Editing María Félix (section)

==Personal life==
Félix was married four times. Her first marriage (1931–1938) was with the cosmetics sales agent Enrique Álvarez Alatorre.{{sfn|Félix|1993|loc=Vol. 1, pp. 65-6}} 

He fathered her only child, actor [[Enrique Álvarez Félix]] (1934–1996). According to journalist Sergio Almázon, once she found her son wearing a white dress and necklace. Infuriated, she beat him unconscious.<ref name="SDPnoticias.com 2018">{{cite web |last=Navarro |first=Yazmín |title=El horrible castigo de María Félix a su hijo tras descubrirlo vestido de mujer |website=SDPnoticias.com |date=2018-05-31 |url=https://www.sdpnoticias.com/gay/2018/05/31/el-horrible-castigo-de-maria-felix-a-su-hijo-tras-descubrirlo-vestido-de-mujer |language=es |access-date=2018-12-31}}</ref> Álvarez retaliated by taking their son to Guadalajara. Years later Félix was able to get her son back with the help of her second husband, Agustín Lara.<ref name="debayle"/> Félix's relationship with her son was distant in his early years because she sent him to schools abroad "to discipline" him. Years later, Enrique returned to Mexico and started a career as an actor in film and television. Regarding her son, Félix said: "Enrique is a very gifted man, with admirable common sense. He's my best friend. I have so much fun with him. He's not a 'mama's boy' as many believe. Self-employed, fight like being independent. He has his own career, his audience, his poster and assumes his responsibilities without relying on me."{{sfn|Félix|1993|loc=Vol. 4, p. 18}} The unexpected death of Enrique from a heart attack in 1996 affected Félix greatly.

There are conflicting rumors that, in between her marriages to Enrique Álvarez and Agustín Lara, Félix had a brief marriage to Raúl Prado, member of the [[Trío Calaveras]], but no concrete evidence has emerged that the marriage ever took place. Most of the rumors agree in claiming that Prado and Félix allegedly got married in 1943 after meeting on the set of ''[[The Rock of Souls]]'' and separated two months after the wedding. Mexican writer [[Enrique Serna]] interviewed the last survivor of the trio, Miguel Bermego, who told him he was a witness to the wedding.<ref name="Serna"/> Prado's niece María Escalera also corroborated the marriage, saying that the marriage ended when Agustín Lara sent Félix a white piano as a gift, and "Raúl threw her out — with the piano. They later divorced. So, it appears, María Félix was my ''tía política'' [aunt-in-law]."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Delgado |first1=Manuel Ruben |title=The Last Chicano: A Mexican American Experience |date=2009 |publisher=AuthorHouse |isbn=978-1-4490-1415-5 |page=292 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5SxQEE17m80C&pg=PA292}}</ref> In his book about Félix ''María Félix: 47 pasos por el cine'', [[Paco Ignacio Taibo I]] wrote about the marriage as factual, saying, "While shooting this film, María would meet Raúl Prado, a member of the Los Calaveras trio. After a quick courtship they got married and shortly after they divorced. This is one of the most carefully protected chapters of the star's life. María's friends keep claiming that it was crazy."<ref>{{cite web |title=Amores Secretos / María Félix |trans-title=Secret Loves / María Félix |url=https://reforma.vlex.com.mx/vid/amores-secretos-maria-felix-686494841 |website=Reforma |publisher=vLex |date=16 July 2017 |access-date=28 September 2020 |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Taibo |first1=Paco Ignacio |author-link1=Paco Ignacio Taibo I |title=María Félix: 47 pasos por el cine |date=2008 |publisher=Bruguera |isbn=978-970-710-345-0 |page=41 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y1srAQAAIAAJ&q=ra%C3%BAl+prado |language=es |quote=Filmando esta película, María conocerá a Raúl Prado, integrante del trío Los Calaveras. Después de un noviazgo rápido se casan y poco después se divorcian. Éste es uno de los capítulos de la vida de la estrella más cuidadosamente protegidos. Los amigos de María siguen afirmando que aquello fue una locura. |trans-quote=While shooting this film, María would meet Raúl Prado, a member of the Los Calaveras trio. After a quick courtship they got married and shortly after they divorced. This is one of the most carefully protected chapters of the star's life. María's friends keep claiming that it was crazy."}}</ref> Prado's obituary in the Spanish newspaper ''[[El País]]'' in April 1989 reported the marriage as factual,<ref>{{cite news |title=Raul Prado, fundador del Trío Calaveras |trans-title=Raul Prado, founder of the Trío Calaveras |url=https://elpais.com/diario/1989/04/11/agenda/608248804_850215.html |access-date=28 September 2020 |newspaper=[[El País]] |date=10 April 1989 |language=es}}</ref> as did some obituaries of Félix's, such as the one in Argentine newspaper ''[[La Nación]]'', the latter which only cited "a biography" as a source.<ref>{{cite news |title=A los 88 años falleció la actriz mexicana María Félix |trans-title=At the age of 88, Mexican actress María Félix passed away |url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/espectaculos/a-los-88-anos-fallecio-la-actriz-mexicana-maria-felix-nid387157/ |access-date=28 September 2020 |newspaper=[[La Nación]] |date=8 April 2002 |language=es}}</ref> It was cited by ''[[TVyNovelas]]'' as one of the "myths" surrounding Félix.<ref>{{cite web |title=47 mitos de la leyenda llamada María Félix |trans-title=47 myths of the legend called María Félix |url=https://www.tvynovelas.com/mx/tv-y-novelas/fotos-47-mitos-de-la-leyenda-llamada-maria-felix/ |website=[[TVyNovelas]] |language=es}}</ref> It is known that Félix vehemently denied ever having married Prado. Serna, who also interviewed Félix, said "On our first meeting I asked her about her marriage to Raúl Prado (which she denied until the end), the member of the Calaveras trio who sang in Jorge Negrete's films, and she told me that if I was going to go on with those lies, we were not going to be able to work on the book." Serna added, "At one point she told me: 'Write what you want about me, because they believe anything about me. Say that I slept with an octopus.'"<ref name="Serna">{{cite web |last1=Martínez |first1=Myrna L. |title=Creyó ser María Félix |trans-title= She thought she was María Félix|url=https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/after-office/creyo-ser-maria-felix |website=El Financiero |date=8 April 2014 |access-date=28 September 2020 |language=es}}</ref>

Her second marriage (1945–1947) was to the composer [[Agustín Lara]]. Félix was a fan of Lara since her adolescence. They were formally introduced by a mutual friend, the actor Tito Novaro. The couple began a highly publicized relationship, which culminated in marriage in 1945. Lara immortalized Félix in a number of songs, such as ''"Humo en los ojos''" ("Smoke in the eyes"), "''Cuando vuelvas''" ("When you come back"),  "''Dos puñales''" ("Two daggers"), "''Madrid''" and especially the famous theme "''[[María Bonita (song)|María Bonita]]''", composed in [[Acapulco]] during their honeymoon. "''María Bonita''" would become one of Lara's most popular songs. However, the relationship ended in 1947 due to Lara's jealousy. Félix said that Lara even tried to kill her in a fit of violent jealousy.{{sfn|Félix|1993|loc=Vol. 2, p. 59}}
[[File:Felix-Messalina.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Félix in ''[[Messalina (1951 film)|Messalina]]'' (1951)]]
After her second divorce, Félix had romances with some well-known men, such as Mexican aviation entrepreneur Jorge Pasquel, Spanish bullfighter [[Luis Miguel Dominguín]], and Argentine actor [[Carlos Thompson]]. Félix met Thompson in Argentina in 1952 during the filming of [[Luis César Amadori]]'s ''[[La pasión desnuda]]'', and the relationship was reportedly serious to the point that they became engaged to be married, and Félix even called for her son Enrique Álvarez Félix to meet his potential stepfather. However, during filming, Félix received a call from director [[Emilio Fernández]] to offer her the leading role in ''[[The Rapture (1954 film)|The Rapture]]'', which Félix accepted, telling Thompson that after filming of ''La pasión desnuda'' ended she would return to Mexico to promote the film and announce their future marriage. However, once in Mexico, Félix canceled the wedding days before it would take place, stating that she concluded that the only thing that united her to Thompson was a mere physical attraction and not true love.<ref>{{cite web |title=María Félix y la historia de cómo le rompió el corazón al argentino Carlos Thompson |trans-title=María Félix and the story of how she broke the heart of Argentine Carlos Thompson |url=https://www.infobae.com/america/mexico/2019/04/07/el-dia-que-maria-felix-le-rompio-el-corazon-a-carlos-thompson-el-argentino-que-sufrio-en-carne-propia-los-caprichos-de-la-dona/ |website=[[Infobae]] |access-date=9 September 2020 |language=es |date=7 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Pasión, orgullo y un corazón roto: la fallida boda entre María Félix y Carlos Thompson |trans-title=Passion, pride and a broken heart: the failed wedding between María Félix and Carlos Thompson |url=https://www.infobae.com/america/entretenimiento/2020/04/08/pasion-orgullo-y-un-corazon-roto-la-fallida-boda-entre-maria-felix-y-carlos-thompson/ |website=[[Infobae]] |access-date=9 September 2020 |language=es |date=8 April 2020}}</ref>

During her stay in France, Félix was introduced by the painter [[Leonor Fini]] to French writer [[Jean Cau (writer)|Jean Cau]], assistant of the writer [[Jean Paul Sartre]]. Félix had a brief romance with Cau.{{sfn|Félix|1993|loc=Vol. 3, pp. 43-4}} From the end of 1950 to the spring of 1954, Félix also had a passionate same-sex affair with Suzanne Baulé, better-known as [[Frede (cabaret manager)|Frede]], who at the time ran the cabaret ''Le Carroll's'' on Rue de Ponthieu in Paris, and the two women lived together at the Hotel George-V. The relationship was captured in a painting made by Fini of a plant with two flowers; one had the face of Félix and the other Frede's.<ref name="Manzi" /> Frede followed Félix on her filming trips to Buenos Aires and São Paulo upon learning of Félix's relationship with Carlos Thompson.<ref name="Beccacece"/> Félix and Frede's relationship was interrupted by Félix's marriage to Jorge Negrete, but upon Negrete's death in 1953, Félix returned to Paris to briefly rekindle her relationship with Frede. However, they would violently break-up for good in 1954, leading to a trial in which Félix wanted to take back jewellery she had given to Frede and accused her of theft. Félix lost her lawsuit, and Frede was acquitted and kept the jewellery.<ref name="Manzi">{{cite web |last1=Manzi |first1=Italo |title=María Félix, el último mito |trans-title=María Félix, the last myth |url=http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/descargaPdf/maria-felix-el-ultimo-mito/ |publisher=[[Miguel de Cervantes Virtual Library]] |format=PDF |access-date=10 September 2020 |language=es}}</ref><ref name="Beccacece">{{cite news |last1=Beccacece |first1=Hugo |title=Un mito secreto del siglo XX |trans-title=A secret myth of the 20th century |url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/opinion/un-mito-secreto-del-siglo-xx-nid2152652 |access-date=10 September 2020 |newspaper=[[La Nación]] |date=15 July 2018 |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last1=Cosnard|first1=Denis|title=Frede : belle de nuit|year=2017|isbn=978-2-84990-499-2|location=Paris|oclc=989824609}}</ref><ref name="Parrado">{{cite web |last1=Parrado |first1=Diego |title=Frede, la amante de Marlene Dietrich y reina de las lesbianas de París |trans-title=Frede, Marlene Dietrich's lover and queen of the lesbians of Paris |url=https://www.revistavanityfair.es/sociedad/celebrities/articulos/frede-marlene-dietrich-lesbianas-paris/25781 |website=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]] |access-date=10 September 2020 |language=es |date=27 August 2017}}</ref> Félix retained ownership of the painting Fini made of the two women, and after the break-up persuaded Fini to modify it to erase Frede's face, changing it to hers, resulting in the painting's two flowers both having Felix's face.<ref name="Manzi"/><ref name="Parrado"/>

In 1953, when Félix returned to Mexico after her stay in Europe and Argentina, she was reunited with an "old enemy": the actor and singer [[Jorge Negrete]]. Unlike their difficult first meeting ten years ago on the set of ''El peñón de las ánimas'', Félix found Negrete, in her own words: ''"surrendered to my feet"''. After a brief romance, the couple married in 1953, transmitted by radio to all Latin America, held at the House of Catipoato in [[Tlalpan]]. Negrete was already ill when the marriage took place, and died eleven months later at a hospital in Los Angeles, United States, while Félix was in Europe shooting ''La Belle Otero''. Félix's appearance at his funeral, dressed in trousers, caused a huge scandal, which led her to take refuge in Europe.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}

Her fourth marriage (1956–1974), was with the Romanian-born French banker Alexander Berger. Félix met Berger in the 1940s, when they were both married. Years later they met again. Félix was married to Berger for 18 years. She tried becoming a mother again, but an accident during a filming in 1957 caused Félix to lose the child.{{sfn|Félix|1993|loc=Vol. 3, p. 81}} It was at this time that she built her famous home, ''La Casa de las Tortugas'' (The House of Turtles), designed by [[Pepe Mendoza (architect)|Pepe Mendoza]] and resembling an Italian villa, in [[Cuernavaca]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lacasadelastortugas.com/about-the-house.html|title=La Case de las Tortugas|language=en|access-date=June 1, 2019}}</ref> Berger died in 1974 of lung cancer months after the death of Félix's mother, which plunged her into a deep depression. To overcome this depression, she developed a new passion: horses. Some of her horses won major international equestrian awards.<ref name="Biondo 2017">{{cite web |last=Biondo |first=Noelia |title=Conociendo a... María Félix. La reina de los hipódromos |website=Ecuestre.es |date=2017-09-11 |url=https://www.ecuestre.es/elles-a-cheval/estilo-de-vida/articulo/conociendo-a-maria-felix-noelia-biondo-ellesacheval |language=es |access-date=2018-12-31}}</ref> Félix kept horses for 11 years.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}

Her last romantic relationship was the Russian-French painter Antoine Tzapoff, who was 31 years her junior. About him, Félix said: ''I don't know if he's the man who has most loved me, but he's who has loved me better.''{{sfn|Félix|1993|loc=Vol. 4, p. 52}}

The press speculated about a strong rivalry between Félix and [[Dolores del Río]], the other leading female figure of Mexican cinema and a successful Hollywood star. Regarding this "rivalry", Félix said: "With Dolores I had no rivalry. On the contrary, we were friends and always treated each other with great respect, each with our own personality. We were completely different. She was refined, interesting, gentle on the deal, and I'm energetic, arrogant and bossy."{{sfn|Félix|1993|loc=Vol. 3, p. 84}}