She was born Margaret Thomas Adams on January 11, 1922 in Greenville, South Carolina. Her family claimed they were related to President John Adams. During her freshman year at the University of North Carolina she was discovered by modeling agent Harry Conover. The eighteen year old dropped out of school and moved to New York City to be a model. Abigail made her film debut in the 1942 comedy Moonlight Masquerade using the stage name Tommye Adams. On January 22, 1942 she married forty-one year old actor Lyle Talbot. Their marriage was annulled just eight months later. She was romantically involved with Tony Martin, Mickey Rooney, and pianist Jose Iturbi. Then in 1944 she began a turbulent romance with actor George Jessel. He was twenty-three older than her and had three ex-wives. The couple broke up and got back together numerous times. Abigail appeared in more than a dozen films including Bathing Beauty and Marriage Is A Private Affair. Unfortunately most of her roles were uncredited bit parts. In March of 1945 she was arrested for hit and run driving. Her boyfriend George testified in her defense and the charges were dropped.
Soon after her Los Angeles apartment was destroyed by a fire. By the late 1940s she had developed a serious drinking problem and her career was in trouble. Her last film role was in the 1948 comedy The Fuller Brush Man. George finally proposed to her with a heart shaped diamond ring in 1949 but he refused to set a wedding date. They continued to have an on-again off-again relationship. She started performing in nightclubs and wrote a screenplay. Sadly she suffered from severe insomnia and began taking sleeping pills at night. In 1950 she attempted suicide by slashing her wrists. Then she made headlines by getting into a fight with a singer George has flirted with. Abigail was arrested on December 12, 1954 for public intoxication. A few weeks later she finally ended her relationship with George Jessel. On the evening of February 13, 1955 she talked to George on the phone. Then she went out on a date with Max Marks, a drugstore owner. The next morning Max discovered her dead in her bed. She had overdosed on sleeping pills at the young age of thirty-three. Her death was ruled a suicide. Abigail was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Charlotte, North Carolina.
With George Jessel
Soon after her Los Angeles apartment was destroyed by a fire. By the late 1940s she had developed a serious drinking problem and her career was in trouble. Her last film role was in the 1948 comedy The Fuller Brush Man. George finally proposed to her with a heart shaped diamond ring in 1949 but he refused to set a wedding date. They continued to have an on-again off-again relationship. She started performing in nightclubs and wrote a screenplay. Sadly she suffered from severe insomnia and began taking sleeping pills at night. In 1950 she attempted suicide by slashing her wrists. Then she made headlines by getting into a fight with a singer George has flirted with. Abigail was arrested on December 12, 1954 for public intoxication. A few weeks later she finally ended her relationship with George Jessel. On the evening of February 13, 1955 she talked to George on the phone. Then she went out on a date with Max Marks, a drugstore owner. The next morning Max discovered her dead in her bed. She had overdosed on sleeping pills at the young age of thirty-three. Her death was ruled a suicide. Abigail was buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Charlotte, North Carolina.
