During production of this film, Ingrid Bergman entered into an extra-marital affair with Roberto Rossellini and became pregnant, the two eventually getting married and having three children. The resulting scandal in America effectively blacklisted her from the North American movie market and she was even condemned by politicians and religious figures. She was finally forgiven and welcomed back to America upon the success of Anastasia (1956), but her Hollywood career was temporarily ended by this movie.
In the promotional material, Howard Hughes played up the parallels between the character lead actress Ingrid Bergman played and her recent indiscreet behavior. He re-cut the film behind Roberto Rossellini's back and refused to screen it for the press. The film got talked about before it was seen. It was banned outright in Memphis, and the Roman Catholic church urged its priests not to see it. As a result of the public tempest, the movie opened to phenomenal business, earning nearly $1 million on its first day.
U.S. Senator Edwin C. Johnson denounced the film, saying, "The degenerate Rossellini has deceived the American people with an idiotic story of a volcano and a pregnant woman. We must protect ourselves against such scourges."
Anna Magnani, who was having an affair with director Roberto Rossellini, was initially set to star in the lead role but was dropped after Ingrid Bergman sent Rossellini a letter expressing her desire to work with him. Out of spite, Magnani decided to set up a production of Vulcano (1950) using the same plot, shot at the same time and in nearly the same places as Stromboli.