Carrie Fisher Said Her Memoir About The Affair With Harrison Ford Felt like an ‘Ambush’

Carrie Fisher shocked Star Wars fans worldwide when she opened up about her affair with Harrison Ford. According to Fisher’s memoir, The Princess Diarist, the actors had a three-month relationship during the film’s first installment. Ford didn’t speak about the memoir until after Fisher died in December 2016.

Carrie Fisher called Harrison Ford ‘disinterested’’ and ‘inaccessible’ in her memoir

Although she knew of fame as Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds’s daughter, Fisher wanted to carve out her lane in the acting industry. After landing a small role in the 1970s, George Lucas selected Fisher to play Princess Leia’s role. Fisher was the only female lead in the film, playing alongside Ford as Hans Solo and Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker. 

In The Princess Diarist, Fisher wrote that her affair with Ford began while they filmed the first Star Wars in London. Fisher said Ford initiated the sexual experience, which started in the back of his car. The affair happened when Fisher was 19-years-old and Ford was 33-years-old and had two children. 

While Fisher admitted she had negative feelings about herself during the affair, she claimed Ford was perfect for her at the time. Because of his marriage and family, Fisher knew Ford couldn’t publicly profess his feelings for her. 

“I must figure this thing out once and for all- this pattern of becoming obsessed with inaccessible men,” she wrote. “From then on, it seemed I couldn’t get enough. I started with snacking on the inaccessibility of random silent jerks and seem to have arrived at making a full meal of it. Now I had more than enough. I want the check. Waiter?”  Fisher wrote from her journal during Star Wars. “I have filled him in to be unobtainable, disinterested, attractive, and bored with my company. My ideal mate. Someone to endure, never to enjoy. I am totally at his mercy.” 

Carrie Fisher described the reveal of her and Harrison Ford’s relationship as an ‘ambush’ 

During their affair, Fisher said she secretly wanted more from Ford. Unbeknownst to him, Fisher fantasized about Ford leaving his then-wife, Mary Marquardt, to be with her. In her journal, Fisher decided that Ford would get a divorce and, as time passed, they would publicly announce their relationship. The starlet also described the engagement ring Ford would gift her once the time was right. 

Alas, Fisher’s fantasy of Ford never came to fruition. Once filming wrapped on Star Wars: A New Hope, Ford returned to Marquardt. Fisher eventually had a daughter with her long-term boyfriend, Bryan Lourd. 

In November 2016, Fisher sat down with NPR to discuss her memoir. Shortly into the interview, Fisher addressed the affair with Ford. Fisher confirmed that she asked Ford his permission to speak about the relationship that happened 40 years prior. While Ford agreed to have his name mentioned, Fisher revealed she might have said too much in the memoir. 

“No matter if I told him or not, it would – it probably feels like an ambush,” Fisher said of her decision to write about Ford. “It feels like an ambush to me, and I’m the one that wrote it.” 

How Harrison Ford Felt About Carrie Fisher’s memoir

Throughout her NPR interview, Fisher explained what it was like to tell Ford about her memoir. Fisher said Ford initially asked for a “lawyer,” but knew it was a joke. According to Fisher, Ford also looked over the book and could’ve taken out anything that portrayed him in a bad light. 

After The Princess Diarist came out in November 2016, Ford didn’t speak about the memoir until September 2017. At the time, Ford did a cover story for GQ, and the interviewer asked Ford about the book. 

“It was strange. For me,” Ford said of the memoir.  

When asked to elaborate on his thoughts about the memoir, Ford declined to speak about the affair in-depth. Ford said he wanted to respect his late co-star. 

“You know, with Carrie’s untimely passing, I don’t really feel that it’s a subject that I want to discuss,” Ford continued.