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Born as Carol Diann Johnson in Harlem, NYC on July 17, 1935
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Parents: John and Mabel Johnson.
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Diahann's parents had to leave their daughter with one of Mabel's sisters
when she was just one and a half year old. She stayed there for over a
year.
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Mr. John Johnson worked as (among other things) a subway conductor, for
a while he worked at a printing company. He also rented out rooms near
where they lived in Harlem.
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Mrs. Mabel Johnson stayed home to take care of Diahann, and later Lydia,
when they were children.
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Diahann's parents divorced circa 1968.
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Diahann have a younger sister, Lydia.
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Diahann married Monte Kay in 1956. They had first met when he worked as
casting director for House of Flowers. Mr. Kay was from Brooklyn
and Diahann's father had serious problems accepting his daughter wanted
to marry a white man, but he soon came over it. Together Diahann and Monte
had one child, a daughter they named Suzanne. She was born September 9,
1960. They divorced some time later, but remains friends until this very
day.
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Diahann had a nine year long relationship with actor Sidney Poitier. They
planned to marry several times, but it never worked out. Ms Carroll describes
in her 1986 autobiography Diahann! a destructive on-and-off relationship
that led nowhere.
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Diahann was for a time engaged to David Frost (they had their engagement
party in November, 1972). They split up before they ever came to marriage,
but Diahann still describes Mr. Frost as one of the best things that ever
happened to her.
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Diahann's second husband was Freddie Glusman, whom she married in 1973.
Mr. Glausman owned a chain of women's shops. The marriage ended very soon
and very abrupt when Diahann had to call the police because of Mr. Glausman's
violent tendencies.
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Diahann Carroll's third husband was a Jet Magazine managing editor
named Robert DeLeon. They wed in May, 1975. They were still married when
he was killed in a car accident on March 31, 1977.
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Singer Vic Damone became Diahann's fourth husband in January of 1987. By
then they had already been a couple for a few years. They divorced in 1996.
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Diahann Carroll was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998. She underwent
a lumpectomy in May of that year, and had 12 weeks of radiation treatments.
She is now free of cancer, and has spent much time informing about cancer
and mammography. (See "Charity".)
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Diahann Carroll & Monte Kay
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Diahann and F. Glausman
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Diahann with Bob DeLeon
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Diahann with daughter Suzanne
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