Jack Nicholson seems to have that devil-may-care, too-cool-for-school swagger that makes him seem like he could get away with anything. But even he wasn’t immune to the consequences of bad decisions—especially when it came to cheating on his ex-girlfriend, Anjelica Huston.

The story goes a little something like this: The Shining star, 87, got a very painful wake-up call from Huston after he made the classic mistake of stepping out on her with another woman. And no, it wasn’t a quiet breakup—it was an epic, full-on, real-life drama that could rival any of his movie roles.

Jack Nicholson in Ironweed (1987) | Credit: TriStar Pictures

Now, let’s rewind a bit. Nicholson and Huston were one of Hollywood’s most iconic power couples (together from 1973 to 1990). But, their relationship had some bumps along the way. One of those bumps? Nicholson’s little ‘wandering eye’ problem.

The tumultuous romance of...