From iconic beach scenes to scandal-hit lives, we reveal what happened to the legendary Bond girls including Ursula Andress and Britt Ekland ,and where they are now decades after 007 fame
They were glamorous and dangerous, but away from the arm of 007 life after Bond hasn’t always been so smooth for the franchise’s leading ladies.
There have been 79 Bond girls, starting with Ursula Andress in 1962. Over the years, and across more than 25 films, the characters have evolved from “scantily clad” love interests to more complex roles.
But away from the cameras, the female protagonists have been hit with a series of hard blows. From bitter divorces and industry feuds to mysterious deaths and career derailments, the reality of life after Bond reveals a far darker side to Hollywood’s most iconic women.
Ursula Andress – Honey Ryder
As Honey Ryder in Dr No, Ursula Andress became the first Bond girl. Emerging from the sea in that now-iconic white bikini at just 26-years-old, she set a template that would define the franchise for decades. But the role also proved something of a double-edged sword. Despite a string of film roles, Ursula, now 90-years-old, struggled to shake off the image that made her famous.
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“That bikini made me into a success,” Ursula said in a rare 2001 interview. “It gave me freedom, money, power.” But it came at a cost – leaving her forever defined by her breakthrough role. She reflected: “I was never really seen. They only saw the body. Sometimes I would arrive on set and I knew – this wasn’t about making a film. It was about taking my clothes off.”
At first, she embraced it – becoming one of the most daring stars of the 1960s, unapologetically sensual and fiercely independent. Asked why she posed nude for Playboy seven times at a time when other actresses avoided it, she replied simply: “Because I’m beautiful.” Her personal life was equally headline-grabbing. After her marriage to John Derek ended in scandal, she was linked to stars including Ryan O’Neal, Jean-Paul Belmondo and Franco Nero – relationships that were intense and often turbulent.
When, in 1980, she became a mother at 44 to son Dimitri with actor Harry Hamlin, she left the spotlight, choosing instead to raise him far from the glare of fame. She said: “Dimitri is the only thing I’ve done that lasted. He is my masterpiece.” The star, who once dated some of the world’s most desirable men, eventually shunned the spotlight and, for the past three decades, has lived as a virtual recluse.
In January, Ursula filed a criminal complaint against her late former manager. Eric Freymond is alleged to have lost £16million of Ursula’s fortune, with her total net worth estimated at £18million.
She told Swiss German publication Blick: “For eight years, I was courted and wooed. They lied to me ruthlessly and exploited my goodwill and trust in a perfidious, even criminal, way to take everything from me. And they were counting on my age. I’m so devastated.”
Eric is alleged to have gambled or lost the fortune through a series of questionable transactions and to have made a series of art purchases on her behalf, without her consent. None of the works have been shown or handed over to her. Eric died in July, 2025.
Claudine Auger – Domino Derval
French actress Claudine Auger brought sophistication to Thunderball, delivering the final blow to the film’s villain, shooting him with a harpoon gun. She also appeared in Triple Cross, Anyone Can Play and The Killing Game, but her final on-screen appearance in 1997’s Le rouge et le noir. She later stepped away from the spotlight, living a relatively private life until her death in 2019.
Claudine was married to French film director Pierre Gaspard-Huit between 1959 and 1969, then marrying businessman Peter Brent in 1984. The couple also welcomed a son. Claudine died aged 78 on December 18, with representatives confirming she had suffered a long-term illness before her death.
Britt Ekland – Mary Goodnight
Swedish actress Britt Ekland starred alongside Roger Moore in the 1974 James Bond film The Man With The Golden Gun. Her marriage to comedy legend Peter Sellers was as turbulent as it was high-profile. Their relationship collapsed amid allegations of infidelity, with Britt later speaking candidly about the emotional toll it took.
Britt, now 83, has described Peter as controlling and mentally unstable. In a major BBC Arts documentary, Peter Sellers: A State Of Comic Ecstasy, the former Bond actress recalls her four-year marriage from 1964.
She claims Peter would pick her outfits and threaten her with divorce “every Friday night”. She adds: “He obviously suffered from or was bipolar, severely bipolar. He was a very tormented soul who should have had more help. But instead he was unable [to] because he was such a valuable asset.”
Peter Sellers died on July 24, 1980, at the age of 54, following a heart attack. The couple divorced in 1968 after four years of marriage. They also had one daughter together, Victoria. She previously dated Rod Stewart, but their romance ended less than amicably amid claims he had cheated on her with Alana Hamilton, his first wife. Britt later sued him for $12million in palimony, but reportedly settled out of court for around $500,000.
Speaking of the romance, she told the newspaper: “I am not a vengeful or bitter person, but I have a feeling that he dislikes me intensely.”
Britt went on to reveal her regrets over having plastic surgery, admitting it “destroyed” her looks and “ruined” her face, adding: “It was the biggest mistake of my life.” The model and actress vowed she would never have any more cosmetic work following a botched plumping procedure in Paris.
The star said she approached a Harley Street clinic about having her pout enhanced and was put her in touch with a Paris-based doctor to undergo the procedure. Britt said she asked for a ‘moderate’ treatment but instead had multiple injections of Articol administered to her lips. Articol was used as a filler in the 90s but has fallen out of fashion as it was never approved for use in the States.
Speaking to Platinum magazine, Britt said she ‘no longer has the desire to look any different than I am.’ “The effects are permanent. Today, most doctors won’t want to use it,” explained Britt, who said it took 20 years of ‘painful’ work to try and ‘melt’ the filler away.
Revealing just how much her life has changed in recent years, she told the Daily Mail : “I haven’t been interested in sex for about 20 years. I am not looking for anyone and I don’t want to be in a relationship.
“I sleep in king-sized beds exclusively in my homes in Sweden and LA, so that my [dog] Tequila has enough room.”
Jill St John – Tiffany Case
When Jill St John starred as Tiffany Case in 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever , she was already deeply embedded in Hollywood’s elite circles. She continued to perform her role, appearing in Sitting Targets, Emerald Point N.A.S., Seinfeld and Northpole.
She has had a tumultuous romantic history, with four marriages. She has previously been married to Neil Dubin, businessman Lance Reventlow and singer Jack Jones.
Now 85, Jill is currently married to NCIS star Robert Wagner. She has also been in relationships with the likes of Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Henry Kissinger, Jack Nicholson and Adam West.
Wagner was named a person of interest in 2018 in his ex-wife Natalie Wood’s death after she drowned in 1981.
Martine Beswick – Zora
Known for her roles in both From Russia with Love and Thunderball , Martine Beswick, now 84, carved out a reputation as one of the franchise’s most formidable women.
But behind the scenes, she clashed with co-stars and industry figures, with reports of heated arguments and even physical altercations on set. Her famous fight scene with co-star Aliza Gur, who played Vida, was said to be filled with “real tension”.
Martine once said, “I was a very nice girl but Aliza was a cow. We had terrible clashes and I was disgusted with her”.
Martine later spoke out about being underpaid and undervalued, walking away from Hollywood at the height of her fame. Her most recent film was 2022’s Saturnalia. Between 1967 and 1973, she was married to Ursula Andress’ ex-boyfriend, John Richardson.
Kim Basinger – Domino Petachi
By the time she appeared in Never Say Never Again , Kim Basinger was already on the path to superstardom. But her career hit a dramatic low in the 1990s when she pulled out of the film Boxing Helena, triggering a lawsuit that resulted in a multi-million-dollar judgment against her.
Following appeals, the damages were overturned and settled for a lower amount, though the case remains a infamous Hollywood example of contract disputes.
The financial fallout forced Basinger into bankruptcy in 1993, but she rebuilt her fortune following her 1997 Oscar win. Her personal life also played out in public, particularly her volatile relationship and eventual divorce from actor Alec Baldwin, which involved a bitter custody battle over their daughter, Ireland.
Tanya Roberts – Stacey Sutton
Best known for A View to a Kill , Tanya Roberts experienced a quieter but no less turbulent post-Bond life. Her career gradually slowed, though she was also known for Charlie’s Angels and That ’70s Show.
Tanya was married to Barry Roberts from 1974 until his death in 2006.
Her partner, Lance O’Brien, bizarrely announced her death a day early on January 3, 2021, after she developed sepsis from a urinary tract infection. But a day later on January 4, she was pronounced as dead after multiple organ failure.
Honor Blackman – Pussy Galore
Honor Blackman brought one of the most memorable – and controversially named – Bond girls to life as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger. Initially introduced as the trusted pilot to villain Auric Goldfinger, her character ultimately switches allegiance, teaming up with Bond to sabotage his plans.
By the time she joined the franchise, Blackman was already a familiar face to audiences thanks to her role as Cathy Gale in the hit spy series The Avengers. Her Bond success opened the door to a string of high-profile roles across both film and television, including appearances in The Secret of My Success, Bridget Jones’s Diary and her final big-screen outing, Cockneys vs Zombies in 2012.
She remained a constant presence on British television too, starring as Laura West in The Upper Hand throughout the 1990s, alongside guest roles in long-running favourites such as Casualty, Coronation Street and Midsomer Murders.
Away from the screen, Blackman married actor Maurice Kaufmann in 1961, and the couple went on to adopt two children. Their marriage ended in 1975 after more than a decade together.
Blackman died on April 5, 2020, at the age of 94. In a heartfelt tribute, her family described her as a “much adored mother and grandmother” as well as a performer of “hugely prolific creative talent,” praising her unique blend of intelligence, beauty and strength that helped cement her place as one of the most iconic figures in film and television.
Shirley Eaton – Jill Masterson
Shirley made history in 1964’s Goldfinger when she became the first Bond girl to be killed off, with her character dying from skin suffocation after being covered in gold paint in one of the film’s most iconic scenes.
The actress, now aged 89, later starred in an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians, as well as Around the World Under the Sea and cult film The Million Eyes of Sumuru. It was during filming for the latter that she decided to retire from acting in order to focus on spending time with her family.
Shirley reflected: “After I finished The Million Eyes of Sumuru and was coming home in the plane was when I made the decision to quit. I hated being away from my baby Jason and his brother Grant. However, I did enjoy being the wicked lady Sumuru in two rather bad films, which I had not had the chance to be before. I do believe they have become cult films now.”
In 1957, she married Colin Rowe and the pair remained together until his death in 1994. She is a mum to sons Jason and Grant and said in a 1999 interview with Starlog: “A career is a career, but you’re a mother until you die.”
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