Viral Photo From 'Gone With the Wind' Star Olivia de Havilland Shows Her Riding Bike on Her 104th Birthday

Legendary actor Olivia de Havilland passed away at the age of 104 on Sunday. In response to the [...]

By Stephanie Downs

Legendary actor Olivia de Havilland passed away at the age of 104 on Sunday. In response to the news, many users on social media have been fondly remembering the late Academy Award winner. One photo of the actor, in particular, has gone viral following the news of her death. The snap showcases de Havilland riding her bike on her 104th birthday.

On July 1, the actor's birthday, one user on social media posted a photo of de Havilland riding a bike around. In the snap, the legendary entertainer can be seen donning a bright smile as she rides along on her red bike. The user's post came alongside a throwback of de Havilland riding a bicycle in her younger years, showcasing that her love for bike riding has spanned decades. Many users commented on the post to express just how much they loved seeing de Havilland happy and active, as one person even wrote, "I love this!!! Dame Olivia de Havilland is truly in a league of her own. 104 strong!!!"

De Havilland was well-known for appearing in a bevy of classic films such as The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Snake Pit, and The Heiress, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. She also portrayed Melanie Hamilton in Gone With the Wind, which earned the late star her first Academy Award nomination. The actor's publicist, Lisa Goldberg, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that de Havilland had passed away on Sunday at the age of 104. She died of natural causes in her home in Paris, which is where she has been living for more than 60 years. As THR noted, de Havilland had an incredible impact on the entertainment business. Back in 1943, she sued Warner Bros. to gain freedom from the studio after her seven-year contract with them had ended. Ultimately, in 1945, the courts ruled that de Havilland was free from the studio. They also ruled that all artists were to be limited to the calendar terms of their respective deals.

"I was deeply gratified when, returning to MGM after his long and distinguished military service, Jimmy Stewart asked the court on the basis of that decision for a ruling on his contract — and thus the contracts of other actor-veterans — and received, of course, a favorable verdict," de Havilland said about the case during a 1992 interview with Screen Actor. "When I won the final round of my case on Feb. 3, 1945, every actor was now confirmed as free of his long-term contract at the end of its seven-year term, regardless of how many suspensions he had taken during those seven years. No one thought I would win, but after I did, flowers, letters and telegrams arrived from my fellow actors. This was wonderfully rewarding."

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