Shaw was married eight times : Jane Cairns ( 1932 ) ; Margaret Allen ( 1934-37 ) ; Lana Turner ( 1940 ) ; Betty Kern ( 1941-43 ) , daughter of songwriter Jerome Kern ; Ava Gardner ( 1945-46 ) ; Forever Amber author Kathleen Winsor ( 1946-48 ) ; Doris Dowling ( 1952-56 ) and Evelyn Keyes ( 1957-85 ) . A self-proclaimed `` very difficult man , '' Shaw was married eight times : Jane Cairns ( 1932 â `` 33 ) ; Margaret Allen ( 1934 â `` 37 ) ; actress Lana Turner ( 1940 ) ; Betty Kern ( 1942 â `` 43 ) , the daughter of songwriter Jerome Kern ; actress Ava Gardner ( 1945 â `` 46 ) ; Forever Amber author Kathleen Winsor ( 1946 â `` 48 ) ; actress Doris Dowling ( 1952 â `` 56 ) ; and actress Evelyn Keyes ( 1957 â `` 85 ) . He had one son with Betty Kern , and another son , Jonathan Shaw ( a well-known tattoo artist who founded Fun City Tattoo ) , with Doris Dowling .