Lita Grey Chaplin in Honolulu, 1926

In November 1926, Lita spent three weeks in Hawaii with her mother and Charlie, Jr. A few days after their return, she separated from Chaplin and moved out of his house. According to Lita, Chaplin suggested that she take the trip to think things over. However in cross complaint for divorce, Chaplin states that he sent Lita to Hawaii to get her away from the car salesman with whom he believed she was having an affair. The cross complaint also states that while she was on the boat to and from Honolulu "she so conducted herself and engaged in such a course of conduct as to cause passengers on the boat both to notice and to comment upon her conduct and to make uncomplimentary remarks of and concerning her and her said conduct." Lita's behavior caused Chaplin, according to his cross-complaint, "extreme mental anguish and sorrow and great humiliation."¹ He also accused her of spending hours away from Charlie, Jr. during the course of the trip. These allegations were nothing more than an attempt, and an unsuccessful one at that, by Chaplin's lawyers to paint Lita as an unfit mother.

See photos of Charlie posing with Lita and Charlie, Jr. prior to their departure for Honolulu here and here.

¹Chaplin divorce documents reprinted in Wife Of The Life Of The Party by Lita Grey Chaplin & Jeffrey Vance, 1998