Even after two failed marriages, Fitzgerald never gave up hope that she might one day marry and get it right. Show business might be rewarding, but it can be a lonely profession. According to The Independent, in the late 1950s, Fitzgerald started a transatlantic romance with Norwegian producer Thor Einar Larsen. There were rumors that the two had secretly married in 1957. This rumor was never confirmed, but Larsen and Fitzgerald certainly had a serious relationship. Any romantic relationship the two had ended after Larsen's shady activities came to light: Fitzgerald had become entangled with yet another man with a delinquent past.

Reports emerged that Larsen had a criminal record — he'd been charged with stealing money from a former fiancee. A significant offense like that meant Larsen was banned from entering the United States. With no chance of him coming to America, there was really no realistic way for Fitzgerald and Larsen to remain together, effectively ending any romantic relationship they had, married or not.

After this last major heartbreak, Fitzgerald never married again and pursued no other serious romantic relationships. Instead, she devoted herself to her music and supported charities dedicated to child welfare. In her later years, she would reconcile with her son and his family.

Ella Fitzgerald sold more than 40 million records, earned 13 Grammy awards, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George H.W. Bush in 1992. Fitzgerald died at her home in Beverly Hills in 1996.

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