Editing Barbara Hutton (section)

===Alexis Mdivani===

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Her first husband, Alexis [[Mdivani]], used her great wealth to his advantage. As a social climber, member of an exiled [[Nobility of Georgia (country)|Georgian nobility]] with the rank of [[aznauri]] (untitled nobility), he and his siblings were part of the "Marrying Mdivanis" from Georgia who claimed to be "princes" after they fled [[Tbilisi]] in 1921 due to the [[Soviet invasion of Georgia]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Heyman|first1=David C.|title=Poor Little Rich Girl: The Life and Legend of Barbara Hutton|date=1983|publisher=Random House|location=New York, NY|pages=34–38}}</ref> Alexis was already married to Louise Van Alen, a friend Barbara met at [[Bailey's Beach]] in Rhode Island and a member of the [[Astor family]], when he met Barbara in Biarritz, France. Their meeting was engineered by Alexis' manipulative sister {{Ill|Isabelle Roussadana Mdivani|de|Roussadana Mdivani}} (aka ''Roussie'') who was always propelling her family into wealthy marriages even if a divorce was required. Roussie and Alexis devised a plan that would enable Alexis to divorce Louise, seduce Barbara, and force her into marriage all at once when Alexis, Louise, Barbara, Roussie, and others were visiting [[San Sebastián|San Sebastian, Spain]]. Roussie timed Louise and other witnesses to a visit a guest cottage while Alexis seduced Barbara. The group caught the couple, prompting Barbara to flee to Paris to avoid facing the scandal,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Heyman|first1=David C.|title=Poor Little Rich Girl: The Life and Legend of Barbara Hutton|date=1983|publisher=Random House|location=New York, NY|page=63}}</ref> but Roussie threatened Barbara with negative publicity if she did not marry her brother.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Moats|first1=Alice-Leone|title=The Million Dollar Studs|date=1977|publisher=Delacorte Press|location=New York, NY|pages=105–120}}</ref> Alexis and Barbara were married on June 22, 1933, in the Russian Orthodox Church in Paris, France. Barbara's father provided a $1 million dowry. After spending millions of Barbara's inheritance on a home, polo ponies, clothes and men's jewelry, Alexis and Barbara divorced in March 1935.