Elinor Donahue is famous for her role on the popular TV show “Father Knows Best,” but her career didn’t stop there. She continued to work on screen and in other areas after the show ended.
Now at 86 years old, Elinor Donahue recently appeared as a guest on the soap opera “The Young and the Restless.”
On “Father Knows Best,” Elinor Donahue played Betty ‘Princess’ Anderson, a key character in the show about a happy middle-class family in the Midwest.
The show began as a radio program in 1949 and aired every Thursday until 1954. After that, CBS brought it to TV, keeping only Robert Young, who played the father, Jim Anderson.
During her six years on the popular show, which was among the top ten TV shows in America, Elinor also appeared on “Crossroads” and “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.” Her busy schedule was so demanding that she admitted she didn’t have time to watch her own show.
Elinor Donahue, who was born in Tacoma in 1937, worked hard on “Father Knows Best.” By the time she got home at night, she would have dinner and then prepare for the next day’s lines. This busy schedule meant she never had time to watch the show.
As a teenager, Elinor’s acting career took off, and she became the main provider for her family. She appeared in movies like *Love is Better than Ever* with Elizabeth Taylor and *Girls Town*.
Since Elinor was still a child, she needed an adult with her on set. With her father not around and her mother working full-time, her mom Doris had to quit her job to be with her.
After “Father Knows Best,” Elinor appeared on other popular shows such as “The Andy Griffith Show,” “Dr. Kildare,” “Star Trek,” and “Mork & Mindy.”
Elinor Donahue, now 86, has appeared in over 70 TV shows and movies like *Winter Wonderland* and *Pretty Woman*.
At 19, she married her first husband, hoping it would make her feel like a grown-up. She admitted to Emmy TV Legends that she felt like a teenager at that age, saying, “I was like a 13-year-old 19.” She felt she hadn’t grown up properly and thought that marriage and having a baby would help her mature.
The person she married was Richard Smith, a sound man from “Father Knows Best.” Elinor decided to marry him because she thought it was her chance to become an adult.
Elinor Donahue shared a funny story about how she got engaged. She said that after a movie date, her first husband, Richard Smith, whispered in her ear, “I love you and I’d like to marry you.” She laughed and replied, “Okay.”
Elinor had her first son, Brian, with Richard. They were married for six years before divorcing in 1961.
In 1962, she married TV producer Harry Ackerman, who was 20 years older than her. They had three sons together and were happily married for almost 30 years until he passed away in 1991.
The following year, Elinor married her third husband, Lou Genevrino, a contractor. She has been retired from acting for the past decade.
Despite never planning to be on screen, Elinor Donahue has had a remarkable and successful career. She has appeared in more than 70 TV shows and movies like *Winter Wonderland* and *Pretty Woman*. Her role as Betty Anderson on *Father Knows Best* made her a household name, and she has continued to impress audiences with her work in shows like *The Andy Griffith Show*, *Star Trek*, and *Mork & Mindy*.
Share this with all the *Father Knows Best* fans you know to celebrate her impressive achievements and enduring impact on television!
Angelina Jolie’s former security guard comes out with shocking allegations against her in Brad Pitt case
According to the documents, Webb was the “head of Jolie’s security detail for two decades, and he remained in that role for approximately four years after the couple divorced.”
Webb stated that Jolie “required him and his contractors to sign NDAs relating to various personal and professional details of her, and her family’s, life.”
After the couple filed for divorce, they had a major custody battle over their six children. According to the documents, Webb claimed he “received multiple calls from Jolie’s representative, who told Mr. Webb to remind his staff that they had entered into NDAs with Jolie and that if they testified in a custody proceeding, Jolie would sue them.”
Webb said that he had conveyed the message to his contractors, and both of them confirmed that they would testify if they were to be subpoenaed.
The documents further claimed that “one of them told Webb that ‘he would testify about statements he overheard that Ms. Jolie made to the children, encouraging them to avoid spending time with Mr. Pitt during custody visits.’”
The documents also stated that the “the two security contractors both testified” despite being threated with being sued and shortly after, Mr. Webb’s company was fired by Jolie.
Webb himself does not claim to have heard Jolie’s directive instructing the children not to interact with Pitt during custody visits. He now also works for Pitt.
Jolie’s attorney, Paul Murphy has since then addressed the media over this matter. He said in a statement, “Mr. Pitt’s continued attempt to equate common NDAs for security personnel and housekeepers covering confidential information employees learn at work, with him demanding an expanded NDA to ensure the continued coverup of his deplorable actions remains shameful.” “This case is not about NDAs in general, but about power and control. All Angelina has ever wanted was separation and health, with positive relationships between all members of their family, including Mr. Pitt. She looks forward to the day when he is finally able to let her go,” the statement further read.
The latest filing comes after over a month after Jolie’s lawyer filed documents claiming that Pitt had been physically abusive toward her even before the alleged infamous plane incident of 2016. That incident, according to documents, was the final straw in asking for a divorce.
The motion that Jolie’s legal team filed in early April, most revolved around the dispute over their shares of ownership in their French winery estate, Château Miraval.
Her legal team filed a motion asking the court to compel Pitt and his legal team to provide “responses” and “documents” that explained why the actor “suddenly conditioned his purchase of Jolie’s share of Miraval on her agreeing to a greatly expanded NDA now covering Pitt’s personal misconduct, whether related to Miraval or not.”
Jolie firmly claims that this move to demand NDAs was Pitt’s attempt to “cover up” the alleged abuse against Jolie and their children.
Pitt was never charged with a crime after authorities investigated the 2016 plane incident.
In contrast to what Jolie’s legal team is saying, Pitt’s lawyers allege that it was Jolie and her team who requested a “broader” NDA.
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