Holden had a daughter born in 1937 from his relationship with actress Eva May Hoffman.Holden was married to actress Brenda Marshall from 1941 until their divorce in 1971.They had two sons, Peter and Scott.Holden met French actress Capucine in the early 1960s. The two starred in the films The Lion (1962) and The 7th Dawn (1964). They reportedly began a two-year affair, which is alleged to have ended due to Holden’s alcoholism. Capucine and Holden remained friends until his death in 1981.
In 1972, Holden began a nine-year relationship with actress Stefanie Powers and sparked her interest in animal welfare. After his death, Powers set up the William Holden Wildlife Foundation at Holden’s Mount Kenya Game Ranch.According to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s autopsy report, Holden bled to death in his apartment in Santa Monica, California, on November 12, 1981, after lacerating his forehead by slipping on a rug while intoxicated and hitting a bedside table. Forensic evidence recovered at the scene suggested that he was conscious for at least half an hour after the fall. His body was found four days later.Rumors existed that he was suffering from lung cancer, which Holden had denied at a 1980 press conference. His death certificate makes no mention of cancer.He dictated in his will that the Neptune Society cremate him and scatter his ashes in the Pacific Ocean. In accordance with his wishes, no funeral or memorial services were conducted.[50]
President Ronald Reagan released a statement: “I have a great feeling of grief. We were close friends for many years. What do you say about a longtime friend – a sense of personal loss, a fine man. Our friendship never waned.”
For his contribution to the film industry, Holden has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 1651 Vine Street.[51] He also has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
His death was noted by singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, whose 1987 song “Tom’s Diner”, about a sequence of events one morning in 1981, included a mention of reading a newspaper article about “an actor who had died while he was drinking”. Vega subsequently confirmed that this was a reference to Holden.
