Buzz
In 1948, an unidentified man’s body was discovered on a beach in Australia. Eventually, a tabloid speculated that he could be an alien. His death mask remains a staple in UFO-related literature. gremlin / Getty ImagesKey Highlights
- Jackie Gleason, the renowned comedian, was reportedly shown the preserved bodies of four extraterrestrial beings at Homestead Air Force Base in 1973, thanks to his friend, President Richard Nixon.
- Gleason, who had a passionate interest in UFOs, was deeply affected by the experience and was sworn to silence.
- After Gleason's divorce, his second wife Beverly revealed the tale to the public, despite Gleason's initial commitment to keeping it a secret.
Beverly, the second wife of the late comedian Jackie Gleason, shared an eerie tale that she insists is absolutely true. In 1973, she recounts in an unpublished memoir about their marriage, Gleason returned to their Florida home visibly disturbed. After initially refusing to explain his distress, he finally revealed that earlier that day, President Richard Nixon had arranged for him to visit Homestead Air Force Base in Florida.
Upon his arrival, armed guards escorted Gleason to a secluded building on the base. Inside, Gleason, who had a deep fascination with UFOs, claimed to have witnessed the preserved bodies of four alien beings, each around two feet tall, with bald heads and large ears. He was given no details about how they were recovered. Swearing his wife to secrecy, Gleason never spoke of it again, but after their divorce, Beverly freely shared the story.
In the mid-1980s, when ufologist Larry Bryant took legal action against the U.S. government in an attempt to force them to reveal UFO-related information, he unsuccessfully sought to subpoena Gleason.
