Barbara Bach, famously known for her role as Bond girl Triple X, wasn’t waiting for James Bond to come to her rescue; instead, she was on a quest for her own prince charming—rock legend Ringo Starr, also known as Sir Richard Starkey.
Now at the age of 77, Bach reached the zenith of her career when she starred in the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me, where she portrayed Anya Amasova, a complex character who was both the love interest and a rival to the charming yet womanizing 007, played by Roger Moore.
In a candid 1983 interview with People, Bach didn’t hold back her opinion about her character’s relationship with Bond, referring to him as “a chauvinist pig who uses girls to shield him against bullets”. Moore himself agreed, stating in a 1973 People interview: “Bond, like myself, is a male chauvinist pig. All my life I’ve been trying to get women out of brassieres and pants”.
Before landing her iconic role in the Bond franchise, Bach had appeared in several Italian films, including Black Belly of the Tarantula, where she shared the screen with fellow Bond actresses Claudine Auger and Barbara Bouchet.
Bach’s portrayal of the KGB agent Anya Amasova not only solidified her status as a beloved Bond girl but also opened doors to numerous opportunities in her acting career. Following her Bond debut, she starred in Mad Magazine Presents Up the Academy (1980) and Caveman (1981), where she worked alongside Ringo Starr, who played a Neanderthal vying for her affections. Interestingly, the movie’s script contrasted sharply with their actual relationship, as they only became romantically involved towards the end of filming.
In a revealing Playboy feature from 1981, Bach noted: “A lot of garbage has been written about us, none of it interesting. The truth is, we weren’t together until the very end of Caveman. Working, we got along fine, but we each had other people, our respective friends. Then, all of a sudden, within a week—the last week of shooting—it just happened. We changed from friendly love to being in love”.
In a 2021 interview with the Irish Examiner, Starr reminisced about their first encounter at Los Angeles International Airport in 1980. “I love the woman. I loved her from when I first saw her at LAX”, he shared. “I’m blessed she’s in my life, that’s all I can ever say.”
Starr, renowned as the drummer for the legendary band The Beatles, was once part of a performance at New York’s Shea Stadium in 1965, where Bach was present. However, she revealed that she wasn’t an ardent Beatles fan, attending the concert with her sister Marjorie, a passionate follower of the band. “I liked [Bob] Dylan, Ray Charles, and the Rolling Stones”, Bach remarked in a People interview from 1981.
Bach’s sister eventually married Joe Walsh, the Eagles guitarist, who later performed with Starr in the All-Starr Band. Just months after John Lennon’s tragic death, Bach and Starr tied the knot on April 27, 1981, with notable guests including Paul McCartney and George Harrison.
Their journey together hasn’t been without challenges. Just before their wedding, the couple survived a near-fatal car accident, which prompted them to vow to stay together. Starr remarked: “We decided we wouldn’t spend any time apart. So far the longest break was five days, and that was too long. I want to live every minute with Barbara”.
The couple also took a significant step together in 1988 by entering rehab, emerging sober since then. Celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary in 2021, Starr shared a nostalgic wedding photo with the caption:, “It was 40 years ago today The love of my life said yes yes yes”.
Starr and Bach’s love extends beyond their personal lives; they also have a blended family, with Starr having three children from his late wife Maureen Cox and Bach two from her former marriage to Augusto Gregorini. Together, they run the Lotus Foundation, which supports various causes, including animal welfare, substance abuse, homelessness, and cancer research. Starr donates all proceeds from his art sales to the foundation.
There’s no denying the deep affection shared between Barbara Bach and Ringo Starr, a bond that remains as strong as ever. As Bach expressed: “I love the man, and that’s it”. Starr echoed her sentiments, saying: “There’s no escape… I think I love Barbara as much (today) as I did (when we met), and I’m beyond blessed that she loves me and we’re still together”. Their inspiring love story continues to resonate, and fans eagerly anticipate what they will accomplish together in their charitable endeavors and personal lives.
I Found a Document in the Trash — My Husband and MIL Made a Major Deal Behind My Back While I Fought a Life-Threatening Disease
When Maria overhears a secretive conversation between her husband and mother-in-law, she discovers a torn document in the trash that leads her to an unexpected revelation. Battling cancer, Maria fears betrayal, but instead, finds something that helps her fight to recover…
They thought I wasn’t home.
“Maria mustn’t suspect anything! Be careful, my darling,” my mother-in-law whispered to my husband, her voice low and conspiratorial.
An older woman sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney
I froze in the hallway, clutching the strap of my bag. I’d come home early from what was supposed to be a long doctor’s appointment, slipping in through the back door to avoid the neighbor’s yappy dog.
But now, standing there in the silence, their hushed conversation sent unease prickling up my spine.
“What are they hiding from me?” I thought, my mind racing.
A barking dog | Source: Midjourney
It wasn’t like I didn’t have enough to worry about. I’d been battling cancer for six months now, enduring chemo sessions that left me feeling exhausted, nauseous, and constantly afraid.
Every time I went to bed, I wondered if I’d wake up to see my son’s smiling face. The idea that Jeff, my husband, and Elaine, my mother-in-law, were keeping secrets from me felt like betrayal.
For a brief moment, I considered bursting in and demanding answers. But I didn’t.
A woman standing in a hallway | Source: Midjourney
Instead, I plastered on a smile, walked into the living room as though I hadn’t heard a thing, and greeted them like nothing was wrong.
“Hi,” I said.
Jeff smiled at me, his eyes warm, but there was tension in his shoulders. Elaine looked up from the crossword puzzle she always pretended to do when she wanted to avoid eye contact.
“Hey, honey, how’d it go?” Jeff asked.
I shrugged, brushing past them.
A man sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney
“Fine,” I replied. “The usual. I’m actually hungry this time, so I’m going to make myself some soup while my appetite is here.”
It wasn’t fine. Nothing was fine.
Something was going on.
A pot of soup on a stove | Source: Midjourney
Later that afternoon, as I was taking out the trash, I saw it. A torn piece of paper stuck out of the bag. I wouldn’t have given it a second glance, but the bold letterhead caught my attention:
REAL ESTATE PURCHASE AGREEMENT
Curiosity burned through me. I fished the pieces out of the bag and pieced them together like a puzzle.
There was an address, just about ten kilometers away, and a date. Tomorrow.
Torn pieces of paper in a bin | Source: AmoMama
My stomach twisted. What was happening tomorrow?
“What kind of property is this? And why didn’t they tell me about it?” I muttered to myself.
I waited until Jeff came into the kitchen.
A man standing in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney
“What’s this?” I asked, holding up the scraps of paper.
His face darkened.
“Why are you digging through the trash, Maria? I don’t think that’s a good idea with your immune system. You’ve become so suspicious lately…”
A woman standing in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney
Suspicious? That’s the word he used, really?
He was deflecting. I didn’t have the strength to argue, but I wasn’t about to let it go either.
The next morning, I got into the car and drove to the address. I wasn’t feeling the best, but I chalked it up to the medication my doctor had me on.
A woman driving a car | Source: Midjourney
My hands trembled on the steering wheel, my mind racing.
What were they planning on buying? And why couldn’t they tell me?
Was this a backup plan in case the chemo didn’t work? A new apartment for Jeff and our son to start over without me?
Or worse… was this something darker? Could Jeff have already found someone else? Did Jaden already know about the new person? And was Elaine helping him set up a love nest for his affair?
The interior of an apartment | Source: Midjourney
When I reached the address, my chest felt tight.
I parked and stepped out of the car, staring at the building before me. It wasn’t what I expected.
Not at all.
It was a commercial property on the first floor of a quaint, two-story building. Workers were putting the finishing touches on a sign above the door:
The exterior of a building | Source: Midjourney
OPENING SOON: BAKERY. MARIA’S DREAM.
I blinked slowly.
What?
Pressing my hands to the window, I peered inside. The space was stunning. Freshly painted walls, a brand-new counter, and shelves painted in the same pale blue I’d once said I wanted for a bakery.
The interior of a bakery | Source: Midjourney
There was even a gleaming copper espresso machine sitting on the counter, exactly like the one I’d shown Jeff in a magazine years ago.
It was as if someone had taken my childhood dream and brought it to life.
When I got home, I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
A coffee machine on a counter | Source: Midjourney
“Jeff, honey,” I said, my voice trembling. “I know about the bakery. Why on earth didn’t you tell me?”
His eyes widened.
“What? Mari! You saw it?”
“Yes, I went to the address. Why were you keeping it a secret? Why is my name on the sign?”
A man looking out a window | Source: Midjourney
Jeff’s face softened, and he stepped closer, taking my hands in his.
“Maria, it was supposed to be a surprise. Tomorrow, Mom and I were going to take you to the sales meeting and put your name on the ownership documents. It’s your bakery. All of it. Yours.”
“What?” I gasped.
“It was Mom’s idea, love,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “She knows how much you’ve been through, how hard this has been. And she remembered how you always talked about wanting a bakery like your grandparents had. She used her savings to make it happen, her retirement money, and what Dad left her. I chipped in where I could.”
A smiling older woman | Source: Midjourney
Tears streamed down my face.
“Jeff… I thought… I thought you were planning to move on without me. Or that you…”
He pulled me into his arms before I could finish the thought.
“Maria, my love, don’t you ever think that. We love you. Jaden and I think the world of you. Mom and I just wanted to give you something to look forward to. A future to hold onto.”
A close up of a woman | Source: Midjourney
A month later, on opening day, a line stretched down the block.
People from the neighborhood had heard about the bakery and my story. They had heard about Jeff and Elaine, and how they had worked in secret to bring my dream to life while I fought for my health.
Jeff had shared the story with a local reporter, and their coverage had brought in dozens of curious and kind-hearted customers.
People waiting outside a bakery | Source: Midjourney
The smell of my grandparents’ recipes filled the air. There were apple pies, cinnamon rolls, and buttery croissants. Elaine worked the counter like she’d been doing it her entire life, and Jeff buzzed around refilling coffee cups and delivering pastries.
I couldn’t stop smiling.
“Bad news! Mom, we sold out the blueberry muffins!” Jaden shouted from behind the counter.
“That’s a good problem to have, buddy!” I said, laughing.
Baked goods on display | Source: Midjourney
The love that surrounded me that day was overwhelming. For the first time in a long time, I wasn’t thinking about cancer or chemo. I wasn’t thinking about being weak with exhaustion. I wasn’t thinking about how my hair was starting to grow back thicker and more lush than it ever had been.
And then, things got even better.
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
The phone call I had been waiting for came.
“Maria, Dr. Higgins wants you in for an urgent appointment. It’s regarding your last test results.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Nancy,” I said.
A receptionist at a doctor’s office | Source: Midjourney
Trying not to overthink anything, I made my way to the doctor’s office, hoping that only good things could come from this.
“You’ve beaten it,” the doctor said. “Maria, you’re cancer-free!”
“What? Seriously?” I gasped.
“Yes. Your numbers have improved. The chemo worked. Your immune system is back up and running how I want it to. And… we can wean you off your medication soon.”
A smiling doctor | Source: Midjourney
I didn’t know what to do next. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Or scream. I was numb, but at the same time, excitement flooded through me. Everything was… the world was different.
Brighter and more beautiful.
I drove to the bakery, desperate to see my family.
The smell of freshly baked bread and cinnamon rolls filled the air as I walked into the bakery. Jeff was wiping down the counters, Elaine was arranging a display of croissants, and Jaden was stacking napkins at the register, his face serious with concentration.
Fresh croissants on display | Source: Midjourney
“Mom’s here!” he shouted, his grin lighting up the room as he ran toward me.
“I have something to tell you all,” I said. “Can we all sit down for a moment?”
Jeff’s face creased with concern, and Elaine immediately stopped what she was doing.
“Darling? Is everything all right?”
I nodded quickly.
A smiling boy | Source: Midjourney
“Yes, everything is more than all right. I had my follow-up appointment and the doctor called me in…”
Jeff stiffened beside me, his hand tightening around me.
“Maria…”
“I’m cancer-free.”
The words hung in the air for a moment, almost too big to fit in the bakery. Elaine gasped, her other hand flying to her mouth, her eyes already brimming with tears.
A woman covering her mouth in surprise | Source: Midjourney
“What?” Jeff whispered, leaning closer as though he hadn’t heard me right.
I smiled, tears slipping down my face.
“The chemo worked. I’m in remission. I’m cancer-free!”
Elaine sobbed softly beside me, her grip on my hand tightening as she whispered, “Thank you, God. Thank you!”
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
“Does that mean you’re better now, Mom?” my son asked, looking up at me with those big, innocent eyes that had kept me fighting through the worst days.
“Yes, sweetheart,” I said, wrapping him in a hug. “It means I’m better. It means I’m going to be here. With you. With all of you.”
Jeff raised his head then, his eyes red and glistening. “You’re here,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “You’re here, Maria.”
I nodded, cupping his cheek. “I’m here.”
A smiling father and son duo | Source: Midjourney
If you’ve enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you. When 17-year-old Rosalie’s stepmom, Susan, sabotages her Christmas by secretly canceling her flight, Rosalie is devastated. But karma has other plans. A series of ironic twists and turns leaves Susan stranded, humiliated, and exposed for her manipulation… ensuring that her Christmas is far from perfect.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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