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Tennessee-born Sondra Locke was a staple in Clint Eastwood films like “Bronco Billy,” “Any Which Way You Can,” and “Sudden Impact” since she was in a relationship with him for 14 years. In all, the pair collaborated on six films together. She died on November 3, 2018, from cardiac arrest, as a complication of breast and bone cancer, aged 74.
As for her relationship with Eastwood, it eventually soured and she sued him for palimony in 1989. As a result, Locked was given a three-year contract with Warner Bros. to develop and direct films. However, a reported 30 projects of Locke’s were turned down and she accused Eastwood of having orchestrated the deal to ruin her career. So, she sued him for a second time in 1995, this time for fraud, which was eventually settled for an undisclosed amount. According to the Los Angeles Times, she told reporters that the sum was certainly large enough to be helpful, but it was beside the point. “This was never about money,” she said. “It was about my fighting for my professional rights.”
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But her career wasn’t solely defined by drama. As well as having a huge impact on the film industry, the Oscar nominee also made a huge impact on those in her hometown of Shelbyville, Tennessee. Scott Jackson, who acted opposite Locke when they were teenagers, told The Tennessean, “Because Sondra made it big, that gave us hope we could do something big with our lives, too.”
