Did Evelyn Hugo and Celia St. James Truly Belong Together?

*This piece included spoilers for those who have not read the book. With that, consider this disclaimer before proceeding.*

Introduction

While the book is called "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn," another aspect highlighted throughout the book is Evelyn's relationship with fellow actress Celia St. James. The women started a budding friendship that turned into an on-again, off-again relationship with a tragic ending. Given the time(s), Evelyn and Celia could not live their lives loving each other the way heterosexual couples could: freely without judgment. While their forbidden love was fascinating to read, I couldn't help but see many red flags on both women's parts. These red flags made me wonder why and if Evelyn and Celia needed to be together. So, I want to dissect their relationship and voice my opinion on whether or not they should have been together.

Meeting and Befriending

Harry Cameron, Evelyn's good friend and future fifth husband, told her she will be in the movie adaptation of Little Women. Evelyn's looking forward to the project and playing Jo until she finds out who's playing Beth: Celia St. James (born Cecelia Jamison). Celia became the talk of the town with her performance as a young widowed mother in a war-period project at 19 years old. Because of this, Evelyn's competitive side comes out, and she swears to give the best performance as Jo, which will make people forget Celia. Evelyn hated Celia and didn't even know her (red flag). Evelyn and Ruby Reilly, who played Meg, automatically didn't like or trust her. However, Evelyn began to like Celia, platonically, after meeting and having a conversation with her.

About a week into rehearsals for Little Women, Evelyn invited Celia to grab a milkshake. The two went to CC Brown's; Celia ordered a chocolate malt while Evelyn ordered a strawberry milkshake. Evelyn gave Celia "advice" about being in the acting business; the two of them also exchanged banter while enjoying their sweet treats. By the end of their "date," Celia declares herself Evelyn's second best friend, with Harry being her first.

Awkward First Kiss to Sensual First Time

As Evelyn and Celia's friendship developed, I started to sense some tension on Evelyn's part. Evelyn gave in to the tension at a party after the Little Women premier. Also, I should have mentioned it earlier, but Evelyn was married to her abusive second husband, Don Adler, when she and Celia met. Moving on, Ruby ambushes Evelyn at the party and practically shoves her into the laundry room. After much back-and-forth, Ruby revealed to Evelyn that Celia is a lesbian. She also, quite bluntly, told Evelyn that Don was cheating on her in another room. Yet, Evelyn was more concerned about Celia than Don. After Ruby left the laundry, Celia found Evelyn still there, stunned. Evelyn immediately questioned Celia about her sexuality; damn, Evelyn! Celia didn't answer the question directly and started to leave before Evelyn stopped and kissed her. Celia pulled away first and left the laundry room in a hurry.

The morning after the party, Evelyn discovered Celia on her doorstep, as Evelyn opted to stay with Harry due to Don's infidelity. The two of them briefly talked before Evelyn packed her bags and hid out at Celia's apartment. During her week-and-a-half stay, Evelyn yearned to kiss Celia again and even more to touch her skin. After receiving divorce papers from Don, Evelyn finally gave in to her feelings for Celia; they made love for the first time.

The First Break-Up/Mick Riva Situation

Evelyn and Celia officially became a couple but kept it hidden from the public. It was the 1960s, after all; being gay was still frowned upon. With Evelyn blackballed and Celia up for an Academy Award, hiding their relationship was even more vital. Celia won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Little Women, and Evelyn traveled to Paris to star in a French film directed by Max Girard (husband number 6). The film was a success, and Evelyn became an international sensation.

Enter Mick Riva.

Evelyn, Celia, and Harry attended a Mick Riva show at the Hollywood Bowl. Evelyn casually held Celia's hand during the show before quickly pulling it away. Unfortunately, she pulled it away too late, as a couple had already spotted it. Evelyn gained Mick's attention by shouting and cheering to distract the couple from what they had seen. She got Mick's attention, but it was only a temporary fix. Evelyn devised a plan to go on a date with and marry Mick, hoping for a quickie annulment. Mick had previously revealed that he'd marry Evelyn given the chance. Celia hated this idea but ultimately agreed when Evelyn claimed to want to protect Celia's career and reputation. I'm not necessarily saying Evelyn lied about wanting to protect Celia; I'm sure there's some truth to that. However, the way Evelyn framed it was very manipulative to me (red flag).

Evelyn eloped with Mick in Vegas, and they had sex shortly after. The next day, Mick suggested an annulment, as he was disappointed with their sexual encounter. Evelyn's plan worked, but she discovered she was pregnant two months later. She broke this news to Celia, who, of course, did not take it well. Celia was furious and disgusted that Evelyn had slept with Mick, even though Evelyn "thought that was implied (Chapter 29, page 185)." Let me repeat: Evelyn believed that sleeping with Mick was implied but, intentionally or not, left that detail out (red flag). Celia packed her things while Evelyn begged and pleaded with her to talk this out; too late, Evelyn! Evelyn even told Celia that she would terminate the pregnancy, which she did. Regardless, Celia had already made up her mind and went so far as calling Evelyn a whore (red flag). Was Celia's anger and frustration justified? Yes. Was calling Evelyn a whore harsh? Also yes. Two things can be true at once. Celia left Evelyn, prompting their first break up after about three years together.

Reunion/Rekindled Relationship

After her marriage to Rex North and staged "affair" with Harry, Evelyn reunited with Celia when they were up for the Best Actress award. Evelyn and Harry were engaged, and Celia and Quarterback John Braverman were married. Harry and John had been secretly seeing each other for some time. Ultimately, Evelyn and Celia lost the Best Actress award to Ruby, which deeply devastated Evelyn. Evelyn excused herself to the restroom to cry; Celia followed her. They caught up, bantered, argued, and finally kissed and made up (literally). Though Evelyn and Harry got married, Evelyn and Celia had their thing while Harry and John had their thing. The four of them moved to New York and lived as each others' beards.

Celia won another Oscar for her role in a film called Our Men. Evelyn could not attend with her because she was filming Jade Diamond in Miami at the time. Even with no prior engagements, Evelyn and Celia knew they couldn't go together. When Celia called Evelyn after the ceremony and parties, the conversation quickly went south. The women wished Evelyn could've attended, but Evelyn reminds Celia that it was for the best. Celia became snarky, pointing out how Evelyn still doesn't have an Oscar and calling her "a nice pair of tits (Chapter 37, page 238)." She used Evelyn's lack of an Oscar and physical features to make Evelyn feel bad (red flag). If "hurt people hurt people" was a person, it would be Celia St. James.

Evelyn and Harry wanted a child; they talked to John and Celia about it. Celia supported this but wasn't thrilled about Evelyn and Harry "making" the baby. Evelyn and Harry welcomed their only child, a daughter named Connor Cameron. Celia filmed two movies back-to-back out of town during the first few months of Connor's life; John decided to go with her. In the meantime, Evelyn and Harry lived together and cared for their daughter like a real married couple. However, Celia made her position in Evelyn's life alarmingly clear when she returned. When Harry arrived to make breakfast, Celia had already cooked. Intentional or not, Celia marked her territory with her bland-ass oatmeal.

Three A.M./The Second Break-Up

Celia told Evelyn that Max Girard is doing a movie called Three A.M. and thinks Evelyn should do it. Evelyn was surprised, as Celia had made her feelings about Max obvious. Despite this, Celia believed that the role was perfect for Evelyn because it was a sexy role. Evelyn reminded her she was a mother now; Celia reminded her that she wouldn't usually care about people's opinion of her. Evelyn suspected that the movie wasn't the only thing that wanted a bombshell, that Celia didn't want her to change or become too much of a mother. Still, Evelyn read the script and decided that she wanted the role. Unfortunately, she learned through Max that she would be starring opposite Don, her abusive ex-husband, a fact I assume Celia did not know. Evelyn agreed to meet with Don to see if the role was truly worth it and even more if Don had changed. When Don arrived, he immediately apologized to Evelyn, who assumed his apology was for his tardiness. Don apologized a second time, and Evelyn realized the real reason. He expressed remorse for the way he treated her during their marriage. While Evelyn did not necessarily forgive Don, she decided to do the movie and be friendly with him.

Production for the film proceeded; it took much of Evelyn's time away from Connor and Celia. Toward the end of production, Max suggested making the love scene between her and Don's characters more graphic. I think her showing her breasts is graphic enough, though I'm not a director, only a writer. With this suggestion, you would have thought Evelyn would tell Max she needed time to think. Talk it over with Celia. Instead, she immediately agreed to it and only told Celia after she had done it (red flag). You would have thought she'd learned her lesson after the "Mick Riva" fiasco. After Evelyn admitted to doing the love scene without consulting her, Celia packed up her stuff, moved back to L.A., and filed to divorce John. Evelyn went to where she was staying in L.A. and begged and pleaded with Celia to take her back. Alas, Celia made up her mind; Evelyn returned to New York, accepting defeat and marking their second and final breakup.

The Aftermath

John had died before he turned 50 from a heart attack. Harry was devastated; there was a photo of Celia crying in Arizona. The three of them attended John's funeral, where Evelyn fought the urge to approach Celia. Evelyn's heart truly broke when Connor did not recognize her aunt Celia at the funeral. After the funeral, the last we hear of Celia for a while is her new friendship, and possible relationship, with new actress Joan Marker.

Disappointing Max Girard/Final Reunion

With John and Celia gone and Max's declaration of love to Evelyn, she and Harry amicably divorced, resulting in her marriage to Max. However, Evelyn quickly discovered that Max only loved the idea of her. He loved the idea of being with Evelyn Hugo, the movie star, instead of Evelyn the person. We hear about Celia after some years came and went. Evelyn was in New York with Harry and Connor; Max went to the Academy Awards ceremony alone after he and Evelyn argued. Celia won Best Supporting Actress for her titular role in Lady Macbeth. At the end of her speech, Celia gave a subtle shoutout to Evelyn. Harry insisted that Evelyn call Celia; Evelyn chose to send a letter instead. Celia responded to Evelyn's first letter, and they continued to exchange letters.

In the first few letters, Evelyn and Celia both admitted their faults in the demise of their relationship (green flag). They called each other on the phone, where Evelyn begged to see Celia. Celia ultimately agreed to have dinner with Evelyn; Evelyn would fly out to L.A. to meet her. The day Evelyn left for L.A., Connor went to stay with Harry. Evelyn had decided not to take her letters with Celia with her but changed her mind at the last minute. When she returned to the apartment to retrieve the letters, Evelyn found them ripped from their envelopes spread across the room, courtesy of Max. Max berated Evelyn, accusing her of cheating and being a lesbian, though he used a more derogative word. Evelyn told him that she was leaving him, which resulted in Max threatening to destroy her career. Evelyn didn't care and pushed past him to return to the car waiting for her. Evelyn willingly ignored Max's threat to be with Celia as soon as possible (green flag). Despite how long it took, it was great to see Evelyn's growth.

Evelyn finally arrived at dinner, where Celia was already seated. The two of them caught up again while having the same banter they always did. Evelyn learned that Celia's friendship with Joan Marker was a relationship. Evelyn told Celia she was leaving Max and his plan to expose her. Celia questioned if Evelyn truly intended to be with her; Evelyn said yes. Then, Evelyn was hit with a devastating blow when Celia revealed she was sick. Celia only had about ten years to live and planned to move to Spain with her brother, Robert Jamison. She offered to have Evelyn, Harry, and Connor come with them. Hearing this caused Evelyn to cry; Celia paid for their meals, and they left. They drove back to Celia's home, where Celia sat her on the sofa. Celia asked Evelyn if she could still love her, even for one last time. Evelyn admitted she couldn't but was determined to do so anyway. The two made love that night; Evelyn missed Celia's touch and vice versa.

The Plan

Celia told Evelyn her plan to protect her reputation from Max's wrath the morning after. They would plant a story that Evelyn cheated on Max with a younger man (29-year-old congressman Jack Easton). By doing so, Max would look bitter if and when he attempted to expose Evelyn's sexuality. Then, Evelyn would marry Celia's brother, giving Evelyn control of Celia's estate when she died. Evelyn questioned if marrying Robert was necessary and possible. Celia insisted it was for the best and that Robert would do it for her. Evelyn agreed to talk to Harry and complimented Celia's plan. She learned from the best, right Ev? The first part of the plan goes well, from the staged affair to Max badmouthing Evelyn and being called bitter. As the Panic! At The Disco song goes, "Everything goes according to plan."

Tragedy Strikes

Phase two of the plan initially could not be completed because of Harry's reluctance to retire early. Then, Harry revealed that he had met someone after once declaring he could never love another man the way he loved John. Evelyn promised Harry that they'd figure something out. Then, a tragic accident claimed Harry and his boyfriend's lives. After Harry's death, 14-year-old Connor began to act out in response to losing her father. Evelyn knew then and there that she needed to leave America and remove Connor from her current environment. When Evelyn explained the plan to Connor, she was indifferent and numb. Then, Evelyn promised to give her daughter freedom under two conditions: Connor has dinner with her every night and sees a therapist. Connor agreed with the conditions.

...Ever After

As the second part of the plan, Evelyn married Robert and moved to Spain with Connor to be with Celia. While Connor gravitated to Robert as a paternal figure, Evelyn and Celia spent time together as a couple. Celia's health continued declining; she did not have much time left. One night in bed, Evelyn and Celia expressed regret for all the years they wasted. It was here when Celia finally accepted that Evelyn was bisexual (green flag). That night, Evelyn and Celia decided to have an impromptu wedding, minus the paperwork. They had been married for six years, together for 10, when Celia died at 61 from respiratory failure. It's such a shame how much time they lost through the years to spend a mere fraction of that time loving each other.

Final Thought

We have reviewed the timeline of Evelyn Hugo and Celia St. James' relationship. Now, I shall address and answer the question: did Evelyn and Celia belong together? My answer: yes, under different circumstances. If the women had met and fallen in love at a different time, they still would have been each other's soulmates. However, I cannot ignore the flaws on both their parts. Evelyn was a selfish, manipulative person with questionable intentions. Celia was a biphobic, judgmental person who used Evelyn's insecurities to hurt her. Perhaps the issues would have been no matter at different times, but who knows?

Author's Note: As promised, this was my thinkpiece about Evelyn Hugo and Celia St. James' relationship. I had to re-read a lot for this piece, so I hope you enjoyed it. Please feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments!