A secret kept in a silver frame — and a story she never told.
When Audrey Hepburn passed away in 1993, her son Luca Dotti helped collect her belongings from her apartment in Rome. Among the books, scripts, and mementos, there was a small silver photo frame on her writing desk. Inside was not a picture of her husband, nor her sons — but a faded black-and-white photo of actor William Holden.
Audrey and Holden had met during the filming of Sabrina (1954). Their chemistry was undeniable, on-screen and off. Holden was married, and despite their deep affection, the relationship could never last. Audrey wanted marriage and children — something he could not give. Their affair ended quietly, but the emotional bond never truly faded.
Decades later, when they reunited briefly in 1964 to film Paris When It Sizzles, colleagues recalled seeing them exchange long, silent glances. It was said that Audrey kept that single photo for the rest of her life — tucked in that silver frame, beside a handwritten note that simply read: “Once, in Paris.”
She never spoke of him publicly, but when asked about love in her final interview, she smiled softly and said, “Some people stay with you forever, even if they’re gone.”