12. Picasso’s First Wife Had a Breakdown Over His Infidelity
Pablo Picasso’s first wife was Russian ballerina Olga Khokhlova. They had one son, Paulo, together. Shortly after she became sick with what they called “gynecological trouble,” she had to have an unknown surgery. Like his other patterns with mistresses, as soon as Olga began to fall ill, Picasso started to look for another lover. He found her in the 17-year-old Marie-Thérèse Walter. Picasso quite literally hid Walter away in a secret apartment and didn’t tell even his closest friends about her.
Khokhlova eventually found out about Walter, and the couple split but remained married. Khokhlova was socially ambitious and wanted to work on “taming” Picasso into a suitable husband. Due to the obsessive nature of Picasso’s relationship with Walter, Khokhlova eventually moved to the south of France with their son but continued to be fixated on Picasso.
Khokhlova continued to send Picasso hate mail, even after their separation. When their son, Paulo, became Picasso’s chauffeur she began living out of a suitcase and following the two around Europe. Many of Picasso’s friends considered her “mad” due to her behavior. She asked to see her husband later in life as she was nearing her death, which he refused. She died in 1955.