Huge Star Fell for Waitress with Facial Injuries – Years Later, She Stood by Him When Death Was Near
This star and his wife, Susan celebrated their 46th year of marriage in 2023, which is a beautiful achievement!
For the movie star, it was love at first sight despite his wife being a waitress and having a facial injury.
Years later, Susan repaid the actor’s love by staying by his side, even when death threatened to take him.
The movie star standing outside in New York city, circa 1970. | Source: Getty Images
This movie star has been in the entertainment industry for over 60 years and has served as an American actor, producer, and singer. While shooting a hot tub scene for 1975’s “Rancho Deluxe” at Montana’s Chico Hot Springs, the star met his future wife, Susan.
The movie star appearing in the Walt Disney Television series “The Most Deadly Game” in 1970. | Source: Getty Images
When he saw his wife, who was a waitress then, he couldn’t take his eyes off her with her broken nose and black eye. The actor later learned that the woman had just been in a car accident resulting in her facial injuries. Regardless, he was still enthralled by her appearance.
The movie star at Eurythmics Concert at the Roxy on June 16, 1986. | Source: Getty Images
The actor recalled being riveted by “her beauty and disfigurement.” For him, it was “love at first sight.” Like a fascinated child, he kept sneaking peeks at her while shooting a scene, but each time, she caught him in the act.
The movie star attends the 29th Annual Thalians Ball, held in Los Angeles, California, on November 3, 1984. | Source: Getty Images
He confessed, “I didn’t know what she was, a maid or a waitress; I couldn’t take my eyes off her.” He thought she was gorgeous, and the contrast between her beauty and disfigurement interested him.
The movie star at the “Jagged Edge” premiere in Beverly Hills, California, on October 1, 1985. | Source: Getty Images
After filming, the “The Big Lebowski” star found the courage to approach her and ask for a date. Susan hilariously refused but noted that it was possible they’d run into each other later because she lived in a small town.
The movie star arrives at the 61st Annual Academy Awards Show in Los Angeles, California, on March 29, 1989. | Source: Getty Images
As fate would have it, the pair did, and they went out dancing, and the celebrity fell in love. The following day, the actor had a meeting with a local real estate agent to see some property, and he invited his wife.
They went to a ranch house by the river, and that became their first date. Something told the movie star right then that he was looking at his home with his “future wife.”
The movie star attends the Golden Apple Awards in Beverly Hills, California, on December 9, 1984. | Source: Getty Images
The thought worried him, but he realized he couldn’t lose the love of his life, though he was also afraid of knowing she was the one for him!
The star was in love, but he was also worried he and Susan wouldn’t have the staying power his parents had. He admitted, “For a while, I was scared of getting married. It was like it brought me one step closer to death.”
The movie star on “Saturday Night Live,” on February 26, 1983. | Source: Getty Images
Eventually, the actor learned to face his fear as part of life and came to terms with it. He admitted his biggest fear was losing his freedom, but after two years of doubt, he finally proposed. He figured he could always get a divorce if things didn’t work out.
The movie star attends the Toxic Waste Benefit Rally in Los Angeles, California, on June 16, 1986. | Source: Getty Images
However, he didn’t expect to build a deeper bond with Susan e, to include children, grandchildren, and other unattainable things without marriage. Although the move was scary for the actor, his heart was deeply open.
The movie star attends the Hal Ashby Memorial Service in Hollywood, California, on December 27, 1988. | Source: Getty Images
In 2020, the actor, then 70, had been married to Susan for 43 years, and he revealed that they were different people who went by with mutual respect. They celebrated what made them opposites instead of allowing it to separate them.
The actor attends the Third Annual APLA Commitment To Life Benefit Gala in Los Angeles, California, on November 1, 1987. | Source: Getty Images
The star said they survived so long because he respected Susan’s wisdom, and he was blessed. The actor faced illnesses and more during their marriage, but he had the best person by his side to help him.
The movie star during the premiere of “The Mirror Has Two Faces” in New York City, on November 10, 1996. | Source: Getty Images
Jeff Bridges’ Marriage to Susan and the Trials She Helped Him Conquer
The huge star in this story is Jeff Bridges. He is married to Susan Bridges, whose last name was Geston, before getting married to the actor.
Jeff grew up close to his older brother, Beau, and his parents. He recalled how his mother would give him and his sibling “time,” whereby each child had an hour daily to do whatever they wanted with her.
The actor arrives at the 2000 Hollywood Film Awards Gala Ceremony in Beverly Hills, California, on August 7, 2000. | Source: Getty Images
Speaking about his children, the actor described them as his “real trophies.” He and Susan tied the knot in 1977 before welcoming their beautiful daughters Isabelle in 1981, then Jessica two years later, and Haley in 1985, whom he was grateful for.
Jeff and Susan Bridges at Cindy Bridges’ wedding on August 31, 1979. | Source: Getty Images
The celebrity and his family were living fulfilling lives and had all they could’ve wanted. Jeff tried to balance his photography, music, and family, but to him, it all fell into place. However, he also credited his wife for keeping things running smoothly.
Jeff and Susan Bridges celebrate during the 82nd Annual Academy Awards held at Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 7, 2010. | Source: Getty Images
Sadly, the family’s peaceful life was disrupted in October 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Jeff was diagnosed with cancer. Jeff was shooting FX’s “The Old Man,” but it was halted due to the virus. It was during this time that he was informed he had cancer.
Taking to his X to announce the news, he revealed he was diagnosed with lymphoma but with a promising prognosis. He vowed to start treatment and kept his fans updated on his recovery.
Susan recalled how numb they felt after getting the diagnosis, but she started supporting her husband by working on what needed to happen next. The actor began chemotherapy by infusion before shifting to oral chemo, his wife right by his side.
Jeff and Susan Bridges arrive at the World Premiere of “TRON Legacy” at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on December 11, 2010. | Source: Getty Images
His family’s support strengthened him to continue his treatment. In December 2020, he tweeted a photo of himself smiling while sporting a bald head and revealed he felt good. The actor also mentioned getting a puppy, Monty (visible in the image), and celebrating his 71st birthday.
By the New Year, he shared a photo on Facebook featuring him, his wife, and Monty. The star’s shaved head was covered with a red beret, and he matched his wife in red and black clothes. “May we dream together of the kind of world we’d like to live in,” he wrote before wishing everyone a happy new year.
In June 2019, Isabelle posted an Instagram throwback of her parents and confessed that she sometimes felt inadequate to them. She said they were the “coolest people on the planet” before acknowledging that comparing herself to her parents wasn’t the best use of her time.
However, she celebrated them by saying she saw the pair as her role models, especially in chasing their dreams even when they felt they were unreachable. By January 2021, a month after the star started chemo, his tumor had started shrinking.
He and his wife were diagnosed with COVID-19, and they weren’t sure he would recover. Things were so bad for the actor that Susan received a call from the hospital informing her that they might have to put her husband on a ventilator, which luckily he ended up not needing.
Susan and Jeff Bridges at the premiere of “Bad Times at The El Royale” on September 22, 2018, in Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images
Still, Susan’s response was, “Save his life. No matter what you have to do.” Doctors were worried about Jeff’s condition. He revealed that they told him to fight as COVID-19 made his cancer look like nothing in terms of its severity. The actor didn’t know how to put on a fight. In his mind, he told death to “bring it on.”
Jeff was ready to transition and surrender, but with his wife by his side, he soldiered on! “My wife, Sue, was just my champion through the whole thing,” he gushed. Luckily, the star didn’t need a ventilator but later admitted that he was close to dying, and doctors encouraged him to fight.
Susan and Jeff Bridges pose for a portrait at the Academy Awards in March 1987, in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images
The mother of three shared that her dream was to see her husband get out of bed, walk, and live. She believed he would reach those goals with the proper care, and he did!
In June 2022, Jeff appeared on “CBS Sunday Morning” and opened up about his cancer journey. He explained that it began with a feeling of pain and a CAT scan revealed a 9×12-inch mass in his stomach.
Jeff Bridges speaks onstage during the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 13th Governors Awards in Los Angeles, California, on November 19, 2022. | Source: Getty Images
When the COVID-19 diagnosis came, Susan was hospitalized for five days, while the “Crazy Heart” star stayed for five weeks! The actor recalled being unable to breathe, and doctors kept saying they were doing their best.
Susan and Jeff Bridges at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival Kirk Douglas Award of Excellence Dinner on November 30, 2017, in Santa Barbara, California | Source: Getty Images
Jeff was ready to go, but then he started feeling better after he resolved to dance with Hayley Bridges and walk her down the aisle at her wedding when he recovers, and he did, to his wife’s joy.
The “True Grit” actor was grateful for his life and back at work by May 2022. He spoke about how he now treasured life’s “simple pleasures” more, especially when spending quality time with his wife.
Susan and Jeff Bridges at the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards on January 15, 2023, in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
Susan credited the months-long physical therapy Jeff got for the strides he’d made. Turning things to Susan, the actor was asked what it meant to him to have her named the Honored Mother at VNA Health’s 2012 Mother’s Day Luncheon.
Susan and Jeff Bridges attend The 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on January 29, 2017. | Source: Getty Images
The star said he was excited to have his wife recognized in that capacity. He noted how she’d cared for him, their children, her mother, and their grandchildren over the years. It meant a lot to Jeff to see Susan acknowledged that way.
Susan and Jeff Bridges at the Los Angeles No Kid Hungry Dinner on April 27, 2023, in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
In June 2022, he was interviewed on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” about battling cancer and COVID-19. The star, who was fully recovered then, shared how he learned many things while fighting to stay alive. He explained that because chemo stripped his body’s defenses.
Jeff Bridges attends “The Old Man” screening, with special guest in London, England, on September 22, 2022. | Source: Getty Images
The actor had nothing to fight COVID-19, which made the cancer “look like nothing.” He also revealed how he and Susan had ridden an ambulance together to a hospital to get treatment, and Susan fully recovered quickly.
Having a loving wife by his side helped Jeff recover from his ailments, and in 2023, he looked forward to celebrating a significant milestone. The star is so in love with his wife that he still keeps a memento of their first meeting close to him.
The Love That Has Kept Jeff and Susan Going
In 2022, Jeff was in remission from cancer and said Susan gave him the resolve to keep going. That year, the couple celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary, and he believed they were both in it for the long haul.
The “The Old Man” star hilariously said he realized his family liked him “very much” when they showed support during his COVID-19 diagnosis. The actor was able to see life as a gift and acknowledged how short it was.
He saw his past struggles as challenges to learn from and his health battle showed him the healing power of love. In 2023, Jeff also acknowledged his wife and family and the unwavering support they gave when he thought his end was near.
He stated, “I was in surrender mode. I say ‘Oh everybody dies, and this is me dying,’ but love was certainly, you know, magnified during this time, not only with the people around me that love me but also the love of my own heart for them.”
In the past, when he spoke about his wife, the actor said he’d learned a lot from her. He credited her for pointing out his self-defeat and did the same for her. Whenever he doubted starting new projects, she reminded him it was his go-to reaction, and he acknowledged that.
Susan and Jeff Bridges at the Hand and Footprint Ceremony honoring Jeff on January 6, 2017, in Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images
Susan also showed her husband different perspectives; they both cared about one another, and their relationship was the most precious thing. However, the actor said he knew he would never know his wife in her entirety and vice versa.
Susan Geston and Jeff Bridges at a formal event on January 1, 1978 | Source: Getty Images
But every time they fought, they realized that “not knowing” was a good thing. The couple is comfortable with tough times as long as they are together. After decades of fighting it, when conflicts arise, Jeff finds comfort in loving one another more after.
Susan and Jeff Bridges at the New York premiere of “Somebody Killed Her Husband” on September 25, 1978 | Source: Getty Images
Meanwhile, Isabelle saw their marriage as an inspiration. She revealed that they made the time to ask questions about their interests, and despite her father’s fame, his family is his “greatest joy.”
Susan and Jeff Bridges at a lunch hosted by AARP The Magazine for Jeff Bridges on August 1, 2014, in Beverly Hills, California | Source: Getty Images
Spending time with the people he loved was precious, and nothing was more prosperous. Jeff encompassed his Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski character so much that he insisted that his grandchildren call him “Dude-pa!”
However, his then-two-year-old granddaughter, Gracie, couldn’t pronounce it and hilariously called him “Doody!” Being an eternal optimist, the grandfather wasn’t too offended by it.
Jeff Bridges and Susan have built quite a family bound by their love, and it all began the day they first met, a photo of which Jeff carries with him to this day.
Ten years after meeting his wife, Jeff received a letter from the makeup artist for “Rancho Deluxe.” The artist revealed he took two images from when the actor first spoke to Susan, and the star has been keeping one of them in his wallet since then.
Jeff and Susan Bridges arrive at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards held at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California on January 31, 2010. | Source: Getty Images
Aside from his flourishing love life, Jeff has also managed to go back to work, something he thought he would never do after he fell ill. He completed shooting the first season of “The Old Man” and is making its second season.
Jeff and Susan Bridges attend the Vanity Fair Oscar Party 2010 held at the Sunset Towers Hotel in West Hollywood, California on March 7, 2010. | Source: Getty Images
In December 2023, 250 items from Joel and Ethan Coen’s 1998 classic film The Big Lewoski starring Jeff will also be auctioned as part of a Julien’s Auctions and Turner Classic Movies joint event. The actor is glad to see that his life is back to normal after a challenging period.