Monique Grant, a reporter for Vivant magazine, has been selected to interview Evelyn Hugo, a

reclusive former star, who is auctioning some of her famous gowns to raise money for a breast
cancer charity. Monique is confused about why Evelyn has chosen her, but goes to Evelyn's
apartment to meet her. Evelyn reveals she has no interest in giving an interview for Vivant but
instead wants Monique to write her life story, and Monique agrees, though she is suspicious.
Evelyn is 14 when she marries her first husband, Ernie Diaz, in order to reach Hollywood and
escape her abusive father in Hell's Kitchen. She is noticed by Harry Cameron, a young Sunset
Studios producer, and the two become close friends. Evelyn seduces a Sunset executive in order
to advance her career and divorces Ernie when the studio sets her up with popular actors for
publicity. She falls in love with and marries actor Don Adler, but in the following months, Don
begins to abuse Evelyn when pressure is placed on his career.
In an adaptation of Little Women, Evelyn, now 21, stars opposite Celia St. James. Evelyn is
initially jealous of Celia's talent, but the two quickly form a bond. At a party, Evelyn is told that
Celia is a lesbian. Evelyn privately confronts Celia to ask if this is true, and the two kiss. Evelyn
discovers that Don has been cheating on her, but he divorces her first and sabotages her career.
To revive her popularity, Evelyn goes to Paris and stars in a racy film by French director Max
Girard. Rumors have begun to spread about Evelyn and Celia's relationship, so Evelyn creates a
plan to distract the press. She seduces and elopes with singer Mick Riva, then has the marriage
annulled the next day. The plan works, but Evelyn is pregnant. She gets an abortion, but Celia is
furious and leaves her. They do not speak for five years.
After starring in an adaptation of Anna Karenina, Evelyn marries her co-star, Rex North, to
generate publicity. They stay married for a few years, but after Rex impregnates his girlfriend,
Evelyn spins a story that she and Harry Cameron were having an affair. In reality, Harry is
secretly dating quarterback John Braverman, who is married to Celia. Evelyn and Celia reunite.
Evelyn marries Harry, and they live closely with Celia and John, posing as two heterosexual
couples. After several idyllic years, Harry suggests that he and Evelyn have a child, and Evelyn
agrees. With Celia's blessing, they have a daughter named Connor.
In her late 30s, Evelyn stars in another Max Girard movie, in which she agrees to an explicit sex
scene. She realizes afterward that she should have asked Celia's permission. Celia leaves
Evelyn again. John Braverman dies of a heart attack, and Harry begins drinking excessively.
Evelyn agrees to marry Max Girard, but quickly discovers that he does not truly love her as a
person, but as the sex symbol she had become. She stays married to him for six years before
reuniting with Celia. Celia has emphysema and less than ten years to live. Evelyn finds Harry
and a dead passenger in a car accident outside his house. Evelyn moves the passenger, Harry's
lover, into the driver's seat to protect Harry from being convicted of drunk driving. Harry dies in
the hospital.
Evelyn, Celia, and Connor move to Spain, along with Celia's brother Robert, whom Evelyn
marries as a front so she will be able to inherit Celia's estate when she dies. Celia dies when she
is 61, and Robert several years after that. Evelyn explains to Monique that Connor died of breast
cancer, which Evelyn has also been diagnosed with. Evelyn reveals that Monique's father, James
Grant, was the passenger in Harry's car. By removing Harry from the scene, Evelyn allowed
Monique and her mother to believe that James had died driving drunk. Monique is furious and
leaves, but realizes that Evelyn has told her all this because she intends to end her life. She
considers calling authorities, but decides that it should be Evelyn's choice if she wants to die.
She realizes that she will forgive Evelyn one day. Evelyn's death is reported as an accidental
overdose, and Monique publishes the introduction for her biography in Vivant, finally disclosing
that the true love of Evelyn's life was none of her husbands, but Celia St. James.