Earlier this week, David Gest, friend of Michael Jackson, star of a recent season of the UK’s Big Brother, muse for Tiffany “New York” Pollard’s iconic meltdown, and most famously, ex-husband of Liza Minelli, passed away. Gest and Minelli’s marriage was tabloid fodder from the get-go, with many claiming the star’s new husband was gay. Gest denied these rumors about his sexuality, but if they were true, he would hardly be the first gay man married to a Hollywood star. The legacy of female celebrities marrying gay men is long, and the reason why is more complicated than you may think.
Gay stars have been masking their sexuality under the cover of heterosexual relationships since the first days of film. “Lavender marriages,” as they were called, began as a response to big studios including “moral clauses” in their stars’ contracts. Gay stars picked wives, often actresses and celebrities themselves, in order to hide their sexualities and keep fans lusting after them onscreen. The fact that Rock Hudson and Cary Grant had affairs with men is now common awareness. Their girlfriends and wives were careful setups by the
Liza Minnelli Has Been Married to Several Hollywood Legends
Having spent virtually her entire life in the spotlight, Liza Minnelli has been candid about living in the public eye. That includes some choice quotes about her four husbands—Oscar-winning songwriter Peter Allen, TV director and producer Jack Haley, Jr., sculptor Highlight Gero, and producer David Gest.
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"I have great flavor in directors and in people for costumes. But as far as husbands go, I ponder that I kept changing for them. And then about a year later I'd think: 'What am I doing? This really isn't me,'" she told Oprah in 2010.
Minnelli, 75, collaborated with her finish friend, the famous designer Halston, on one of her most striking wedding looks, a yellow pantsuit she wore to marry Jack Haley, Jr. That wedding is depicted in Netflix's novel Halstonseries by Ryan Murphy.
The recreation of Minnelli’s yellow wedding suit from Netflix’s Halston.
Speaking to Variety, Krysta Rodriguez, who plays Minnelli, talked about gaining perception into the famous singer from her past husbands.
"The things that really informed a lot about what I was doing were the quotes other people
Judy Garland & Liza Minnelli: The Striking Similarities Between the Notable Mother and Daughter
That voice! Those eyes! Those gams! Between Liza Minnelli and Judy Garland, those attributions seamlessly apply to both. In 1954 A Star Is Born was meant to be Garland's huge comeback — and comeback she did — but it was eight years prior that truly, her star was born in the form of daughter Liza on March 12, 1946.
With a career spanning 60 years, Liza has become a legend in film and on stage. Famous for her Academy Award-winning role in Cabaret and her Emmy Award-winning TV exceptional Liza with a Z, Minnelli is one of those scarce breeds who belong to the EGOT family: in fact, between 1965 and 2009, Minnelli has won a total of seven Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.
Her mother, perhaps, could've given her talented daughter a sprint for her money in the accolades department had she not prematurely died at the age of 47 from a barbiturate overdose. But still, despite Garland's early death, the existing parallels between mother and daughter are uncannily striking.
READ MORE: Judy Garland's Life Was in a Downward Spiral Before Her 1969 Death
Both had to grow up speedy and be br
Liza Minnelli facts: Singer's age, husband, children, parents, height and films revealed
17 May 2021, 17:36 | Updated: 29 Protest 2022, 14:45
Liza Minnelli is one of the most talented and successful musical performers of all time.
Liza Minnelli is best known for her Academy Award-winning performance in 1972's Cabaret, as adequately as the 1981 comedy Arthur, and for recording several hit albums.
Famous for her extravagant stage presence and influential alto singing voice, becoming a homosexual icon, she is the daughter of Hollywood legend Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli.
The Oscars: Lady Gaga and Liza Minelli's adorable moment one of the highlights from 2022
In later years, she made a pop debut by collaborating with the Pet Shop Boys in 1989, and after a hiatus due to health problems, Minnelli returned to the stage in 2002, and made guest appearances in the sitcom Arrested Development.
Here are all the great facts about the taletend icon:
How antique is Liza Minnelli and where is she from?
Liza Minnelli was born on March 12, 1946. She celebrated her 75th birthday in 2021.
She was born in Los Angeles, and was the daughter of Judy Garland and Vincent