Liza Minnelli's Explosive Memoir Unveils Hollywood's Wildest Tales
This week marks the release of Kids, Wait Til You Hear This!, the highly anticipated memoir by legendary entertainer Liza Minnelli. The book, brimming with Broadway flair and candid confessions, offers a no-holds-barred look into her tumultuous life, from Hollywood glamour to personal struggles.
Scandalous Romances and Hollywood Feuds
Minnelli delves into her passionate affair with director Martin Scorsese during the filming of New York, New York in 1977. She describes their relationship as layered like a lasagna, fueled by intense passion and cocaine. Despite the romance, she ultimately had to fire him from a Broadway project, a decision that left her heartbroken. Years later, she recounts a painful encounter at the Oscars where Scorsese turned away from her.
Another shocking revelation involves actor Peter Sellers, who Minnelli says dressed in full Nazi regalia during a visit to Joan Collins' home in London. She expresses outrage at this antisemitic act, highlighting the darker side of their tumultuous relationship.
Family Turmoil and Addiction Battles
The memoir poignantly details Minnelli's complex relationship with her mother, Judy Garland. From childhood trauma to managing Garland's addiction, Minnelli reveals she acted as a caretaker from a young age, swapping pills with aspirin to prevent overdose. Despite the manipulation and jealousy, she writes with deep love and admiration for her mother's talent.
Minnelli also opens up about her own struggles with addiction, including a harrowing incident where she passed out on Lexington Avenue, ignored by passersby. She credits Elizabeth Taylor with urging her to seek rehab, sharing Taylor's blunt warnings about the life-threatening nature of her substance abuse.
Showbiz Clashes and Creative Contributions
Feuds with industry giants are laid bare, including a fallout with composer Stephen Sondheim over a mis-sung line that led him to block a live album release. Minnelli also claims she helped inspire Michael Jackson's moonwalk after seeing a dance move in Brazil, and suggests her 1972 concert film previewed hip-hop choreography.
On a lighter note, she shares her experience on Arrested Development, performing her own stunts as Lucille Austero, and at 80, expresses a playful desire to continue dating men of various ages.
From wild anecdotes involving Princess Diana to scathing remarks about ex-husband David Gest, Minnelli's memoir is a rollercoaster of honesty and drama, cementing her status as an unflinching storyteller.
