How Grant Tinker Broke Mary Tyler Moore’s Heart

Just months before her own tragic death in 2017, Mary Tyler Moore mourned the death of her 90-year-old ex-husband Grant Tinker — a TV legend who once broke the heart of the already fragile actress!

The couple had survived the tragic shotgun death of Mary's son Richard Meeker Jr. in 1980, but couldn't make it through the end of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Insiders revealed to The National ENQUIRER that their 19-year marriage had ended in 1981 over bitter fights about Mary's post-sitcom career — as the actress quickly bombed on the small screen with two new shows!

"After Mary left 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show,'" said an insider, "she wanted to go back to her first show-business love — singing and dancing. However, Grant didn't think the variety approach was the right one. Finally, he agreed to let Mary try it." But Mary's attempt for a comeback with "Mary" and the revamped "The Mary Tyler Moore Hour" both sank in the ratings!

Insiders said that when Grant took an angry "I told you so" attitude, Mary flipped — and the marriage flopped. One of Mary's former TV costars agreed: "The work situation was to blame. It was a case of her not fulfilling herself, and it started to shake the foundations of everything."

The power couple made a last-ditch effort to patch up their differences late in 1979 while she was filming "Ordinary People" in Chicago. "Tinker came to Chicago several times to visit her during the shooting, and they tried to work out their problems," said Jack Hirschberg, a publicist on the movie.

But the divorce became bitter after a "heartbroken" and humiliated Mary discovered her husband had moved on to a love affair with his 22-year-old secretary Melanie Burke! Even though Mary had some well-publicized romances of her own, she reportedly couldn't stand having the tables turned before the marriage was even officially over.

"In a way, Grant is having his revenge," declared a Hollywood insider at the time. "Mary is furious — this is a slap in the face for her. It's humiliating to her to have Grant go her one better. He's found a girl who is not only wild about him, but 21 years younger than Mary!"

Mary eventually found her own younger lover, and married Dr. Robert Levine in 1983 despite an 18-year age difference. Tinker (seen here with his ex-wife in 1997) would never remarry, but leaves behind a TV legacy with Mary's stepson Mark Tinker — a television producer who's currently overseeing "Chicago P.D."