Liza Minnelli
When Mama Judy Garland died, she cried for eight days
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A new documentary reveals: When her famous mother Judy Garland died of an overdose at the age of just 47, Liza Minnelli’s world fell apart. She couldn’t stop crying for eight days, says the singer and actress.
“Life is a cabaret…”, Liza Minnelli, 78, once sang with great success on stage. But that was not always true for the actress in real life. She went through four divorces, suffered several miscarriages and battled her addiction. She also found it difficult to cope with the tragic death of her famous mother Judy Garland, †47.
Liza Minnelli heartbroken over death of mother Judy Garland
The highs and lows in the singer and actress’ life have now been highlighted in a new documentary. “Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story” premiered on Wednesday, June 12, at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. Liza Minnelli was born in Los Angeles in 1946 as the daughter of actress Judy Garland, who was celebrated as a child in “The Wizard of Oz,” and director Vincente Minnelli, †83. Her greatest success was in the role of Sally Bowles in the film musical “Cabaret,” for which she won an Oscar. But when her mother, who suffered from drug addiction, died of an accidental overdose in 1969 at the age of just 49, she was said to have been inconsolable, the documentary reveals, according to “People.”
“It was a disaster”
Liza was only 23 years old at the time. She couldn’t believe it when she heard about her mother’s death. “My mother? No, she’ll never die,” she recalled her first thoughts. When she finally realized what had happened, she started crying. “I didn’t stop for about eight days,” Minnelli said of her grief. “It was just devastating for me.” Her friend Michael Feinstein also added: “Her mother’s death was a catastrophe.”
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She wanted a family, but suffered miscarriages
She was never able to have children herself, although she had hoped to become a mother. In an archive clip, she can be seen saying: “I really want a family.” Over the years, Liza Minnelli was married to four men: the Australian showman Peter Allen, †48, the director and producer Jack Haley Jr., †67, the sculptor Mark Gero and the producer David Gest, †62. But she suffered a total of three miscarriages, once with Haley and twice with Gero. Although she could not have babies of her own, she became the favorite aunt of her nieces, nephews and godchildren. “She would have been a great mother,” said Allan Lazare.
Source used: people.com