Actress and Director Sondra Locke, Clint Eastwood's Former Girlfriend of 14 Years, Dies at 74
Actress Sondra Locke, who was Clint Eastwood‘s girlfriend for more than 13 years, has died. She was 74.
Locke, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her first film role in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, died on Nov. 3, according to Variety.
A rep for Locke did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Locke began her career in 1967 when she won a nationwide talent search for a supporting role in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter opposite Alan Arkin.
Her portrayal of a sensitive 16-year-old earned her the Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress as well as two Golden Globe nominations.
She went on to star in Cover Me Babe, A Reflection of Fear and The Second Coming of Suzanne but her life took a turn when she was cast in Clint Eastwood’s The Outlaw Josey Wales as his love interest in 1975.
It was during that time that Locke began a relationship with Eastwood. Over the course of their relationship, the two would continue to work together in such films as 1977’s The Gauntlet, Every Which Way But Loose, Any Which Way You Can, Bronco Billy and Sudden Impact.
In 1986, Locke made her directorial debut with Ratboy, a story about a boy who is half-rat and which was produced by Eastwood’s production company Malpaso.
She continued to direct with 1990’s Impulse and 1997’s Do Me a Favor starring Rosanna Arquette. During her time as a director, Locke largely stayed away from acting but returned to it in 1999 with small roles in The Prophet’s Game, and Clean and Narrow.
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Locke and Eastwood parted ways in 1989 when she sued The Mule star for palimony after she alleged at the time he had changed the locks of their home and removed all of her belongings. The two settled.
She sued him again in 1995 for fraud, which she and Eastwood settled out of court, according to the Los Angeles Times at the time.
During her life, Locke survived breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy and chemotherapy.
