In 1938, Harmon “Oscar” Nelson ended his marriage with American actress, Bette Davis.
The reason?
He claimed she read too much. The New York Times reported on December 7, 1938 that Harmon “usually just sat there while his wife read ‘to an unnecessary degree.” “She thought her work was more important than her marriage.” “She even insisted on reading books or manuscripts when [Harmon] had guests. It was all very upsetting.”
Davis later in life mentioned other factors that led to the separation, including an emotional rift between the two and an affair with Howard Hughes, which was not mentioned in the article, but was referenced in the divorce proceedings.
Harmon O. Nelson was a musician best known for being the legendary inspiration for Bette Davis’ claimed nicknaming of the Academy Award statuette “Oscar,” although the story likely is apocryphal as his nickname was “Ham.” Davis’ high school sweetheart, Ham (or “Oscar”) Harmon married Bette on August 18, 1932. They divorced seven years later.
Harmon Nelson was one of ex-husbands of Davis, she married 4 times and divorced 3 times during her lifetime.
Yesterday Today 