Henry Winkler: The 'Second Dad' Who Guided Marlee Matlin Through Tough Times

SCANDALOUS! Marlee Matlin's Secret Life of Betrayal and Redemption Revealed!

In a shocking exposé, Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin spilled the beans on her tumultuous relationship with actor William Hurt in the late 1980s. And who was there to pick up the pieces when she needed it most? None other than Happy Days icon Henry Winkler!

Matlin, now 59, revealed that after a brutal breakup and stint in rehab, she found solace in Winkler's home for an astonishing TWO YEARS! Yes, you read that right - this A-list actress was welcomed into the Winkler family with open arms, where she was treated like one of their own kids.

"I call Henry my second dad," Matlin gushed to The Scholarly Note. "Who gets to say that about Henry Winkler? He's probably one of the most famous American icons ever!"

But before her fairy-tale ending with Winkler, Matlin had a very different experience with Hurt - a man she met on set while filming Children of a Lesser God. Their whirlwind romance ended in heartbreak, and Matlin would later reveal that he was physically and verbally abusive during their two-year relationship.

"I wasn't familiar with the language used to describe what I was experiencing," Matlin wrote in her memoir I'll Scream Later. "I didn't know there was a name for what I was going through."

Despite the trauma, Matlin managed to stay on good terms with Hurt until his passing in 2022. In fact, she even gushed about him at the Critics' Choice Awards that year: "We've lost a really great actor and working with him on set in Children of a Lesser God will always be something I remember very fondly... He taught me a great deal as an actor and he was one-of-a-kind."

But here's the kicker - Matlin credits Hurt's stint in rehab for inspiring her to seek help herself. "He went to rehab, and I was able to see what it did for him," she revealed in her documentary Not Alone Anymore (directed by Shoshannah Stern). "And I knew that checking in there would do me great."

So, what's the takeaway from Matlin's shocking exposé? That even Hollywood stars face darkness and despair - but with the right support system, they can rise above it. And who better to have by your side than Henry Winkler?

Catch Marlee Matlin's documentary Not Alone Anymore in theaters June 20 in New York and June 27 in Los Angeles, before it hits more screens nationwide.

Stay tuned for more juicy gossip on The Scholarly Note!