In October 1930, Lombard met William Powell and they worked together in the films Man of the World and Ladies' Man. Unlike many of Lombard's other suiters at the time, Powell was urbane and sophisticated and showed her a side of life she had not seen before. He also appreciated her blunt personality and bawdy sense of humor. They married on June 26, 1931. Lombard commented to fan magazines that she did not believe their sixteen-year age difference would present a problem, but friends felt they were ill-suited, as Lombard had an extroverted personality while Powell was more reserved. The pair also noticed that while they made excellent friends, their life together as spouses could not possibly work. They divorced in 1933, but remained friends and worked together without acrimony, notably in My Man Godfrey.

In 1934, following her divorce from Powell, Lombard moved into a house on Hollywood Boulevard designed by friend William Haines. She lived with a friend from the days of Mac