yeah he was kind of a dick with his wife, he also dated girls while he was teaching and took the girls to her "study room" where his wife shouldn't interrupt them.... I mean if she hears screams... that's ok.... just keep doing what you're doing..... but yeah that's what I remember from a documentary as well (probably the same you watched)
yes, he probed mass bends space-time by watching how the position of stars seemed to move a little when the sun was passing in front of them, that's because the light was slightly bent. All very interesting :)