Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty ; Bettmann/Getty Oscar winner Bette Davis was a mother to three children Davis welcomed Barbara "B.D." in 1947, followed by Margot and Michael in 1951 B.D. wrote a memoir about Davis, which led to the mother and daughter becoming estranged Hollywood legendBette Daviswas a mother of three children: daughters Barbara "B.D." and Margot, and son Michael. Davis welcomed daughter Barbara "B.D." in 1947 with husband William Grant Sherry. Following their divorce in 1950, Davis married Gary Merrill, and the couple welcomed Margot and Michael via adoption the following year. Davis consciously waited to have kids so that she could devote more time to them. "I did not have my first child until I was 39," she toldThe New York Timesin April 1981. "My career was made. I was only making one or two films a year. They were years to be with my children and to enjoy them." Davis primarily raised her children in New England, tellingThe New York Timesthat her family primarily resided "on the coast of Maine and in Connecticut." However, Davis' relationships with her daughters and son made headlines over the years. In 1985 and 1987,B.D. wrote sensational memoirsthat painted Davis in an unflattering light. It led to B.D.'s estrangement from Davis; ultimately, she was not included in her mother's will. Here's everything to know about Bette Davis' children: Barbara "B.D." Hyman, Margot Merrill and Michael Merrill. PA Images via Getty (2) Davis and Sherry welcomed Barbara "B.D." on May 1, 1947. Following Davis and Merrill's wedding in 1950, B.D. was adopted by Merrill, she wrote in her memoirMy Mother's Keeper. Over the years, B.D. made several appearances in her mother's films. In 1951, she played Davis' daughter inPayment on Demand; in 1962, B.D. had a small cameo inWhat Ever Happened To Baby Jane?as the neighbor's daughter. In 1963, B.D. met her future husband, Jeremy Hyman, at theCannes Film Festivalwhen she was 15 years old. They married the following year, when she was 16 and he was 29. Though Davis gave her blessing, she later blamed the marriage for her estrangement from her daughter. Calling her attendance at the festival "one of the great mistakes of my life," Davis once said, perVanity Fair, "I believe it was this union that, years later, produced B.D.'s book about me." B.D. went on to have two kids with Hyman, sons Ashley and Justin. In 1981, Davis and Ashley appeared in the TV movieFamily Reuniontogether. "[Ashley] had never seen a motion picture set," Davis toldThe New York Timesin April 1981."It's the first time he's ever been away from his parents. Talent skips a generation, I think. B.D. wanted no part of acting. Neither did Margot or Michael, my adopted children." In 1985, B.D. published the bookMy Mother's Keeper, which alleged that Davis was a heavy drinker and an emotional manipulator. Speaking to PEOPLE that year, B.D. said that she wrote the book to try to help her mother. She elaborated to theLos Angeles Timesthat she hoped it would foster better communication between them. "First she'll have to work through her rage at what I've done," she said. "Then, she'll come and see me. It may be in anger, but it will be the start of true communication between us. As I say at the end of my book, the door will always be open to her ... it will take time, but it will happen." However, Davis and B.D. didn't make up. In 1987, Davis said they could "hardly have a close relationship like that after a book like that is written," perVanity Fair. "I lost her ... realizing she had written this book about me was as catastrophic as the stroke," she continued. That same year, Davis published a follow-up memoir to her previous works,This 'N That, which concluded with an open letter to her daughter. "You constantly inform people that you wrote this book to help me understand you and your way of life better," Davis wrote, perVanity Fair. "Your goal was not reached. I am now utterly confused as to who you are or what your way of life is. The sum total of your having written this book is a glaring lack of loyalty and thanks for the very privileged life I feel you have been given." When Davis died two years later in 1989, B.D. was not included in Davis' will, per theLos Angeles Times. After writing two books about Davis, B.D. went on to self-publish religious texts. Today, she's a minister in Charlottesville, Va., who preaches primarily through her website and YouTube videos. Bette Davis with her daughter Margot Merrill on October 14, 1964 in Bel Air, California ; Bette Davis and daughter Margot Merrill on October 22, 1964 in their home in Bel Air, California Davis and Merrill welcomed Margot Merrill via adoption in 1951. When she was 3 years old, Margot was diagnosed with brain damage, which doctors believed happened at birth. Subsequently, Margot spent most of her childhood at the Lochland School in Geneva, N.Y., perBustle. However, Davis ensured that Margot would be included on trips with the rest of the family. Ultimately, she settled near Boston and was assisted by Bay Cove Human Services, according to herobituary. She was a participant in the Special Olympics and a Boston sports fan. After an illness, Margot died in May 2022. "Margot was a special person, gifted in her own way," her obituary read. "She led a difficult and challenging life but was able to persevere to find a world of happiness and joy. She had a love for people which was reciprocated by all who knew her. Her laugh was contagious, and she had a keen sense of humor. She was a survivor on many levels, including overcoming a bout with breast cancer." Express/Express/Getty ; Katy Winn/Getty Davis and Merrill welcomed Michael Merrill via adoption in 1951. Michael attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating with a bachelor's in political science in 1973. That same year, he moved to Brookline, Mass.; four years later, in 1977, he graduated from law school at Boston University, per his professionalbio. For the next two years, Michael defended American military tribunals in Germany. Upon his return in 1979, he formed Merrill & McGeary in Boston, where he remains working today. After B.D. publishedMy Mother's Keeper,Michael cut ties with his sister, perVanity Fair. When asked in a 1987 interview if she believed she was a good mother, Davis replied, according to the outlet, "I think I was ... I loved my children very, very much ... I think I was a good mother. My son does too. That's a comfort, that one child agrees." When Davis died in 1989, Michael inherited half of her estate, which was worth $1 million, per theLos Angeles Times. In 1997, Michael co-founded The Bette Davis Foundation with the goal of providing financial assistance to promising young acting students at Boston University. For many years, it also honored a recipient with an annual Bette Davis Lifetime Achievement Award, which went to honorees likeMeryl StreepandGeena Davisin years past. Read the original article onPeople
