Rita Hayworth’s Family: A Closer Look at Her Daughters Yasmin and Rebecca
Newlyweds, actress Rita Hayworth and singer Dick Haymes, pose with Rita’s two daughters from previous marriages, Yasmin, 3, and Rebecca, 8, on the steps to the plane that brought them from Las Vegas, Nevada. Haymes opens in Philadelphia on September 28th. The family has rented a home in Greenwich, Connecticut.
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Golden Age actress Rita Hayworth, who was married five times, is fondly remembered for her unwavering love for her two daughters, Rebecca Welles and Yasmin Aga Khan.
“She was just a wonderful mother,” Yasmin reflected in a 2018 interview with Fox News. “So loving, so caring … I just remember her as a loving, loving mother.” She added that her memories of time spent on golf courses with Hayworth contributed to a joyful childhood.
Rita first welcomed her daughter Rebecca in December 1944 with actor Orson Welles. Five years later, after her split from Welles and a marriage to Prince Aly Salomone Khan, she had her second daughter, Yasmin Aga Khan.
During the last six years of Hayworth’s life, Yasmin took on the role of her mother’s caretaker, particularly after Hayworth was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 1981. Reflecting on their bond, Yasmin wrote in a cover story for PEOPLE following her mother’s death in May 1987, “We had a close mother-daughter relationship filled with mutual respect and love. My sense of responsibility and duty to my mother was strong."
Rebecca Welles
American dancer and actress Rita Hayworth holidaying with her daughter Rebecca in Gstaad, Switzerland, 1950. Rebecca is the daughter of Orson Welles.
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Rebecca was born in Santa Monica, California, on December 17, 1944, shortly after her parents’ marriage. The couple separated when Rebecca was under two years old, and Hayworth moved with her daughter in March 1946. The actress filed for divorce in November 1947.
Throughout her childhood, Rebecca was frequently seen with her mother in various locations including Gstaad, London, New York City, and Paris. Following in her father’s and mother’s footsteps, she pursued acting at the Pasadena Playhouse.
Rebecca briefly engaged to fellow actor Michael Flores but ended things at Hayworth’s insistence. “I asked them to think it over and consider whether they were really ready for the responsibility,” Hayworth stated in a 1965 interview. Rebecca continued her education at the University of Puget Sound, where she furthered her studies in theater, French, geology, and English literature.
In 1966, Rebecca gave birth to a son, Marc McKerrow, whom she placed for adoption. His story was later recounted in a 2008 documentary titled Prodigal Sons, chronicling his search for his biological roots.
Rebecca found love again and married sculptor Perry Moade in a private ceremony on March 23, 1970. Despite appearing in a 1970 ad with her father for Jim Beam, she later distanced herself from her parents, expressing some bitterness about the impact of their fame on her life.
After the deaths of both Orson Welles in 1985 and Hayworth in 1987, Rebecca attended her mother’s funeral alongside Yasmin. She passed away in 2004 at age 60, survived by her husband Guy Manning and her legacy, which included three stepchildren.
Princess Yasmin Aga Khan
Princess Yasmin Aga Khan attends the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association Imagine Benefit, built on the legacy of the Rita Hayworth Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center on October 24, 2022 in New York City.
Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Alzheimer’s Association
Yasmin was born on December 18, 1949, to Rita Hayworth and Prince Aly Khan. Although her parents divorced in 1953, they maintained a positive relationship, and Yasmin fondly recalls summer visits to her father in France.
Her recollections of time spent with Hayworth are filled with warmth. “I remember … spending a lot of time with her just sitting by the pool at our home and talking,” Yasmin shared in 1987.
However, the path was not always smooth; Yasmin faced challenges, especially after her father died in a car accident when she was just 10 years old. This loss deeply affected her mother and likely contributed to the onset of Hayworth’s Alzheimer’s symptoms.
Yasmin pursued her passion for classical singing and attended various educational institutions but ultimately left her musical ambitions to care for her mother. “I said, ‘Okay, this is more important than my career in music,’ and that was the right decision,” she stated in 2019, reflecting on her choices.
In June 1981, Yasmin was appointed her mother’s conservator after Hayworth was deemed unable to care for herself. She undertook a significant role in advocating for Alzheimer’s research and launched the Rita Hayworth Gala in 1984, which has since raised over $86 million for the Alzheimer’s Association.
Yasmin’s marriage to Basil Embiricos on May 15, 1985, considered her mother’s declining health, and they welcomed their son, Andrew, later that year. Hayworth died on May 14, 1987, at age 68.
After some personal hardships, including the death of her son Andrew in 2011, Yasmin has continued her mother’s legacy by supporting Alzheimer’s research. Her contributions have been recognized through numerous honors, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alzheimer’s Association in 2019 and being named a Knight of the Legion of Honor in 2022, affirming her commitment to the cause.
