Rita Moreno says that her heartbreak from her relationship with Marlon Brando led her right into the arms of another Hollywood icon ... Elvis Presley.
The "West Side Story" star recently told People that she accepted a date from the King of Rock 'n' Roll after Marlon left her in tears -- this after she says she discovered another woman's underwear while at his house.
Rita says Elvis himself didn't ask her out, but rather ... he had his longtime manager, Colonel Tom Parker, call her up. The Colonel reportedly told Rita ... "He liked what he saw and he would like very much to meet you. Would you like to meet him?"
Because RM says she was shaken up over Marlon -- she quickly accepted the invitation.
Rita and Marlon -- who first connected in 1954 on the set of the romance film, "Désirée" -- were on and off over the course of their eight-year romance. Despite him breaking her heart on several occasions ... the Oscar winner still considers him one of her great loves.
As for what happened with Elvis ... their fling was short-lived -- Rita told "The View" in 2021 that she found the singer "sweet but boring." Still, it's interesting to hear all these years later that she only banged him to get back at MB.
Of course, we're not sure Priscilla Presley -- would agree ... she's called Elvis the love of her own life ... and their relationship was documented as quite momentous by PP herself.
Anyway, Rita eventually found her own happy ending with doctor Leonard Gordon -- they were married for 45 years before his death in 2010. Marlon ended up marrying three times in total before his death in 2004.
Nothing like a little walk down memory lane, huh?
We discussed Marlon's legacy on a recent episode of Last Days, available on all podcast platforms.