The loan was for a Beverly Hills-based film project, but investigators later found the money traced back to overseas accounts linked to Marcos family funds. Though George Hamilton was never formally charged, the optics were damaging. His relationship with Imelda Marcos became a media circus, entwining his name with one of history’s most notorious regimes.
Yet, as always, Hamilton smiled, kept his charm, and pivoted. Hollywood’s short memory and his innate charisma let him sidestep lasting fallout. By the mid-1980s, he returned to playing exaggerated versions of himself, cementing his image as the perpetually tanned, tongue-in-cheek gentleman of the screen.
But time caught up. His fortunes dwindled – bad investments, failed ventures, and untrustworthy advisors took their toll. His once-lavish lifestyle faded. Health issues mounted: heart surgery left him weakened, and a more aggressive cancer returned.
Still, George Hamilton remains George Hamilton. Even now, at 85, walking a far less gilded path, he embodies a rare old-world grace. His journey now is about legacy – facing life’s final chapters with the same wit and poise that defined his rise.
He once said, “In Hollywood, you can survive anything as long as you know when to laugh.” Beneath the tan, tuxedo, and tabloid tales, that’s been his greatest performance of all.
Source: Stars Rewind