The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Novel Summary(with Spoilers)
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Evelyn Hugo, a renowned movie star from the 1960s and 1970s, is now in her late seventies. In preparation for auctioning off twelve of her iconic dresses, she contacts Vivant magazine, specifically requesting an interview with one of their reporters, Monique Grant. The choice puzzles both Monique and her editor, Frankie, as Monique is not a high-ranking journalist. However, Monique sees this as an opportunity to distract herself from her recent separation from her husband, David. Eager to delve into Evelyn’s life, especially her relationships with her seven husbands, Monique is driven by one burning question: “Who was Evelyn’s, true love?”
Upon arriving at Evelyn’s apartment for the interview, the movie star surprises Monique by revealing that she wants her to write her biography, to be published after Evelyn’s death, instead of a simple interview for Vivant. Despite Monique’s insistence on knowing more, Evelyn only promises that everything will become clear once the interview concludes. Monique embarks on a series of daily interviews with Evelyn, beginning with the topic of her first husband. The narrative alternates between Evelyn’s past and Monique’s present as they delve deeper into the captivating story.
At the age of 15, Evelyn Hugo, aware that her neighbor Ernie Diaz is relocating to Hollywood, marry him with the intention of escaping her current life. However, she has no interest in being a conventional housewife and spends her days at a diner, hoping to catch the attention of producers. Eventually, a young producer named Harry Cameron notices her and signs her to Sunset Studios. Despite struggling to secure substantial roles, Evelyn manages to gain influence at the studio and persuades Harry and another producer, Ari Sullivan, to cast her as Jo in an adaptation of “Little Women.” To appeal to a wider American audience and downplay her Latina heritage, Evelyn undergoes a transformation by dyeing her hair blond, changing her name, and divorcing Ernie. She stars in several generic romantic comedies and marries Don Adler. However, shortly after their wedding, Don begins to physically abuse Evelyn.
In the present timeline, Monique receives a package from her mother containing her late father’s photographs from his time working on movie sets. Reflecting on her parents’ interracial marriage and her father’s advice to find a fulfilling job, Monique contemplates her own life.
The story returns to Evelyn’s past as she begins filming “Little Women.” She strikes up a beneficial relationship with her co-star, Celia St. James. Evelyn agrees to help Celia gain recognition, while Celia provides acting lessons to Evelyn. A tabloid article circulates, suggesting that Evelyn prioritizes spending time with celebrities like Celia over starting a family with Don. When Evelyn discovers that her maid, Paula, leaked the story, she fires Paula and fabricates a miscarriage to regain public sympathy.
During the premiere of “Little Women,” Evelyn realizes that Celia’s performance outshines everyone else’s, but she feels happy for her rather than jealous. At the afterparty, Ruby informs Evelyn that Celia is a lesbian and that Don is cheating on her. In a moment of frustration, Evelyn kisses Celia. Later, she catches Don with another woman and asks Harry to take her home. Harry brings her to his house, and the next day, Evelyn returns home to find that Don has already left.
Evelyn stays with Celia, and Harry delivers the divorce papers from Don. The papers prohibit Evelyn from discussing their marriage with the media, but she retains the house and half of their money. In addition, Sunset Studios drops Evelyn and prevents her from receiving an Oscar nomination. Evelyn and Celia engage in a sexual relationship for the first time.
Celia attends the Academy Awards, while Evelyn watches television. When Celia wins the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, Evelyn kisses the TV and chips her tooth. As Hollywood loses interest in Evelyn, she meets French director Max Girard, who casts her in a film called “Boute-en-Train,” featuring a topless scene. The movie’s release catapults Evelyn to international fame. To dispel rumors about her relationship with Celia, Evelyn elopes with pop star Mick Riva. While Evelyn sleeps with Mick to manipulate him, they annul their marriage the following morning. Evelyn later discovers she is pregnant. Celia, unaware of how far Evelyn was willing to go to ensure a successful elopement, breaks up with her.
To generate interest in their film adaptation of “Anna Karenina,” Evelyn marries Rex North. After a few years, Rex confesses his love for someone else and requests a divorce. Evelyn stages a false affair with Harry, who is gay. When Evelyn and Celia both lose in the same Oscar category that year, they meet in the bathroom and forgive each other. Evelyn marries Harry and moves to Manhattan with him. Their marriage provides cover for Evelyn and Celia, as well as Harry and Celia’s husband John, to live out their secret relationship.
At the age of 36, Evelyn realizes that her marriage with Harry is her longest. They agree to have a child together, with Celia’s consent. A year later, Evelyn and Harry welcome their daughter, Connor. Celia encourages Evelyn to film another movie with Max, which requires her to act alongside Don. Evelyn meets with Don to make peace. Max convinces Evelyn to shoot an explicit sex scene without consulting Celia. When she reveals the scene to Celia, Celia leaves her and files for divorce from John. Years later, John dies of a heart attack. To help Harry cope with his grief, Evelyn convinces him to produce Max’s next film, in which she also stars. When they all win Oscars for the film, Max proposes to Evelyn.
Meanwhile, in present-day New York, Monique returns home to find David waiting for her. He asks her to work on their marriage, but she declares that it’s over.
Returning to Evelyn’s story, the day after her Oscar win, she and Harry decide to get a divorce. Evelyn marries Max but soon realizes that he is more interested in her beauty and fame than her true self. She begins exchanging letters with Celia, who reveals that she is terminally ill with pulmonary disease. The two reignite their relationship. Evelyn divorces Max and tries to convince Harry to move to Spain with her and Celia, but Harry suggests they relocate to Los Angeles, where he has found someone with whom he envisions a future. Later that night, Evelyn finds Harry unconscious in a crashed car with a deceased passenger. After taking Harry to the hospital, he passes away.
Six months after Harry’s death, Connor’s rebellious behavior attracts media attention, prompting Evelyn to move her away from the spotlight. They settle in Spain with Celia and her brother Robert, who becomes Evelyn’s seventh husband. In Spain, Connor focuses on her education while bonding with Robert. Over time, Celia’s health deteriorates, and she eventually passes away.
Evelyn and Robert return to New York City, where Evelyn devotes her time to fundraising. Eleven years later, Robert dies. At the age of 41, Connor is diagnosed with breast cancer and succumbs to the illness. Evelyn realizes that people will only grasp the complete truth of her story, including her romantic relationship with Celia if she tells it herself through this biography. She requests that Monique emphasize her current indifference toward wealth and fame — her sole desire is to be with the people she loves.
Finally, Evelyn discloses to Monique that the passenger who died in the car crash with Harry was James Grant, Monique’s father. She hands Monique the letter that Monique’s father wrote to Harry, explaining that he could never abandon Monique or her mother, despite his love for Harry. Enraged, Monique inquires about the publication of the book, effectively asking when Evelyn plans to pass away. Evelyn reveals that she has late-stage breast cancer.
The following morning, Monique arrives at Evelyn’s apartment for a photo shoot for Vivant’s article on Evelyn. After the photographers leave, Evelyn bids farewell to Monique, and Monique comprehends that Evelyn has chosen to end her life on her own terms and that this is their final goodbye. Soon after, Evelyn passes away, and Vivant publishes an article by Monique that reveals Evelyn’s bisexuality and includes an excerpt from her forthcoming biography.
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