‘Gone With The Wind’ Vivien Leigh’s Struggles Before Total Mental Breakdown Detailed In New Book

Vivien Leigh was one of the well-known actors from Hollywood’s Golden Age. She became famous and earned the coveted Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Scarlett O’Hara in the 1939 epic romance Gone with the Wind.

However, the actress’ life was not without its problems, despite the glitz and glamour of her highly successful career. Vivien Leigh struggled with a mental health challenge that totally overshadowed both her personal and professional lives. The late actress is now the subject of a new book that offers a close-up look at her life and the challenges she faced while she was still living.

Vivien Leigh’s struggled with mental illness and her rocky relationship

In a discussion with Fox News Digital, Lyndsy Spence, who wrote Where Madness Lies, a book that details Leigh’s struggles with mental illness, revealed that during her research, she found out that the late actress’ circumstances were different from what had been previously written about her. She explained that Leigh suffered from bipolar disorder, a condition that had plagued her right from childhood but worsened as she grew older, turning into a total mental breakdown.

The author stated that during her crisis, she craved the support of her second husband, Laurence Olivier, who was not forthcoming. Olivier’s unavailability was a product of Leigh’s behavior, as she had subjected him to a lot of mental torture, which included beating him up and even shouting at him publicly.

Vivien Leigh never got over her sickness but found peace on her deathbed

Spence added that even though the actress got treatment, she never fully recovered, as she was always found exhibiting one irrational behavior or another. Interestingly, Leigh eventually found peace on her deathbed after contracting tuberculosis.

Spence revealed that, according to people close to her at the time, the actress devoted herself to religious texts and philosophies while she got prepared for the imminent death that awaited her at the young age of 53.