Carrie Fisher was just 19 years old when filming began on “Star Wars” in 1976. At that time, she started a secret relationship with her co-star Harrison Ford, who was 33 and married with two children. Ford was already known for being quiet and serious on set. Fisher had just finished drama school and was new to the world of big movie productions. She said she was drawn to his mystery and confidence.
Almost forty years later, Fisher told the story of their three-month affair in her 2016 memoir, “The Princess Diarist.” The book was a surprise to many, even those close to her. For years, Fisher had joked about the chaos of making “Star Wars,” but she never talked about her personal connection to Ford. The memoir was based on diary entries she wrote when she was young. It gave readers a close look at her feelings during that time.
Fisher wrote about the relationship with honesty. She talked about being young and unsure, and about feeling deeply for someone who was emotionally distant. “I was so inexperienced, but he was kind. And silent. Very silent,” she wrote. Ford never spoke about the affair in public, which made their time together even more mysterious.
She told how their first night together happened after a birthday party for George Lucas. Fisher had too much to drink, and Ford offered to drive her home. What happened next was unexpected for her. She felt out of place and wondered if Ford saw her as just a temporary distraction. Her private writings from that time show how she struggled with her feelings.
Fisher said in interviews that she thought a lot about whether to include the affair in her book. She was not trying to cause trouble or hurt anyone. She wanted to tell her own story. At a press event for “The Princess Diarist,” she explained, “I wasn’t trying to make him look bad. I was trying to show what it felt like to be young and hopeful and very confused. And in love with someone who wouldn’t or couldn’t love me back in the way I wanted.”
She also wrote about how hard it was when the affair ended. Ford did not talk about it, and there was no big fight or final goodbye. He went back to his life, and Fisher was left with many questions. She carried those feelings with her for years, long after “Star Wars” became a huge success.
When the story became public, it got a lot of attention. Fisher handled the attention with honesty and humor. When asked if she had warned Ford about the memoir, she said, “I sent him a copy and said, ‘Look, I found your name in my diary.’” She said it with a smile, but she was still the same young woman who once looked for love in a galaxy far, far away.
General Organa (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) embrace for the last time in Star Wars: The Force AwakensFisher died in December 2016, just weeks after her memoir was published. Her confession gave the world one of the last real looks at her private life. She did not write the book out of regret or longing. She wrote it to be honest with herself and her past. By telling her story, Carrie Fisher let people see the real person behind her famous role. She showed that sometimes love is not about big moments, but about quiet times and the pages of a diary.
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English (US) · 