Dorothy Hale

Dorothy Hale was an American socialite and aspiring actress who killed herself by jumping off a building in New York City. Hale was a remarkably beautiful woman who was introduced to high society and luxury living. Her husbands death, followed by several unsuccessful relationships, left her financially dependent on her wealthy friends. She committed suicide in October 1938. The artist Frida Kahlo created a famous painting based on her death, titled The Suicide of Dorothy Hale.

Hale was born Dorothy Donovan, the daughter of a real estate agent, in Pittsburgh. In 1919, after attending a convent and a drama school, Hale left home to pursue a career. Her family hired detectives to find her, but she eventually returned when her funds ran out. With the assistance of friends, she eventually landed a job in the chorus of a Broadway production of Lady, Be Good. While she was studying sculpture in Paris, she married millionaire stockbroker Gaillard Thomas, son of the wealthy gynecologist T. Gaillard Thomas the brief marriage ended in divorce.

Source: Wikipedia