She became a Vegas showgirl in the 1950s, additionally modeling clothes for well-known fashion designer, Mr. Blackwell. While working in Vegas, she met Zeppo Marx, and, on September 18, 1959, they wed. It was presumed in the time that Bobby Marx were officially adopted by Zeppo Marx, but Tina Sinatra has asserted that, in accordance with Robert Harrison Oliver, no such adoption occurred. Barbara and Zeppo divorced in 1973. Barbara was married to singer Frank Sinatra from July 11, 1976 until his passing on May 14, 1998. It absolutely was Sinatra’s fourth and final union, as well as the longest-lasting one. She converted to Roman Catholicism before she and Frank were wed. The Roman Catholic church, which, in the 1950s, had savaged Sinatra for his choice to divorce Nancy Sinatra and wed Ava Gardner, officiated at his fourth marriage. After his mom’s passing in 1977, Sinatra requested the church to annul his marriage to Nancy Barbato. It was the sole among his previous unions which had taken place in the Roman Catholic church. Because his unions to Ava Gardner and Mia Farrow were civil, and not Catholic religious ceremonies, the Roman Catholic church failed to acknowledge them. Following the annulment was allowed, Sinatra was subsequently in a position to wed Barbara in a Catholic wedding ceremony. Frank’s daughter, Tina, asserted that, while married to Sinatra, Barbara got Frank to officially adopt Bobby Marx – although Marx was a grown man and, later, Sinatra’s kids interceded to keep it. In the novel Lady Blue Eyes, Barbara challenge this, claiming that Frank offered, but, despite their close relationship, Bobby didn’t want to have the adoption.
Founder of the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center in Rancho Mirage, California in 1986, with her husband Frank Sinatra. The center is next door to the Betty Ford Center on the campus of Eisenhower Medical Center. The not-for-profit facility provides individual and group therapy for young victims of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.