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Cuckolded by Faye Dunaway: Rock Legend’s Explosive Memoir

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The main vocalist was well-known for his outspoken nature and was part of a popular band currently. He knew figures like Bob Dylan and Andy Warhol, but compared to Jack Nicholson’s fame, Peter Wolf’s seemed insignificant, shining only dimly by comparison.

Or: As the charismatic frontman of a highly successful contemporary band, Peter Wolf was acquainted with notable personalities such as Bob Dylan and Andy Warhol. However, his stardom paled in comparison to the brilliant glow of Jack Nicholson’s fame.

In 1973, the lead singer of The J Geils Band was romantically involved with Faye Dunaway for approximately a year. During this time, Faye got cast in Roman Polanski’s film, “Chinatown,” where she worked alongside Jack Nicholson in the noir mystery production.

In 1973, the lead singer of The J Geils Band had been dating Hollywood icon Faye Dunaway for almost a year. It was during this period that she secured a role in Roman Polanski’s film “Chinatown,” where she collaborated with Jack Nicholson on the noir mystery production.

Dunaway has consistently maintained that her intense on-screen connection with Nicholson never translated into a real-life relationship. However, in his latest memoir titled ‘Waiting on the Moon’, Wolf presents a significantly contrasting account of what really transpired between them.

As a lifestyle advisor, I’d rephrase it this way: It’s said that in her past, Faye Dunaway chose an unconventional path during her relationship with Jack Nicholson. While she was supposedly sharing his home, she also maintained a secret liaison with her then-boyfriend and future husband, Steve (Wolf) Graziano. Unbeknownst to him, he would wait downstairs, oblivious to the events unfolding upstairs.

In simpler terms, Wolf describes the situation where Dunaway found it tough to handle a forthcoming scene and repeatedly phoned Nicholson. Later on, Nicholson extended an invitation for her to visit his residence.

Upon their arrival, several individuals were socializing at Nicholson’s residence, and a sizable pile of cocaine was conspicuously situated on the coffee table.

As the night progressed, the gathering gradually thinned out until only Wolf, Dunaway, and Nicholson remained. At this point, according to Wolf’s account, ‘Jack invited Faye upstairs to work on the script, and Faye asked if I could wait. I responded, ‘Certainly not’.’

It took over two hours before Wolf grew restless and decided to phone his girlfriend up upstairs, yet she didn’t respond.

With no car to drive home, he says, he continued to wait around in the living room until morning.

At last, as the sun rose, it struck me that what I had suspected was indeed taking place.

He was being cuckolded, he believed. And filled with rage, he snapped.

He describes that he first pushed open the gliding balcony doors, followed by lifting a heavily-laden coffee table filled with books and a substantial pile of cocaine. Subsequently, he ambled towards the swimming pool, and ultimately, discharged the entire pile into the water, observing it gradually sink to rest at the pool’s bottom.

To ensure balance, I carefully moved a chair from the living room down towards the water until it found its place precisely at one extremity of the table. Afterward, I took another chair and positioned it at the opposite end in the same manner.

‘The white powder was dissolving, and a few books floated up to the surface.’

Neither the representative of Dunaway nor that of Nicholson provided a response when approached by the Daily Mail for comment.

The tale is quite extraordinary, even for Hollywood, yet what might shock you more is that Wolf and Dunaway managed to move past their story and tie the knot in August 1974.

Or:

While the narrative itself is remarkably Hollywood-like, it’s even more astounding that Wolf and Dunaway were able to resolve their issues and wed in August 1974.

Nevertheless, Wolf faced even greater pain in his stormy five-year union with the actress, as he was betrayed again by Terry O’Neill, a renowned British photographer, who is rumored to have had a past relationship with Raquel Welch. This time, he was unfaithful to Wolf.

By the fall of 1979, Wolf (from Boston) claims that he and Dunaway had been physically separated for about a month. During this time, he was residing in his hometown, while she stayed in their apartment in New York City.

The duo found themselves at disagreement due to Dunaway’s strong desire for a baby. However, as Wolf puts it, he was apprehensive that our circumstances might not be suitable for nurturing a child.

He attributes the volatile nature of their relationship to her emotional ups-and-downs and frequent alcohol consumption.

Since then, it’s been confirmed that Dunaway has bipolar disorder, which she disclosed in her 2024 documentary titled ‘Faye’. She attributes a significant portion of her unpredictable past actions to this condition.

As per Wolf’s account, we decided it was essential to momentarily halt our professional pursuits and channel our efforts towards preserving our marriage. Initially, we had arranged for couples therapy in Boston, but as the date drew near, Faye chose to stay in New York, expressing reluctance about making a commitment.

However, upon receiving the call about his ailing father in New York, Wolf chose, following some strong spirits, to surprise his spouse unexpectedly at their apartment on the Upper West Side.

As he neared the doorway, the doorman, Billy, informed him: “Mr. Wolf, it seems unusual for me to tell you this, but due to specific instructions from your spouse, I’m unable to grant you access to the building.

Unperturbed, he managed to slip through the rear entrance and climbed aboard the service lift, heading straight for the apartment. However, upon arrival, he discovered that Dunaway had replaced the locks and his old key was now useless.

He described how his pulse raced and an surge of adrenaline took control as he slammed into the massive, solid oak door with all his might, according to him.

Amazingly, it burst wide open, dangling from a single hinge. Upon entering, I found Faye and photographer Terry O’Neill, both motionless and stunned, gazing with disbelief.

According to him, O’Neill hurried off to the bedroom when Dunaway was attempting to calm her spouse – strangely enough, by proposing champagne and appetizers instead.

He writes, “For such a long time, I had felt distant from her that her words seemed like nourishment to a starving stranger, making me oblivious to Terry in the bedroom. The comforting tones were those of Dorothy Faye, the woman I adored, the one I wed.

In the moment she darted off to prepare some sustenance, I seized the opportunity to make a call. I overheard her assuring O’Neill in a soothing tone: “Fear not, my dear. I’ll handle this situation promptly. A bit more patience is all that’s needed. Remain where you are and keep silent, and rest assured, everything will turn out just fine.

Once again, Wolf saw red.

I was extremely upset. In my anger, I accidentally broke my champagne glass against the floor in the living room. I shouted at Terry, “Please come out! If you don’t, you’ll soon discover what the real rules of the Bronx are!

‘What that meant I didn’t know, but it felt good yelling it.’

When his competition wouldn’t back down, Wolf admits to picking up the abandoned camera equipment that lay on the floor – the costly cameras, lenses, and filters – and destroying them piece by piece by shattering them on the ground.

Instead of shouting that she’d summon the police, he later claims he managed to flee via the shattered front entrance, hanging precariously by a solitary hinge at that point.

Rather than take the elevator, he decided it made more sense to take the stairs.

He describes rushing down the twenty-one stories as swiftly as a marathon runner, quickly making it back onto the street.

I overheard sirens and spotted the blinking blue lights from police vehicles, astonished to find out that she actually dialed the police.

After that fateful evening, Wolf made an effort to mend things with Dunaway, but unfortunately, their turbulent union headed swiftly towards divorce not long after. Four years later, in 1983, she tied the knot with O’Neill instead.

Through their short-lived marriage, Faye was able to adopt a child, thereby realizing her long-held desire to be a mother.

Over the course of time, I found myself miraculously rebuilding a bond with my former lover, Faye, from the shattered remnants of our once passionate relationship. In moments of reflection, she admittedly hinted at the prospect of reviving our love affair.

Perhaps understandably, Wolf writes: ‘That was not a road I would go down again.’ 

 

Waiting on the Moon: A Gathering of Artists, Poets, Drifters, Dreamers, and Divinities”

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

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2025-03-13 19:23

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