> Her son Robert Jr., was married to actress [[Barbara Colby]]. Colby, at the time estranged from Robert, was shot and killed (along with a friend, James Kiernan), in a parking garage in Los Angeles in July 1975. The shooting was by apparent gang members who had no clear motive.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1917&dat=19750725&id=swUuAAAAIBAJ&pg=2750,5744717|title=Ethel Merman Kin Slain Leaving Dramatic School|date=July 25, 1975|work=Schenectady Gazette|page=10|access-date=September 20, 2014|archive-date=November 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128034051/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1917&dat=19750725&id=swUuAAAAIBAJ&pg=2750%2C5744717|url-status=live}}</ref>