Biography writes that after her divorce from Sinatra, Gardner’s acting career slowed down. In 1968, she moved to London, England for a change of pace (via Our State). According to Elysian Magazine, Gardner and Sinatra remained good friends. In the 1980s, Gardner’s health began to deteriorate. Known for being a heavy drinker and smoker, she was eventually diagnosed with emphysema. Sinatra hired a private plane to fly Gardner back and forth from London to America for treatments. In 1986, she suffered two strokes that ultimately left her confined to her bed.

By that point, New York Post reports, she was in desperate need of money and turned to journalist Peter Evans to ghost write her memoirs. Gardner admitted to a number of salacious facts and later decided that she did not want the book published. Evans believed that she pulled out of the deal because Sinatra provided her with the money she needed.

On January 25, 1990, Ava Gardner, age 67, died of pneumonia at her London home. Her last words were reportedly to her housekeeper: “Carmen, I’m so tired” (per Daily Mail). Gardner is buried next to her parents in her home state of North Carolina. NPR reports that her memoir with Evans, titled “Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations,” was published in 2013.

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