His marriage to actress
Inger Stevens was kept a secret for fear that Ms. Stevens' career would be harmed due to the public's disapproval of marriages between blacks and whites at that time. This perception was prompted by the decline of actress
May Britt's career after her marriage to
Sammy Davis Jr. Ike and Inger married in 1961 but were estranged at the time of Ms. Stevens' suicide in 1970.