In addition to being idolized for his songwriting, John Lennon is also well known for some of his darker behavior, including infidelity and abuse. But a new historical biography about the Beatles reveals an even more shocking story about the music legend — a tale of revenge against fellow icon Jayne Mansfield. The book claims that John Lennon urinated into a cocktail glass and tricked the actress into drinking it.

According to the Mirror, the retaliation was provoked by Jayne Mansfield attempting to seduce John Lennon. The Hollywood sex symbol followed Lennon into the Los Angeles mansion he was renting with the rest of the Beatles in an attempt to get him into bed. In the process of her seduction, Mansfield began to pull at John Lennon’s signature long hair. Apparently, this was enough for the Beatles frontman to get back at the actress in a pretty disgusting way. John Lennon secretly peed into a cocktail, gave it to Jayne Mansfield, and watched her drink it. After a taste, she announced the beverage was “a real humdinger.” Lennon later referred to the drink as a “Beatles Special.”

The story comes from the book The Beatles: Messages from John, Paul, George and Ringo by Chris Hutchins. While John Lennon’s actions may seem repulsive and despicable, he did later admit to Mansfield that he had peed in the drink. He confessed the putrid prank while they were at a nightclub, prompting her to attack him. Lennon had to leave the club quickly for his own safety.

Hutchins relayed the horrifying account via the Daily Mail, claiming that John Lennon’s behavior was mostly brought on by his dislike of how the Beatles were perceived.

“But as much as he loved women, he hated the way The Beatles were treated as novelties, rather than real people, and he couldn’t bear to be touched uninvited by strangers. This prompted him to take a horrible revenge upon Mansfield, secretly peeing into the cocktail which she had asked me to mix her and watching with delight as she drank it…”

Fans of John Lennon have struggled for decades over the dirty details of his moral character. While people still praise John to this day for his musical genius, the actions of his private life tend to repel people, making it difficult to reconcile their love for his songs.

What do you think about John Lennon’s trick on Mansfield? Does it affect your perception of him?

[Image credit: Getty]