Rita Hayworth: Biography, Cause of Death, Perfume, and Relationships

Rita Hayworth, born Margarita Carmen Cansino in a Brooklyn dance family, was Hollywood’s original “Love Goddess”—but her real story goes deeper than the pin-up photos. She was a dancer, a wife to geniuses and princes, and a woman whose final years were marked by a disease no one discussed. Here’s a fact-based look at her heritage, her marriages, and the cause of her death that still surprises many.

Full name: Margarita Carmen Cansino · Born: October 17, 1918, Brooklyn, New York, USA · Died: May 14, 1987, New York City, USA · Occupation: Actress, dancer, pin-up girl · Years active: 1935–1972 · Spouses: 5 (including Orson Welles and Aly Khan)

Ten key facts, one pattern: Hayworth’s life was a series of transformations—from Margarita to Rita, from dancer to superstar, from wife to widow, from icon to patient.

Was Rita Hayworth Irish?

Rita Hayworth’s ancestral roots

Rita Hayworth was born Margarita Carmen Cansino on October 17, 1918, in Brooklyn, New York, to a Spanish-born father and an American mother of Irish and English descent (Britannica). Her father, Eduardo Cansino, was a dancer from Spain; her mother, Volga Hayworth, was American and “of mostly Irish descent,” according to IMDb (Film database).

Her father’s Spanish heritage

Eduardo Cansino performed as a flamenco dancer and ran a nightclub act in which young Margarita performed (Britannica). The Spanish influence was strong—she later changed her hairline and name to soften her “exotic” look for Hollywood.

Her mother’s Irish and English ancestry

Volga Hayworth’s lineage gave Rita a connection to Ireland, though she was never primarily Irish. She was an American actress with a mixed European background. The implication: the “exotic” label Hollywood gave her was a marketing choice, not a reflection of her actual heritage.

The implication: Hayworth’s identity was a product of Hollywood’s marketing, not her actual heritage.

Who was Rita Hayworth’s greatest love?

Orson Welles: marriage and artistic partnership

Hayworth’s second husband, Orson Welles, was a towering figure in cinema. They married in 1943 and had a daughter, Rebecca, in 1944 (Britannica Facts). Welles directed her in The Lady from Shanghai (1947), a film that famously ended their marriage. Hayworth later called Welles “the most fascinating man I ever met, but not the easiest” (UPI Archives).

Prince Aly Khan: a royal romance

Her third husband, Prince Aly Khan, was the son of the Aga Khan. They married in 1949 and had a daughter, Yasmin, before divorcing in 1953 (Britannica Facts). During this marriage, Hayworth was absent from films, a sacrifice that cost her career momentum.

Other significant relationships

She also married singer Dick Haymes (1953–1955) and film producer James Hill (1958–1961). Historians often cite Welles as the most intellectually influential, but Aly Khan as the most passionate. The pattern: Hayworth’s romantic life was a search for both partnership and independence, and she rarely found both in the same person.

What did Rita Hayworth die from?

Cause of death: complications of Alzheimer’s disease

Rita Hayworth died on May 14, 1987, in her Manhattan apartment at age 68 (Britannica). The cause was complications from Alzheimer’s disease, as confirmed by the Alzheimer’s Disease Society (UPI Archives).

Her Alzheimer’s diagnosis and public secrecy

Hayworth was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in the early 1980s, though the news was kept private for years (Wikipedia (Encyclopedia)). Her daughter Yasmin Aga Khan became a prominent advocate for Alzheimer’s research after her mother’s death.

Final years and legacy

In her last years, Hayworth’s memory and personality faded. The disease was so little understood at the time that some misdiagnosed her as an alcoholic. Today, her story is a powerful reminder of the human cost of Alzheimer’s.

The pattern: public awareness of Alzheimer’s grew significantly after her family’s openness.

Why did Orson Welles leave Rita Hayworth?

Creative differences and career pressures

Welles and Hayworth’s marriage began to unravel during the production of The Lady from Shanghai. Welles insisted on directing his wife in a complex, noir thriller that required her to cut her famous red hair and dye it blonde, a move that upset her fanbase (Britannica).

Welles’s infidelities and controlling behavior

Welles had multiple affairs, and Hayworth felt neglected. The marriage was marked by his controlling nature and her desire for a more traditional family life. They divorced in 1947 (Britannica Facts).

Mutual separation and divorce

Hayworth later said, “He was the most fascinating man I ever met, but not the easiest.” The trade-off: creative genius came at the cost of emotional stability.

What perfume did Rita Hayworth wear?

Her signature scent: Evening in Paris by Bourjois

Rita Hayworth was known to wear Evening in Paris, a classic floral perfume by Bourjois that was popular in the 1940s and 1950s. The scent became synonymous with Hollywood glamour, though the claim is based on anecdotal reports rather than definitive documentation.

Other perfumes associated with her

She also reportedly wore Shalimar by Guerlain on special occasions. The connection between scent and star image was strong: Hayworth’s perfume choices reflected her dual identity as both a “girl next door” and a “love goddess.”

The connection between scent and Hollywood glamour

What this means: Hayworth’s perfume preference is a small but telling detail. It shows how even the most intimate choices were part of her carefully curated image.

Was Rita Hayworth nice?

On-set reputation and professionalism

Many co-stars and directors described Hayworth as kind, professional, and generous. She had a reputation for being shy and reserved off-screen, a contrast to her on-screen persona (UPI Archives).

Personal relationships and struggles

Her later years were marked by Alzheimer’s, which affected her personality and memory. Some accounts from that period are less flattering, but they need to be understood in the context of her disease.

Accounts from colleagues and friends

Vanity Fair called her “one of the dearest and sweetest women that ever lived” (Vanity Fair (Magazine) — note: URL not verified in research). The pattern: those who knew her before the illness remember her warmth; those who encountered her late in life saw the effects of a devastating disease.

The pattern: her late-life reputation should not overshadow her earlier warmth.

Timeline: Key events in Rita Hayworth’s life

• 1918 – Born Margarita Carmen Cansino in Brooklyn, New York. (Britannica)
• 1935 – Signed with Fox Film Corporation; film debut in Dante’s Inferno (uncredited). (Wikipedia)
• 1937 – Changed surname to Hayworth; began career at Columbia Pictures. (Wikipedia)
• 1941 – Breakthrough role in Blood and Sand with Tyrone Power. (Britannica)
• 1943–1947 – Marriage to Orson Welles; daughter Rebecca born 1944. (Britannica Facts)
• 1946 – Starred in Gilda, cementing her status as a sex symbol. (Britannica)
• 1949–1953 – Marriage to Prince Aly Khan; daughter Yasmin born 1949. (Britannica Facts)
• 1958 – Marriage to singer Dick Haymes (lasted 4 years). (Britannica Facts)
• 1972 – Final film role in The Wrath of God. (Wikipedia)
• Early 1980s – Diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. (Wikipedia)
• 1987 – Died in New York City from Alzheimer’s complications. (Britannica)
• 1994 – Inducted posthumously into the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (Wikipedia)

The pattern: her life was a series of artistic and personal reinventions, each phase marked by a major transition.

Confirmed facts vs. what’s unclear

Confirmed facts

• Born Margarita Carmen Cansino in Brooklyn, NY (Britannica)
• Died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease (UPI Archives)
• Married to Orson Welles and Prince Aly Khan (Britannica Facts)
• Height: 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) (Britannica Facts)

What’s unclear

• Exact extent of Irish heritage beyond her mother’s side (IMDb – anecdotal)
• Signature perfume claims are anecdotal
• Whether Orson Welles “left” her or it was mutual separation
• Accounts of her “niceness” vary among contemporaries

The pattern: the line between public image and private reality remains blurred in several areas.

Quotes about Rita Hayworth

“She was one of the dearest and sweetest women that ever lived.”

— Vanity Fair, describing her final years

“He was the most fascinating man I ever met, but not the easiest.”

— Rita Hayworth on Orson Welles

“My mother’s illness taught me that Alzheimer’s doesn’t discriminate.”

— Yasmin Aga Khan, daughter and Alzheimer’s advocate

For readers interested in other Golden Age stars, the Richard Attenborough biography and Bob Hoskins biography offer similar deep dives into life, career, and legacy.

Frequently asked questions

Rita Hayworth’s life was a story of transformation—from a Spanish dancer’s daughter to the world’s most famous pin-up, from a string of marriages to a final battle with a disease that stole her memory. For modern readers, the choice is clear: remember her not just as a glamorous icon, but as a woman who danced through life with grace, even when the music stopped.