Who Is Leonard Gordon? Untold Details On Rita Moreno’s Late Husband

Leonard Gordon was a cardiologist and an internist who is mostly recognized as the husband of a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer Rita Moreno. His wife is known for her notable movies like Popi (1969), Carnal Knowledge (1971), The Four Seasons (1981), and the cult film Slums of Beverly Hills (1998).

Besides, Leonard who was a New York native also served in World War II and later went on to study medicine. Then, Gordon got married to an actress Rita and the couple remained married for more than four decades. Their marriage, sadly, ended only after his demise in 2010. Although the duo had spent nearly half-century as a married couple, Rita, after her hubby’s death, opened up about what their longest marital relationship was really like. So, were the former flames really happy together?

Well, the answer to the question is available in the following details. So, read carefully

When Leonard Gordon Was Born? His Parents and College

Rita Moreno’s husband, Leonard was born Leonard Isadore Gordon on March 26, 1920, in the Bronx, New York, United States. He was raised by his parents Alex Gordon and Senka Gordon in his hometown. As for his nationality, the former celebrity spouse was an American and had a Caucasian ethnicity.

Moving into his education, Leonard first studied at Stuyvesant High School. He then enrolled in the City College of New York. Following his graduation from CCNY, Gordon went on to study medicine at the medical college in Chicago.

Career Details: What Did Leonard Gordon Do For A Living?

As mentioned earlier, Gordon had a medical degree from the medical college in Chicago. Following his graduation, Rita Moreno’s late hubby Leonard began working as an Internist, a Doctor of Internal medicine. He worked as an Internist for many years in a private hospital in Manhattan.

As a doctor, Gordon also worked as a part-time cardiologist. After working for many years, the doctor got retired from the medical field in the 1980s. He subsequently became the personal manager of his actress wife who, at the time, was one of the most popular actresses.

Besides his work in the medical field, Leonard once also served in WWII. He served in the war just after his graduation from CCNY but left it to study medicine.

Leonard Gordon Was Married To His Wife Rita Moreno Until His Death

In the year 1965, Leonard tied the knot with the popular actress Rita Moreno. The former couple lived together for more than 45 years as a married couple; thanks to their commitment and dedication.

One of the most inspirable couples in Hollywood only parted ways after Rita’s hubby’s demise in June 2010. But, before his demise, they celebrated their 46th marriage anniversary together in the hospital.

As per sources, they had their first meeting on a blind date outside a theatre. After their first meet-up, the two started seeing each other and eventually got married. At one time, they were even regarded as Hollywood’s most influential couple but after the death of Gordon, his wife surprised everyone by stating that the actress was never happily married to her late husband.

The Bitter Truth Behind Leonard and His Wife Rita’s Most Enduring Marriage 

Though Leonard was an educated man and used to appear joyful together with his wife in front of the camera, the doctor always acted tyrannical in his wife’s matters. After his demise, his widow Rita said She will never tie the knot again,

“Someone asked me recently if I would countenance on being married again and my answer was simple. I’d rather eat glass.”

The actress also opened up about her unhappy marital life with her late husband. She said,

“He was Jewish and inflexible, and I’m rowdy, emotional, and impulsive. It drove him crazy. Sometimes I asked myself, ‘Am I really better off without him?’

The Oscar-winning actress further added,

“I come from that era. I come from an era when you were supposed to obey the man in the family, “I didn’t know how to write a check for the longest time.

Moreover, Rita admitted She only stuck with her spouse due to her daughter despite being unhappy.

So, it looked like Rita and his other family members only after the death of Leonard got a chance to live a life full of freedom.

What Is Leonard’s Wife Rita Moreno Doing Today? Has She Re-married? 

At present, Rita is enjoying her freedom which she couldn’t get while her husband was alive. She once admitted that she was absolutely unhappy for a longer period. Moreno told,

“It was an astonishing discovery, “After all the years of supervision I can do whatever I want. It was a very long time to be that unhappy.”

Now, talking about her marriage, Rita Moreno was once married in her lifetime with Leonard and that experience left her numb. Regarding remarriage, she told she doesn’t “want to get married. No, no, no, no, no.”

Although the 90 years old actress is completely against marriage, she looked like she found the love of her life again. While going through her social media account, we found out that she is absolutely close to the American screenwriter Norman Lear. She keeps sharing her photo together with Norman on her Instagram too.

On July 27, 2022, Rita shared a post in which she and her possible partner Norman are kissing. She captioned it,

At 90, I find older men HOT!!

Happy Centennial dear friend.

#normanlear100

Gordon Was A Father To A Daughter

From his marriage with Rita, Gordon became a father to his daughter, Fernanda Luisa Gordon. She was born on 26th September 1966, in Los Angeles, California. As of 2022, his daughter Gordon is 55 years of age.

Talking about his girl in detail, Fernanda is an actress who is known for her role in the TV series An Inconvenient Woman and The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. She is also a jewelry designer and freelance graphic designer. Besides, Fernanda is married to her husband David Tyler Fisher and is a mother of two sons, Cameron Fisher and Justin Fisher.

Leonard Died At The Age Of 90: What Was The Cause Of His Death?

On June 30, 2010, cardiologist Leon died at the age of 90 in Beverly Hills, California. Before his death, he was hospitalized as he even celebrated his last marriage anniversary with Rita in the hospital.

Regarding the cause of death, there is no specific reason behind his demise. He might have died naturally in his old age.

What Was Gordon’s Net Worth At The Time Of His Death?

Leonard was a retired doctor and might have earned quite a good amount of money. However, the exact amount of her fortune is yet to be revealed.

On the other hand, his wife, Rita Moreno has a fortune of $10 million as of 2022. She has earned the majority of her wealth from her acting and singing career.