May Britt, the Swedish actress best known for her groundbreaking interracial marriage to entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., passed away on December 11, 2025, at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center. She was 91 years old. Her son, Mark Davis, confirmed that she died of natural causes.
Born Majbritt Wilkens in Sweden on March 22, 1934, Britt’s career took off when she caught the attention of Italian producer Carlo Ponti at the age of 18. This marked the beginning of her work in European cinema, and by 1957, 20th Century Fox signed her to a Hollywood contract. Britt made her mark in the film industry with notable performances, including a role opposite Robert Mitchum in the Korean War drama “The Hunters” and alongside Marlon Brando in “The Young Lions,” both released in 1958.
Her breakthrough role came in the 1959 remake of “The Blue Angel,” where she portrayed the iconic cabaret performer Lola-Lola, a character previously made famous by Marlene Dietrich. Britt continued to build her filmography with her performance as a singer-dancer in “Murder, Inc.” in 1960.
Britt’s relationship with Davis would come to define much of her public life. The couple met after one of Davis’s performances at the Mocambo nightclub on the Sunset Strip. Davis ended his engagement to dancer Joan Stuart to pursue a relationship with Britt, announcing their engagement in June 1960. Before their wedding on November 13, 1960, Britt converted to Judaism, and the ceremony took place at Davis’s Los Angeles home, with Frank Sinatra serving as best man.
Their marriage occurred during a time when interracial unions were illegal in 31 states, leading to significant public scrutiny. After news of their engagement broke, the couple received death threats, and 20th Century Fox declined to renew Britt’s contract. At Sinatra’s request, they postponed their wedding until after the presidential election, contributing to their absence from the inauguration gala despite John F. Kennedy‘s victory.
During their marriage, Britt stepped back from her acting career. The couple welcomed a daughter, Tracey, in 1961, and later adopted two sons, Mark and Jeff. Their marriage ended in divorce in December 1968. In a 2014 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Tracey Davis noted that her parents always maintained a deep affection for one another, explaining that her father felt he could not fulfill Britt’s expectations as a family man due to his demanding performance schedule.
Reflecting on her life choices, Britt stated in a 1999 interview with Vanity Fair, “I loved Sammy, and I had the chance to marry the man I loved.” Davis, who died from throat cancer in 1990 at the age of 64, left a lasting impact on Britt’s life.
In 1993, she married Lennart Ringquist, who passed away in 2017. Britt’s legacy is marked not only by her contributions to cinema but also by her role in challenging societal norms surrounding race and marriage during a tumultuous period in American history.
