Christina Sandera died of a heart attack in July 2024
Clint Eastwood found love again with his late girlfriend Christina Sandera.
Sadly, Sandera died of a heart attack at age 61 on July 18, 2024. “Christina was a lovely, caring woman, and I will miss her very much,” Eastwood wrote in a statement.
The legendary actor has had several high-profile romances over the years, but he kept his relationship with Sandera, whom he started dating in 2014, relatively private.
The pair reportedly met when Sandera was working at Eastwood’s property, the Mission Ranch Hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif., on the Monterey peninsula where the Gran Torino star has lived for decades.
Prior to their relationship, Eastwood had been married twice: to model Maggie Johnson from 1953 to 1987 and to news anchor Dina Ruiz from 1996 to 2004. Outside of his two marriages, he had long-term romances with Titanic actress Frances Fisher and his The Gauntlet costar Sondra Locke. With his past partners, he’s welcomed eight children, including actor Scott Eastwood.
So, who was Clint Eastwood’s late girlfriend? Keep reading to learn more about Christina Sandera.
She and Eastwood started dating in 2014
Eastwood and Sandera reportedly first crossed paths while she was working as a hostess at a property Eastwood owns, the Mission Ranch Hotel.
The actor purchased the hotel back in 1986, and spent millions renovating the property into a luxurious resort. And while Eastwood is said to be a fixture at Mission Ranch, he’s known to keep to himself. “I’m not the jolly host type,” he told Architectural Digest in 2016.
She was very private
While her boyfriend was an A-list actor, Sandera maintained a more low-key profile.
The Gran Torino star also skews from the spotlight, and the couple opted for a quiet life together in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif., a small coastal town in which Eastwood formerly served as the mayor.
She and Eastwood made their red carpet debut at the Academy Awards
At the 2015 Oscars, Eastwood’s film American Sniper was nominated for six awards, including Best Picture. He brought Sandera as his date, marking the couple’s first public appearance together.
Before that, the pair were photographed grocery shopping together in June 2014, in photos obtained by the Daily Mail.
She appeared on many red carpets with Eastwood
Sandera accompanied Eastwood to many events, especially pertaining to his films.
In 2016, the pair appeared together at a screening of Eastwood’s film Sully at the Directors Guild of America. In 2017, they went to the Cannes Film Festival together.
She spent time with Eastwood’s kids
Though Eastwood’s kids didn’t all grow up together, the family is close — and Sandera was seemingly welcomed in.
In 2018, she joined Eastwood and his entire family — including three of his kids, his granddaughter and Eastwood’s first wife — at the premiere of his film The Mule.
In May 2020, Scott Eastwood shared with Access Hollywood how the blended family planned to celebrate Eastwood’s 90th birthday.
“We’re going to do just a family thing,” Scott said. “Very calm, very mellow. He doesn’t like birthdays. He’s just sort of like, ‘I don’t want to do birthdays … We’ll sneak a cake in there, definitely. He probably won’t like it, but we’ll put one in.”