Debbie Reynolds Feared For Her Life During Marriage To Richard Hamlett

Actress Debbie Reynolds feared her third husband Richard Hamlett planned to kill her so he could cash in on her life insurance policy.

The Singin' in the Rain veteran has opened up about her troubled love life in her new memoir Unsinkable, and throughout the tome she discusses her doomed marriage to real estate developer Hamlett, who allegedly relied on Reynolds to fund his investments.

Recalling how Hamlett walked out of her first performance at Las Vegas' Debbie Reynolds Hotel and Casino in June, 1993, she claims he disappeared into the arms of a mistress for nearly two days before returning home with a "look in his eyes (that) scared me".

He then allegedly tried to lure her onto the balcony of her 12th floor apartment to have a conversation.

In an excerpt obtained by the New York Post, she writes, "Why did he seem so intent on getting me out to the balcony, which is only about three feet wide - not enough room to have a friendly conversation? Was he thinking about my million-dollar life insurance policy?

"I could practically see the dollar signs floating above his head. I was sure he was going to toss me off the balcony. One shove and all his troubles would be over. I pictured myself plummeting 12 floors to the pavement."

Reynolds, who alleges she spent the next day hiding in her closet until he left, goes on to claim she confronted Hamlett about getting a divorce at a local cafe, where he finally admitted their relationship was a sham.

She quotes him as saying, "I'm in it for the money. I'm not leaving. You'll never get rid of me. I control everything. It's all in my name. You're just a figurehead. You're nothing. And I don't love you."

The couple ultimately split in 1996.