Jean Acker was born in 1893 on a farm in Trenton, New Jersey, where she was named Harriet at birth. Her father, who was part Cherokee, and her Irish mother had separated when she was young. Acker attended school at St. Mary's Seminary in Springfield, New Jersey, before embarking on an acting career that would take her from vaudeville and stock-company drama to the silver screen.
In 1919, Acker moved to California, where she negotiated a $200-a-week contract with a movie studio based on her relationship with her lover, the renowned actress Alla Nazimova. Shortly after, she began another romantic entanglement with the up-and-coming actress Grace Darmond, amidst a love triangle that would have far-reaching consequences.
It was during this tumultuous period that Acker met the up-and-coming actor Rudolph Valentino at a party, and they became fast friends. After a two-month courtship, Valentino proposed to her, and she accepted. On November 6, 1919, they exchanged vows, but their wedding night was marred by Acker's sudden change of heart. She locked Valentino out of their bedroom, claiming she had made a mistake, and later departed to Darmond's apartment. Valentino attempted to reconcile with her, but their marriage ultimately ended in divorce just two years later, when Valentino's star was on the rise and Acker's was waning.
The ensuing scandal sent shockwaves through the press, with Valentino facing bigamy charges due to his hasty second marriage to Natacha Rambova, a talented set and costume designer. Acker sued for the right to be known as "Mrs. Rudolph Valentino," and Valentino harbored resentment towards her for several years. However, they eventually rekindled their friendship, with Acker being one of the last people to see Valentino alive. She attended his funeral with her mother and later penned a popular song about him, "We Will Meet at the End of the Trail."
Acker continued to appear in films, often in uncredited roles, until the early 1950s. She and her companion Chloe Carter owned a Beverly Hills building where Patricia Neal resided for several years. Acker passed away in 1978 at the age of 85, and she and Carter are now buried side by side in Holy Cross Cemetery, Los Angeles, California.
