Attended the University of Mississippi.
Former fashion model.
Great friend of William Faulkner, whom she met during college.
Her apartment in the Dakota in Manhattan became a salon for writers, artists, and musicians. Visitors included Edward Albee, Truman Capote, and Tennessee Williams.
Her companion during the 1970s was Dotson Rader, one of the leading writers of the 1960s campus revolution.
Her daughter, Shelley, was born in 1941.
Her daughter, Shelly, was born to her and her first husband. On February 9, 1953, her second husband filed papers to adopt her. Shelley was adopted later that year, and her name changed from Shelley Van Eyck to Shelley Scott.
Her husband, Zachary Scott, died penniless except for the 100,000 insurance policy that he left her.
Her mother-in-law, Sally Lee Scott, died November 1983 at 95. She left everything to be divided by her 3 children. Her daughter and step-daughter split her late husband's share. Ford tried to sue for a share of it for herself, but didn't have enough money for a lawyer.
Her second husband's nickname for her was Ruthless.
Left her entire estate valued at around 10 million dollars to her butler. It included two apartments in New York and an impressive art collection.
She and her husband, Zachary Scott, were arrested for disturbing the peace in New Orleans because they were caught drinking in a tavern in violation of racial segregation laws. They were acquitted when her husband explained that they went there to search for talent and that some black soldiers had invited them to drink with them. He explained that he was proud to drink with any soldier.
She became estranged from her daughter after her husband, Zachary Scott, died, claiming that her daughter "did her in" when divvying up the estate.