May Britt, the Swedish-born actress whose Hollywood career and personal life placed her at the center of one of America’s most controversial interracial marriages, has died at the age of 91. Her son, Mark Davis, confirmed that she passed away from natural causes on December 11 at a Los Angeles medical center.

Born Maj-Britt Wilkens on March 22, 1934, near Stockholm, Sweden, Britt began her acting career in the early 1950s after being discovered by Italian filmmakers. She made her film debut in Italy, gaining recognition in European cinema, before appearing in King Vidor’s War and Peace (1956), which brought her to the attention of 20th Century Fox.

After moving to Hollywood, Britt was cast opposite major stars, including Robert Mitchum in The Hunters and Marlon Brando in The Young Lions. Her breakthrough came in 1959 when she starred in the remake of The Blue Angel, earning widespread attention and a cover feature in Life magazine.

In 1960, Britt married entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. after converting to Judaism. Their interracial marriage sparked intense public backlash at a time when such unions were illegal in parts of the U.S. The controversy led to harassment, death threats, and the loss of Britt’s studio contract, effectively ending her film career.

She later stepped away from acting to focus on family life. Britt and Davis divorced in 1968, after which she briefly returned to television and film. In her later years, she lived quietly in California, remembered both for her screen work and for the courage she showed in challenging social barriers.