Elizabeth Taylor's Eight Marriages
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Hello. Hello. Hello. Welcome to Old Hollywood Month, episode two. Excited, excited. Excited, excited. I loved last week's episode. Thank you. Tess and I are going to see Babylon soon. Stay tuned for that. It's supposed to be a three-hour movie. Which, you know how we feel about that. Three hours and nine minutes, in fact. Yeah.

I still am scared of it. I know, me too. But I think going to a matinee will actually help us or it will disorient. I can't stay awake past 4 p.m. if I'm watching a movie. Who can? In this storm? In this LA storm? Oh, yeah, guys. It's raining like crazy. Monsoon, I would say. As it's like the sun shining. It was a beautiful evening. But last night was like I couldn't sleep all night because it was just so loud. It was so loud. I woke up and I got a little excited. Oh, you liked it? I did. So, for old Hollywood. Yes. Yes.

Lord knows it took me forever to be able to want to research something, and you recommended this to me. And it was the first one I was like, yeah, because I wanted juicy. I wanted romance. I wanted affairs. I wanted love. And that is why. Tell me. Claire had the idea that I research. Don't give me the credit. Well, Elizabeth Taylor's Eight Marriages.

I can't wait. I feel like this is one of the things that she's notorious for, for sure. Yes, which it's like, I think throughout the research, I was like, oh, but God, she like did so many interesting things. And she was such a fascinating woman. And she had a very complex life.

And then I was like, all right, if I was married eight times too, though, like, I would expect that's all, like, kind of like my legacy, which, like, it shouldn't define you. But eight times is a equation. It's more than David Foster. And that is quite an accomplishment. Truly. What's your, like, knowledge about it? What do you know? Well, that's the thing with Elizabeth Taylor. I don't.

know that much about her. I know that she was known for being the most beautiful woman alive at one point. That was kind of like a title that was given to her. She was like a beautiful child. Yeah. And a beautiful woman, but I think she looked like 30 when she was 12. That's always tough for a girl. That was tough. Always complicated. But I also know, and Tess and I were discussing this before, my friend Haley Ram, a true Rammy. A true Rammy. From the beginning. Yeah.

Looks so much like Elizabeth Taylor. So Haley, if you're listening, I've always associated her with you. And my last thing that I'll say is she was Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Yes. She's phenomenal. Yes. Timothy Williams in the movie. It's so good with Paul Walker, I think. Not Paul Walker. As soon as I said it, I was like, that's not right. Paul Newman. Paul Newman.

Why does he have a salad company? Is that his salad? Is that his? I mean, the cartoon kind of resembles him. It does. So, I don't know.

I always thought it was just a coincidence. He's like the first like Bethany Frankel skinny girl like salad dressing before Bethany's time. Before Bethany was like, I'm going to make salad dressing 10 calories. It's like, don't do it. We already know what we're doing. It's never good. Give me the ranch. We don't want to. Give me the ranch. So that's my knowledge of Elizabeth Taylor. We love that. I didn't really know much except that she converted to Judaism for one of her husbands. She did. Which Charlotte references on Sex and the City. So I learned it that way. Is that why she named her dog Elizabeth Taylor?

Yes. She loves Elizabeth Taylor. It's so interesting because I see Charlotte as more of an Audrey Hepburn because I do think Elizabeth Taylor is like a regal, gorgeous beauty, but I also think she's scandalous. She is scandalous. But maybe that's a little bit of Charlotte too. I shouldn't try to put her in a box. I always do that to Charlotte. I do. I think a lot of people do. But we get good. So I'd like to start off with a quote. Please. From our queen, Elizabeth. Mm-hmm.

Oh, honey. Sweetheart. Wow. But I did kind of relate to her in this moment because when my mom started learning ASL, the first thing I asked her was, how do you say diamond ring? Yeah.

Actually, I'm like, that is you. That is a quote that you would say. My birthstone's a diamond. I was always very protective and weird about it as a kid. King of gins. Check out our Valentine's Day episode, I think is when we talk about it. It sure is. Everyone slacks on that episode, but it's a good one. Yeah, everyone sleeps on it. Yeah, guys, we can see the numbers, okay? Yeah, we can. So before we get into, because the meat of the episode will obviously be about her relationships, these marriages, these divorces, et cetera, et cetera. Yeah.

But I needed to, you know, talk about her as an actress, as a philanthropist, and just pay respect to her life because it is very interesting. And a good segue from last episode, Old Hollywood. Exactly. I feel like she is one of the first, like, major movie stars. She really is. She was born...

Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor. February 27th. Aquarius. Zodiac is a Pisces. A Pisces. Wow. Okay. Actually, maybe it's all that emotion in her. I mean, there's a lot of emotion. Yeah, you're right. I take that for a second. There's a lot of something. Oh, wow.

She was born in London, England, which I always thought she was. She was born in London? Yeah. Are her parents British? So she was an epo baby, technically. You said this to me the other day and that shocked me. So born in London to socially prominent American parents. Mmm.

That were just being chic and living in London. You know the time. I know. Jesus Christ. And in that time, wait, what year was she born? 1932. Wow. And then her family moved to LA in 1939. Okay. So her dad was an American art dealer and her mom was an American stage actor.

actress. Okay, so yes, like this is our current day Nepo babies. It's like Amrata. Yeah. Oh, yes. Right? Wasn't her mom like a famous art dealer or something? I was gonna say she would have been cast on Girls. She is like

She's like Marnie. Yes, exactly. I mean, all of those actors' parents were like art dealers and something else artsy. Exactly. God, why are art dealers so rich? No kidding. I guess if you get the good ones, you get the good ones. That is true. That is true. So she made her acting debut with a minor role in the Universal Pictures film There's One Born Every Minute. Have you heard of that? No. I have to say I haven't heard of many of these. Yeah.

But the studio ended her contract after a year, so then she went over to MGM. Mm-hmm. That's what I associate her with, is MGM. Yeah, that's what I was, like, that's Judy Garland. That's, like, all of that sort of time. And she became a popular teen after starring in National Velvet in 1944. Have you ever seen that movie? Uh-uh. I remember watching that as a kid. It's about, like, it's her and that little actor, Short King. Like... Or Rooney Marr. Yeah. Not Rooney Marr. Rooney Marr! Nicky Rourke? Yes!

You knew what I was talking about. Mickey Rourke, not Rahimara. Also, Louis B. Mayer apparently was terrible to him because of his height. Probably. God. What a monster. No kidding. What a monster. And I remember watching it as a kid and being like, she is the most beautiful, and this sounds weird to say girl I've ever seen, but like... Wasn't she a girl at this point? Yeah, she just was like this... Probably like, what? 1944? Don't come for us with math. What is it? 1932? Yeah. So she's like 12? 12, yeah. Yeah.

We won't edit it out, even though I wish we could. We keep it. We humble ourselves every day. We do. We really do. She transitioned to major roles in the 1950s when she starred in the comedy Father of the Bride in 1950. There have been... Nancy Meyers didn't create Father of the Bride. She did not. A day without learning is a day wasted. We also should do an episode on Nancy Meyers because we mentioned her in our ads now. We can... Yeah, no kidding. She is officially our third co-host. She really is. Um...

But despite being one of MGM's most bankable stars, she didn't wish to end her career in the early 1950s. She resented the studio's control. She didn't like the atmosphere. She didn't like the roles that she was being offered. She was kind of like a pioneer at the time for being like, I deserve better and didn't really fall into the traps of Lecce, Judy Garland. Not making one of them stronger than the other, but I think she just was very much like, I don't like it. I wonder if it's because she was a nepo baby. Yeah.

Like she wasn't like trapped and she's like, whatever. Like I know I come from money. It's not like this thing I've never seen before. I didn't even think of that. I wonder if that made her more like... Oh, that's so interesting of like her life kind of like wasn't depending on it. Right. I don't know though. I mean, she also was a woman back then. So... That is true. It's not like she could just go get a job anytime she wanted. That is true. So in the mid 1950s, she starred in this...

Epic drama giant. I've never heard of it. Never heard of it either. And starred in several critically and commercially successful films in the following years. These included two film adaptations of... Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Uh-huh. And Suddenly Last Summer. I've heard of it, but I've never seen it. I know. God, I haven't seen any old movies. That's how I feel too, which maybe we'll dive in. I know, because sometimes I'm like, does that make me not like a movie? You know, like when there's people that are like...

You're a movie buff. Whatever. Like, who are you to say that I don't like movies because I haven't seen Citizen Kane? Thank you. I'm just mad. It's so true.

And then Taylor won a Golden Globe for Best Actress for Suddenly Last Summer. Oh. Man, she really should have won for Cat on the Hot Tin Roof. I just have a special part for that because I played one of the no-neck monsters when I was younger in a play in my local theater. And there it is. Is Cat on the Hot Tin Roof the one with the little girl who has the limp? No.

I don't know which one that one is. Cat on a Hot Toon Roof is really interesting because she plays a character named Maggie and she's married to a man named Brick, I want to say. And he's a gay man that's closeted and he won't have sex with her. And they're in, I love Tennessee Williams plays. Man, I should have seen that play if you're picking up what I'm going to tell.

Oh, it's so good. It's so good. Oh, God. And then finally, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in this movie. Oh, good. Butterfield 8 in 1960, and that was her last film for MGM. Oh, really? Wow. So she had a great acting career, but such an interesting part of her. She was like a huge and one of the first celebrities that was like an actual philanthropist that didn't just put her name on things, that she was like extremely passionate about HIV and AIDS. Oh, yeah.

Maybe I do know that. Yeah. Like, I mean, her, like after her career, her entire life was basically dedicated to, in her entire life, she raised more than $270 million for the cause. Yeah.

That makes me want to sob. Do you think after doing some research that it is because I think of her as a very much like a gay icon and I think she was like a really big ally from the start. So that's kind of what I assumed as well. And then I watched a Barbara Walters interview with her. Oh no. And she had come out and said that her niece,

had HIV. And it was because of a bad blood transfusion. And then on the interview, she admitted that it wasn't because of that. But she had just said that because of the stigma that it actually was from sex with someone that was infected. Oh, no. Wait, her niece? Her niece. Yes. Because Barbara Walters was like, oh, it's always been so near and dear in your heart. And is it because of your niece? And it's just funny. Wait, Elizabeth was a

had HIV AIDS? Her niece had it. Okay, okay. So that's why she was passionate about it because someone in her family had experienced it. But she lied about the reason why her niece had it because it was so stigmatized at the time. And she wanted to support it but didn't want to say that it was because of sex, which is just like...

What a crazy world we've lived in. History is dark, man. History is so dark. So she once said to Vanity Fair that she decided with my name I could open certain doors, that I was a commodity in itself, and I'm not talking as an actress. I could take the fame I'd resented and tried to get away from for so many years, but could never get away from it, and I thought I wanted to do some good. I love that. I wanted to retire, but the tabloids wouldn't let me. So I thought, if you're going to screw me over, I'll use you. Wow.

Oh, my God. What an icon. Truly. That she's like, okay, cool. Now I'll just donate like $300 million to a great cause. Oh, my God. I love her. I know. She seems spicy. She's spicy. God, I mean, I feel like so many old actresses remind me of my grandma. Oh. Just like that kind of like...

sassy, like, fuck everyone. Very fiery. I love that. So like I said earlier, she also converted to Judaism. Listen to our Hanukkah episode. We talk all about it. We talk through and through. That's right. And because of her conversion, Taylor became an active supporter of Jewish causes. She purchased $100,000 worth of Israeli bonds, which led to her films being banned by Muslim countries throughout the Middle East and Africa.

Wow. God, I mean, the more things change, the more they stay the same, though. God, it's so true. And we'll talk about this later when we get into one of her relationships. She was barred from entering Egypt to film Cleopatra in the 60s. What? Yeah. Oh, my God. Yeah, we'll get all into it. But she kind of like didn't care. She was like very much that kind of...

you know, person and actress in the industry, which is hard to be where you're just like, cool, I pissed you off. I'm gonna keep pissing you off. And let's see what happens. Like, Angie spent so many nights at Studio 54. I do know that like, but when she was older, yes, which would make it even more iconic. She's just probably smoking cigarettes, just watching the kids. Oh, my God, I know that like, we always ask our guests who you would want to have a joint with in history and Elizabeth Taylor already before I even know about our marriages. Is that

there. And Laura knows that she was smoking. Was she? I'm sure. Oh my gosh. I mean, she dipped her hand in everything, you think? She really did. And then the final thing I'll say before we get into the juice is that she kind of was like the first celeb influencer. And I know I've said this about like everyone. I've said it about Martha Stewart. I've said it about...

Whitney. They all are. But she had, she created a collection of fragrances, which literally did establish the trend of celebrity branded fragrances. That's like how it all started. With her? With her. It was Diamonds or something? Yes. Look at you. I remember the commercials. In collaboration with Elizabeth Arden, she began launching two bestselling perfumes, Passion and

And white diamonds. White diamonds. I remember like diamonds falling. It was like such a 90s commercial. Gorgeous. We'll post it. We must. It might even be the cover. You know, we'll just see. Yeah, we'll just see. So yeah, she had 11 fragrances in her time.

So, you know, she had a good end of her life. Wait, just real quick. I saw on TikTok the other day. So it's Bible. I'm just kidding, guys. Don't come for us. One of the trends in 2023 that celebrities are going to do are come back, like fragrances are going to make a huge market like the early 2000s. I'm here for it. I am too. Let's see what you got. Do you remember the joy of like

finding out that Jessica Simpson, that's the one, the only one coming out with something. And you would just like, you couldn't wait to see what it looked like, what it felt like. It's not like, cause you're like, they smell like that, even though they're like, we absolutely do not. But the first perfume I ever got was a body mist from Mary Kay and Ashley line. And I can still, I can still smell it. Wow. So many of our episodes have really crossed over. They really have. We have, we have a time. We do. We do. Um, show because I don't want to talk about it at the end of that

I would just say how she died now so that it's not like that's not the conclusion. Thank you. She died at 79 from heart failure.

But after a long life of very many illnesses, she dealt with some like, she almost died like six times or something. Oh my God. She was just put through the wringer with like a lot of bad. Well, I was going to say, I don't want to assume, but was she doing a lot of drugs and drinking a lot? There also was an alcohol and a pill problem. Yeah. But that's not her fault. Like they were literally feeding these girls pills on MGM's lot. It literally is so predatory, especially Hollywood up until like probably four years ago that like anyone that's,

That's, you know, has that vice. I'm like, it makes sense. They're just trying to survive. Truly. And then just a quote by Vincent Camby of the New York Times. More than anyone else I can think of, Elizabeth Taylor represents the complete movie phenomenon. What movies are as an art, as an industry, and what they meant to those people.

I have butterflies in my tummy. Same. I have chills.

Like, what a gorgeous... I was just like, ah, that's on Wikipedia. I was like, oh my God. That was stunning. Vincent. You like frame it, but in your house. Sorry for everyone who cringed at tummy. It's a phrase that we say. A butterfly's in my tummy. We have to. We're never going to stop it. We never will. We're never going to stop it. Oh my God. Wow. I love that. So what a legacy. I'm so excited. And now let's talk about all of the... Marriages, honey. All the marriages, all the breakups, all of it. That's what she came for. So she does say about... She admits...

about her romances. She has quoted to say, I've kind of gone through the alphabet. Oh, I love that. Which I think is iconic. I agree. I love she's not trying to hide it at all. But she says she has no regrets. She says she's always been a Marin kind of gal. But in the Barbara Walsh interview, she was like, you know what? I've grown up. I've changed. And I can look back and sort of like understand that

Yeah, I get why there has been so much conversation around it. How old was she in that interview? That was in 80-something. Okay. So I think that was the last interview she ever... Didn't she die when again? 2000? She was 89. Oh, God. Don't make me do the math, Claire. We're not even... You guys talk homework. Tell us how old the Taylor was when she died. Thank you. We're not going to look it up. We sure are not. Not. Not.

Or what year it was. We know how old she was. Oh, in the interview she said, I'm not turning 65 for nothing. So she had 20 more years after that. So she died in like the early 2000s? I think I know what interview you're talking about. She looked so much older than 65. She looked crazy. I thought that she was like 80-something in the interview. Which makes me love her more. It's like Tammy Faye almost borderline. She is. And she's holding a dog and she says, this is the love of my life. And I was like, I feel that so deeply. We are connected. Truly. So...

Throughout her adult years, Taylor's personal life, especially her eight marriages, two to the same men... I do know that. ...drew a large amount of media attention and public disapproval. According to biographer Alexander Walker, whether she liked it or not, marriage is the matrix of the myth that began surrounding Elizabeth Taylor from when she was 16. 16? Because...

We have the marriages, but then we also have people that the studios are trying to hook her up with as a teenager. So MGM arranged for her to date football champion Glenn Davis in 1949. That name sounds familiar. I feel like he's probably hot, but I didn't look him up. Glenn. Can you imagine going on a date with a man named Glenn today? I feel like people stopped naming their... Glenn Powell is a hot man. Maybe that's what I'm thinking. Yeah.

Set it up. I don't know. On Netflix. I'll look. I'll look. And then she was like, no, not into it. Not into these PR relationships, essentially. Love that. And then she was briefly engaged to William Pauly Jr., son of U.S. Ambassador William D. Pauly. So she had some engagements. She had some...

You know, people were trying to get her married off. Lock it down. Film tycoon Howard Hughes. Oh, we should do an episode on him. We should. He's crazy. If you guys know, that's.

who Leo played in the aviator yeah yeah OCD yes he was wild wild not because he had OCD he was just like a wild man he was a wild man he also did like Ava Gardner he did Catherine Hepburn Catherine Hepburn Ava Gardner Jean Tierney yes he did like huge movie stars Jesus he offered to pay Elizabeth's parents a six figure sum of money if she were to become his wife

What? Like a dowry? Yeah. Like he was literally like, I'll pay to marry you. I love you so much. I don't feel like he, he was gross. Gross. Taylor declined the offer. They're like, we don't need it. But this kind, but Howard Hughes kind of got her feeling like,

and these gestures are so romantic and like someone being like going to her parents being like, I'll pay anything. She's like, that is like love. This time period is so crazy. Tess and I were just talking about every movie how they grab the woman's wrist and then just start making out with them. Yes, it's just crazy. It's wild. It's too manic. It's too manic. And so Taylor later described herself as being emotionally immature during this time due to her sheltered childhood but believed she could gain independence from

from her parents and MGM through marriage. Oh, yikes. Which brings her to her first one. Taylor was just 18 years old when she married. I'll give you a little hint. We've talked about it in early 2000s, a prominent family. I know. Who is that? The Hiltons. It is Conrad Hilton Jr., heir to the Hilton Hotels chain. So they married in Beverly Hills.

At the Beverly where? At the Church of the Good Shepherd. Oh, don't know it. Some boring, lame church. They could have done better because they were so rich. Yeah, what? On May 6, 1950. Wow. MGM organized the large and expensive wedding and it became a major media event.

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the couch. Do it wherever you want because this is all about you. So here's what you're going to do. You're going to start planning at Zola.com. That's Z-O-L-A.com. You can thank me later. Ew. So it was like PR. How did they meet? Do you know? I don't know. I feel like it was some sort of setup though. Like how is just like

Conrad's walking down the street and, you know, like I'm sure it was like either at a party or like... Or Louie V. Mayer was like a Hilton, like with Elizabeth Taylor. Well, it's so crazy thinking that Paris Hilton could be like, yeah, my great whatever was married to Elizabeth Taylor. It's crazy. God, the Nepo babies. It just goes back so far. It does. In the weeks after their wedding, Taylor realized she had made a mistake.

Not only did she and Hilton have a few interests in common, he was also abusive and a heavy drinker. Ugh. How old was he? Do you know? I don't actually know. I think he was a little bit older. I don't think it was like significant, but I think he was probably, I'm guessing like 10 years older. Isn't it crazy that like back then, I do feel like sometimes marriage was like, especially in Hollywood, where it's like, we'll just try this out. Because like you don't have a lot in common, but you're getting married. Yeah.

I know. You're not finding that out how after you get married. It's like an arranged marriage. Yeah. No kidding. Um, so this first marriage was pretty dark. Um, Hilton caused Taylor to have a miscarriage after one of his violent outbursts. Oh my God. And she was granted a divorce on the grounds of mental cruelty. Yeah.

Oh my God. I feel like back then a woman being like, my husband is not nice to me. People would be like, get over it. And for them to actually believe it and be like, it's this bad that we will grant you this. Oh my God. So they only were married for eight months. Also, publicly, that's not a good look for the Hiltons. That's like...

In that time, probably a Kim Kardashian, like, 30-day marriage or whatever, you know? Oh, my God. Right? Eight months. People were probably like, that's disgusting. And Lord knows a lot of people probably blamed her. Of course they did. Of course. I'm sure his family was not kind to her after that. Oh, God. I bet they were never kind to her. Also, Tess, you have to read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I know. I have it. I should have brought it over. Thank you. It's based on her, right? Yeah. Okay. Well...

I'm not going to get too much. No, no. I'm not going to get too much away. It's just kind of based on her that she's a movie star and like she had seven husbands and the way that she was getting married. Got it. I do want to read it. I do want to read it. It's so good. Okay. So then Taylor married her second husband, British actor Michael Wildean, a man 20 years her senior. Oh. How old is she? Oh.

This was in 1952. So this was two years after her first wedding. And she was 20? Yes. And so he was... 40? Yikes. A 20-year-old and a 40-year-old are so different. She had met him when she was 16, filming a movie in England. And their relationship began when she returned to film Iron Man.

Ivanhoe, another movie in 1951, right after her divorce. This is like the same year we're talking. Like she is moving. Oh my God. She's moving quickly. Cause also I'm sure that she like has this shame of like, I don't want my legacy to be like a divorcee. I want it to be a married woman. So she just keeps like, she doesn't give herself any time. And she thinks this one's going to be the one. To like save her.

Oh my God. I just wish we could interview her and be like, save you from what? Truly. But isn't that the question? From the studios, maybe. From like her fame and- Or were the studios making this happen and being like, you're at this age now where you need to be a married woman and you need to put on that feel. If MGM literally expensed, like they paid for the first wedding, then I'm sure that like there was that pressure. Can you imagine your life? This is your life. I can't imagine like-

ever being pressured to get married. Like, and I know a lot of people even our age, like their parents do. And like, this is something I've never experienced in my entire life. Same. It's must be horrible. Yeah. Where you're just like, why? Like, what is it? Where is that even coming from? It's just so, but why? Why? Truly? Why? So she married this old guy. Um, Taylor found their age gap appealing. Oh,

I mean, we all got to learn somehow. The sweetheart usually doesn't end well. No. As she wanted the calm and quiet and security of friendship from their relationship. She hoped that the marriage would aid his career in Hollywood. Oh. I know. So like there's some darkness here of like this older man who like she feels like she's actually trying to help. Maybe weird power dynamics. Yeah, exactly. But they had two sons. Oh my God. What? Two sons.

But as Taylor grew older and more confident in herself, she began to drift apart. Well, that's always what you see happens. Yes. And then when she was filming that movie Giant in 1955, Gossip Magazine Confidential caused a scandal by claiming he had had strippers in their home when she was filming. So...

Oh, that's, you know, again, she probably got blamed for it and he didn't give anything. Exactly. Um, but that lasted about five years. So we're getting a little bit more. Yeah. I mean, from eight months to five years, five years in Hollywood now is long. Truly. So now she's in her mid twenties on her second, on her second marriage. Um,

Okay, this is when it starts to get juicy. Okay. I didn't know this. So Taylor married her third husband. I should say Elizabeth. Well, I don't know why I keep saying her last name. You guys get it. We know who we're talking about. Sometimes it just sounds so fancy. Maybe sometimes you'll call her Lizzie. Yeah, you guys have to just keep on your toes. Elizabeth married her third husband, theater and film producer Mike Todd.

Which, why does that, is that Mike Todd? Does that sound like something from the Kardashians? That's what I was literally just saying. I was like, why am I thinking of Mike Cranes, but also Todd Cranes. Todd Cranes. But is Mike, no, I think Mike Todd might be the name of the man she had an affair with.

Or is his name Todd? I don't know. Oh, hi, baby. God damn it. It's something. Mike Todd has something to do with the Kardashians. Something. Let us know if you guys know what we're talking about. So he's a film producer? So yeah, he's a theater and film producer. They met in Mexico on set once again. They set romances. Man, it's lust. That's all it is. It is lust. It's a moment in time. You're together for a few months and that's all the only person you're seeing and you're trauma bonding. Truly, you're trauma bonding. Um,

Like what couple now can we relate to one that you're just like, like that you're just like, oh, you're trying to do this for, for the fame. Oh, I would say Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes when they were together. Who was using him?

I think they were both using each other. That's true. You're just like a little fame hungry. But if you guys Google Camila Cabello and what's his name? Shawn Mendes. How could I ever forget? Shawn Mendes walking slowly, walking their dog slowly. Just you will be haunted at this couple. So he threw this birthday party for her at Madison Square Garden, which almost 20,000 people attended. Oh my God. It was broadcast on CBS. What? So I think he was just like, sounds like a nightmare. I would never want one of my birthday parties to be broadcast.

God, no. We wouldn't. This would not be good. Nothing about it would be good. So he was thirsty. Mm.

That was his idea? Yes. Ew. So he used her. But he died tragically in a plane crash in 1958, only a year after they got married, to Mexico, in which everyone died. And that left Elizabeth very devastated. So she was comforted by his friend during her grieving period. No.

Do you know who that friend was? Richard Burton. Singer Eddie Fisher, who was married to Debbie Reynolds. Yes.

And that's why we have Carrie Fisher. And that's why we have Billy Lord. Nepo babies keep on going. So they start having an affair. Debbie Reynolds was watching Elizabeth Taylor's children during the funeral. And she was there with Eddie being like, like playing like touch and feel under the, what's it called in a funeral home? Wait, Elizabeth was or Debbie was? Debbie was home. She was like, oh, I'll watch your kids. Like,

Because the baby was too, yeah, I mean, like, I don't think the kids were at the funeral. And so Debbie offered to watch them as she was there with Eddie and they started having an affair. Like, basically at the moment it. Elizabeth and Eddie started having an affair at her husband's funeral. Yes, that's like when it all. While his wife is watching her kids. Yes.

Yikes. Oh my God. That is some like old Hollywood shit right there. And then Eddie officially divorced her the day that he married Elizabeth. What? Oh my God. That is so sad. So this was like a big public scandal. And this, of course, was the start of Elizabeth being known to be the homewrecker. Oh no.

Because Debbie Reynolds is very much like a sweetheart and a good girl and like everyone's best friend and people want to protect her. I'm seeing In the Rain. I haven't actually seen it. It's so good. I need to see it. Well, also, but like again, yeah, sure. She had an affair with a married man, but the man's the one that's married. Exactly. So. Exactly. So she, Elizabeth and Eddie were married at Temple Beth Shalom in Las Vegas. Oh, is he the Jewish man?

Yes, it was for him. But they were only married a year. Oh, wow. And she later stated that she only married him due to her grief. Oh, my God. I bet he's like, hey, thanks. He's like, cool. It's good to hear. But like, how could you? I mean, honey. But Kama is my boyfriend. I'm sure Debbie Fisher is like, hi. Kama is a god.

I mean, if you were starting to date someone where like they have a recently deceased partner, that must just be so tough. Especially if that is your friend, you know? No, that's tough. You can't do that. That's tough. I mean, you can, sure. Do whatever you want, but that's tough. But don't paint your red flags green. And there it is. Okay. So now let's talk about the one, the only.

Richard Burton. So while filming Cleopatra in Italy in 1962, like we can't get into Cairo, but we'll go to Italy. Truly. Also, I found out for this role, they really wanted her to do it. And she like, remember this time that she was just like, I'm only taking like movies I really want to do. And like, this was now in the 60s.

So she was like, all right, I'll do it for $1 million in 10% gross. And they were like, sure. And she was like, I started the million dollar app.

Oh, my God. And, like, didn't do the clear calculator, but $1 million in 1962, probably a good chunk of change for, like, a woman, like, that she leads the movie. And it's, like – And she gets 10% gross. Like, that's crazy. Good for you. And also, not only that, Cleopatra's not one of the ones that we're, like, I don't think I've seen – I actually haven't seen Cleopatra, but I don't – like, I know it. I've seen clips. Yes.

Yes. I saw it when I was young. I can see it. I probably have seen clips of it when I was young, too. It's such a dark story. But this was not the best time filming. She was hospitalized with pneumonia. She almost died. However, the best part about it was that she said the day, the day that she met Richard Burton, she said, we both tried very hard to resist, but it happened on our first day of working together. They had sex? They just fell in love and they started their affair. Wow. Because Burton...

was also married. Oh, was she, she was married to Eddie Fisher while they were doing this? Richard Burton was married. Oh, Richard Burton was married. he's having the affair. Who is he married to? I actually don't know. Hmm. Probably some, damn, probably another actress. Probably. But there was a paparazzi shot on them. Um,

of them on this yacht. Oh, wow. In the 60s, huh? Truly. Well, according to sociologist Ellis Cashmore, the publication of this photograph was a turning point beginning a new era in which it became difficult for celebrities to keep their personal lives separate from their public images because everyone really loved her. And I think people had respect for her. They'd been watching her since she was a kid. She's like a child actress. And then I think...

Because of this public persona of, like, homewrecker and probably, like, slutty. Like, you can just imagine the things that people are saying about her, which she did not deserve. She got, like, a bad reputation. That is so not okay. I mean, obviously. But, like... Truly. It's just frustrating. So she married...

Richard Burton 10 days later after she divorced Eddie Fisher. So yeah, they both were married. She's married to Eddie Fisher. Yes. I thought they had broken up, but no. So she, yeah, they were all together. Everyone was together. Everyone was cheating. They married at the Ritz Carlton Montreal. She's really making her way. Oh my God. Making her way downtown. Good for her. But yeah, I mean, I just feel like this is how everyone was in old Hollywood. It was so crazy. Truly. And so, um,

Yeah. So they were dubbed Liz and Dick by the media. They starred in 11 films together. I didn't know that. They worked together that much while they were married? Yep. And they had a very glamorous lifestyle. They were spending millions of dollars on furs, diamonds, paintings, designer clothes, food, liquor, a jet, a yacht. It's crazy.

It sounds amazing. So they were really known for their massive spending, affairs, and an open marriage. Oh, they had an open marriage. It's speculated that they did, but it was kind of known that they did. Was she? Do you think she was ever with a woman? Oh, definitely. Really? For sure. Right? It had to be. Fast times. Fast times. I'm sure they had a lot of threesomes. I'm sure he went off and did his thing. I'm sure she went off and did her thing. Good for her. Everybody's a little gay. Truly. So...

They divorced for the first time in 1974. I think it was just like a lot. It's a lot. A lot going on. Did he have kids? He adopted her kids. Oh, that's nice. Yeah. He adopted Liza Todd and Maria Burton. Wait. Maria Burton. Oh, no. They did have Maria together and then he adopted her other one. What about those other two boys? What about them? I'm sure they need someone to check up on them.

There should be a whole episode on her children. She's getting out of control. The firstborns have it tough. God, they really do. And like, yeah, and these old Hollywood things, I feel. Yeah. So they got divorced. Then they reconciled. And then they're like, let's get back together. This all happened very quickly. They remarried in Botswana a year later. Oh, my God. But then their second marriage just lasted a year. And they were like, you know what? Chanel. Yeah.

For some reason, I thought they were in game. I thought that they ended up together. No, I always was like, oh, they're like the love of each other's lives. That's what I thought too. No. Wow, they really couldn't. It's crazy. They must both be so passionate. It's like, why get married again right away? I know. But she did say, after Richard, the men in my life were just there to hold the coat, to open the door. All the men after Richard were really just company.

You know who that reminds me of? Who? What housewife am I thinking of that would say that? Sonia? No. Close. Richard. Oh, Dorinda. Oh my God. That was straight from Dorinda's mouth. Keep the name the same. Truly though. Wow. I know. So I think like that was, I mean, at the end we'll play a little game. Oh my God. That is so Dorinda. I can't even get over it. Just keep the name the same. Wow. Also like, hey, you know, you got to do what you got to do, I guess at the end of the day.

That is true. I mean, she just wanted to... She was chasing something. She was. So we're on the final two. These are more short-lived.

Soon after her divorce from Richard, Taylor met her sixth husband, John Warner, a Republican politician from Virginia. Wait, John Warner, a Republican from Virginia? Yes. What'd I say? John Warner, Republican? A Republican. It's like, we don't even have to give him. Yeah, just skip on over that one. From Virginia. I'm drooling. Yeah. Probably a dark man. Yeah.

So this was kind of like this new time for her where she was like, I'm a politician's wife. Oh, God.

Very different. So she, once Warner had been elected to the Senate, she started to find her life to become very depressing. She was bored. This is really when her pill addiction started and her alcohol intake increased. She gained a bunch of weight. The public was not kind to her when that happened. And already at this point, like imagine like what people were saying about her. And then she's with this Republican who,

And like is in kind of the shadows of him and then having to like campaign for him and to keep up this like perfect image of a wife. Was he in the Senate, you said? Can you imagine like someone in the Senate dating like Margot Robbie? It wouldn't work. Isn't that crazy? I don't think it would work anymore either. Because then like, let's say she's having like, there's been speculation about...

her open marriage before this like they're probably like spending so much time shaming her and like covering up things that she's done so also everything yeah everything's just so public these days like yeah exactly so this was not good so they were married about a year they divorced in 1982 so she was engaged as mexican lawyer victor luna in 1983 how'd she meet him

I just don't know. I don't know where this woman has been. I don't know where she's going. Then she was engaged to another New York businessman, Dennis Stein, in 1985. This is so crazy. It's just so crazy that she was like, sure, why not? Every time. Well, this is kind of funny. It's not funny. This is dark. She met her seventh and last husband, construction worker Larry Fortensky.

At the Betty Ford Center. Oh, they were both there for... In 1988. Hey, construction. And guess what celebrity married them? Yeah, construction. Also, Betty Ford, like, is it anyone can get in? Because the construction worker paying the same amount to get into rehab with a movie star. It was expensive, but...

A lot of people do well. He's a construction worker. Construction worker. But construction can like pay. Maybe if he was like almost a contractor or something. Yeah. You never know. Construction workers. Contractors are paid very well. Yes. So maybe he was like in a good. Maybe he needed to spend all his money on it. You never know. Okay. Who married them? To make it full circle. I'll give you a hint. Okay. Who she first married to? Hilton. Hilton.

Who does Nicole Richie? No. Lionel Richie. Who does Kathy Hilton always want to play his music? Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson married Elizabeth Taylor and a construction worker. He sure did. What? Yes. Yes. Yes.

Yeah. And then Taylor. Can you imagine someone not watching Housewives and just hearing that sentence? It'd be like, stop it. They're like, I don't know what you're talking about. You guys are lucky that we haven't done a full episode on Bravo. But we will. But you know we will. You know we will. But she, so this wedding was a huge thing because it was kind of her last one. She sold the pictures of the wedding to people for a million dollars. Thank you.

She donated that all to her AIDS foundation. Stop. She's an angel. She is an angel. I love her. She's the spiciest angel. I know. So she and Larry divorced. Of course. Five years later, but remained in contact for life. She attributed the split to her painful hip operations and his OCD. She had like...

Yeah. She was hospitalized constantly after sets, after depression, after like, she just was always in the hospital. So she was like aching and in pain. Did you say after sex? After being on set. Oh, set. Set. I'm like, am I not? And then it's just said. That's just said. After she's played about a line, you know. That's how I was like, oh, it's gone now. There it is. It's gone. It happens when you talk about Elizabeth Taylor. Yeah.

That's what happens. Where are we? So yeah, she divorced him. Oh, yeah. So she just played Lone Ranger for the rest of her life? Yeah. So Larry underwent brain surgery. I forgot about this part. After falling off a balcony. Oh. Construction is dangerous. Construction is dangerous. And he was comatose for six weeks. Oh, my God. Yeah.

And so even after they got divorced, she paid for all of his medical expenses. Um, she wrote him a letter that said, Larry, darling, you will always be a big part of my heart. I'll love you forever. And Taylor's last phone call was to Larry. Oh,

I want to be married to Elizabeth Taylor. I know. And she gave Larry $825,000 in her will. So I think she had a special place in her heart for him. I feel like this was the end of her relationships. Like maybe at this point she wasn't like seeking something so toxic. It was like more grounded. She was engaged to someone before him, but didn't go through with it. So it is like there must have been something different about Larry. Yeah. Larry and Liz. Larry and Liz. Yeah.

So that's the end of her love story. And we're just going to quickly go through them. And we're going to do a little review. Who do we love for her? Who do we wish that she would have ended up with? OK, show. We have Conrad Nikki Hilton, who was abusive and a heavy drinker. Pass. Pass right over him. Who needs him?

We had Michael Wildean, who was 20 years her senior. Pass. I don't trust that man. Absolutely not. We have Michael Todd, who died in a plane crash. But he was also thirsty for... I was just about to say that CBS thing. I think if it didn't happen then, not his death, but they wouldn't have stayed together. I agree. Pass. With Eddie Fisher, who was kind of the rebound. Pass. Yeah. He cheated on his wife at his friend's funeral. Pass. Pass.

We have Richard Burton. Honestly? I know. I think that maybe it's just the idea I have in my head, but I feel like they are OTP. I know. We have John Orner. Who is a Republican? Pass. And we have Larry Fortensky, who is maybe her bestest friend. I think that Larry was her companion and Richard was her lover. Wow.

Well, yeah, I completely agree. I think it's like kind of between those two. There's really not much else there. Yeah, exactly. And to conclude, she said, I think marriage gives the sense of oneness that just being together can't.

Like unpack that. Yeah. It's also such a different time. Like I wonder what Liz would be like now. I know. Because I feel like it's still the pressure to get married but less. I know. So I'm like wondering what her relationships would be like and her thoughts on marriage in a modern day.

I do as well, Claire. It's a very different time. It is a different time. And like, I think she's a fascinating woman. I don't judge this at all. I think, you know, we all do what we can to feel loved and safe and protected. And survive. And survive. And this was her way of survival. It seems very clear that like...

I feel like the only word to use to describe her is fabulous. Same. Wow. I love her. And that's Elizabeth Taylor and her eight marriages and seven husbands. Seven husbands, eight marriages. I mean, it does say something if you got married to one person twice. I know. There's something there. I always find that fascinating when that happens. It happens. A lot. Like Robin and, well, they're not going to get back together. Robin Dixon. Sorry, guys. Another bravo. I am so glad Ron Dixon is not here right now. Aren't we all, honey? Aren't we all? I am.

That's about it, kids. Yeah, let us know who your favorite one is out of all of them. Yes, let us know that. Let us know if you've read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. We love you. We love you, as always. Follow us on TikTok and Instagram at Rancers Mostly. Send us your email and we'll send you the newsletter every Thursday morning. Crushed it. And good night. Good night. Good night.