In 1906 a new man appeared in Kyveli’s life, who, at 18, was one of the beauties of her time: Kostas Theodoridis, a wealthy young man first encountered her through mutual friends. Their courtship culminated with the sensational elopement of the young star, who abandoned her husband and children and fled to Paris with Theodoridis. They remained there for 10 months and she gave birth to her third child Aliki Theodoridi-Nor. As expected, the scandal that erupted in Athenian society was enormous. The legend of the elopement was further intensified following its serialisation in the press by Nikos Stathopoulos. During her time in Paris, Kyveli frequented the theatre, prepared her future artistic strides and was in correspondence with Thivaios, an impresario whom she aimed to secure as producer, not decided yet to create her own theatre company.
The couple returned to Athens to a caustic welcome by the Press: “At that time there was a woman by the name of Kyveli […] And having abandoned her husband and children she went to Paris with her lover. And having returned here after 10 months she once again calls upon the theatregoing audience to come and admire her […] But, my dear readers, why this campaign of pillorying and the opposite campaign of adulation and apologies?”, wrote one newspaper of the time.
Kostas Theodoridis loved Kyveli with all his heart up until the end of his life. He would become Manager of her theatre company and remain at his post for over two decades even after their separation. In fact, during those decades, in some years he would support two or even three of Kyveli’s troupes. Theodoridis was a loving father for all of Kyveli’s children, including those from her first marriage, as well as for Giorgakis, the son of Georgios Papandreou who would later become her third husband.
