Mama Drama: The Tragedy of Bette and B.D.

Though Feud’s dramatization is harrowing enough, the tumultuous relationship of Bette Davis and her daughter B.D. goes much deeper than what’s onscreen.

Long before the ladies of Feud found their way back into the headlines via Ryan Murphy, we likely all knew the Hollywood lore surrounding Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Their turbulent relationships with each other (and with other industry giants) are all-too-well-known. Even their family ties- including the many husbands between them- have been widely discussed.

And, of course, the rocky (to say the least) mother/daughter bond of Joan and Christina Crawford was documented in Christina’s memoir and the subsequent cult classic film Mommie Dearest. But the relationship between Bette Davis and her only daughter-by-birth, B.D. Hyman (born Barbara Davis Sherry) hasn’t become bad-blood canon. Until now.

That’s not to say that Bette and B.D.’s struggles were hidden. In 1985, B.D. published a memoir entitled “My Mother’s Keeper,” wherein she documented her experience growing up under her narcissistic, unstable yet utterly legendary parent’s reign. But strangely, even though their dirty laundry was voluntarily aired (at least by B.D.), their relationship hasn’t become a cautionary Hollywood tale of broken mother/daughter bonds such that Joan and Christina’s story did.

FEUD: Bette and Joan — “Mommie Dearest” — Installment 1, Episode 3 (Airs Sunday, March 19, 10:00 p.m. e/p) –Pictured: (l-r) Jackie Hoffman as Mamacita, Jessica Lange as Joan Crawford. CR: Suzanne Tenner/FX

That may be because of the unreliability of B.D.’s tales, or the simple fact that they are unable to be corroborated by anyone other than the alleged perpetrator of the emotional crimes. But perhaps most realistically, the fervent denial and unrelenting dismissal of these claims by Bette Davis herself surely did a lot to not only quash the rumors, but to make us question whether or not B.D. was fair in her spreading of them. Which, of course, was Bette’s intent.

In one 1985 review of the memoir, which was not terribly very well received, B.D.’s intentions are called into question:

"“This book is less a portrait than a bitter, angry, petty compilation of every gripe that Hyman ever harbored against her mother. It is quite a list, including everything from Davis’ drinking and distrust of men to her difficulty in defrosting a frozen macaroni-and-cheese dinner. Then, too Mommy- portrayed as neurotic, insecure, selfish, overbearing, and foul-mouthed – was wildly possessive and jealous of her only natural child.”"

And because, unlike Joan for Christina Crawford’s “Mommie Dearest,” Bette Davis was still alive when her daughter published her list of claims, the actress had her own review of the memoir. In response to an open letter published within the text of the book, Davis wrote a letter of her own. The entirety of the text is available here, but a few choice snippets that address the very question of validity and motive are most interesting.

"“You constantly inform people that you wrote this book to help me understand you and your way of life better. Your goal was not reached. I am now utterly confused as to who you are or what your way of life is. The sum total of your having written this book is a glaring lack of loyalty and thanks for the very privileged life I feel you have been given.”"

Next: Feud Episode 3 Recap: Two Tough Mothers

So, was Bette as confounded by the assertions as she claimed to be? Was B.D.’s perception of her mother skewed and maimed by the character she’d seen her mother embody, as Davis posits in her letter? Or is there more truth to B.D.’s memory of her upbringing than Bette would ever be willing to admit, or even deign to acknowledge? Either way, we’re still interested, curious, and wrapped up in the two women to this day- which, according to Bette, was the only real reason the book was penned at all.

"“P.S. I hope someday I will understand the title My Mother’s Keeper. If it refers to money, if my memory serves me right, I’ve been your keeper all these many years. I am continuing to do so, as my name has made your book about me a success.“"