Liza Minnelli, 78, cried over her mother Judy Garland’s tragic death at 47 ‘for eight days’ – as Cabaret star reveals all in new documentary
Liza Minnelli cried nonstop for “about eight days” when her mother Judy Garland died of an accidental overdose in 1969 at the age of 47.
Garland’s life was plagued by decades of substance abuse, including a pill addiction that began during her days as a child star, when she had to take amphetamines to work 72-hour shifts and then was given barbiturates to sleep afterwards.
When Garland was found dead in her bathroom after taking too many sleeping pills, Minnelli β the eldest of her three children β was only 23.
Now, a new documentary called Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story has premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and has shed light on the crushing moment Minnelli, 78, discovered she had lost her mother.
She recalled in the film that she initially reacted in disbelief, thinking, βMy mother? No. She will never succeed,” she said People.
Liza Minnelli cried nonstop for “about eight days” when her mother Judy Garland died of an accidental overdose in 1969 at age 47; the couple is pictured in 1964
Ultimately, she had no choice but to accept the truth, after which she began sobbing and “didn’t stop for about eight days.” It was just devastating for me.β
Garland welcomed her first-born child with legendary filmmaker Vincente Minnelli, the second of her five husbands.
After witnessing her mother’s rollercoaster battle with addiction, Liza Minnelli initially gave up drugs and alcohol herself.
But in the 1970s, once she had become an internationally recognized star, she had her first drink at Hollywood hotspot Trader Vic’s.
She soon found herself spiraling into a maelstrom of hedonistic excess, indulging in substances ranging from alcohol to cocaine and Quaaludes.
Eventually, she was able to pull herself out of her spiral, undergo rehabilitation at the Betty Ford Clinic and enter Alcoholics Anonymous.
Minnelli has become increasingly withdrawn in recent years, with fans mounting concerns about her health – which were exacerbated this week when she did not attend the premiere of her new documentary.
As it turns out, she was “too sick” to make the trip from her Beverly Hills home to New York to appear at Wednesday’s screening at the Tribeca Film Festival.
When Garland was found dead in the bathroom of her London home after taking too many sleeping tablets, Minnelli was only 23; the couple is pictured in 1962
Garland’s life was plagued by decades of substance abuse, including a pill addiction that began during her days as a child star; she is depicted in the last year of her life
Minnelli is pictured emerging from her mother’s memorial service at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home in New York City in 1969
Garland is pictured with Minnelli and her first husband Peter Allen at their wedding in 1967; Minnelli would eventually divorce four times
In April, Minnelli was pictured in a wheelchair in California
She was personally asked to attend by festival founder Robert De Niro, a longtime friend who played with her in Martin Scorsese’s New York, New York in 1977.
The documentary was highly anticipated and contains footage from her own private archive and interviews with friends.
But the Daily Mail has been told that Minnelli had to hesitate because her many health problems would make the journey to the premiere too difficult. In March, she was photographed in a wheelchair in California.
She remains active on social media and recently revealed that she was working on “several spectacular new projects,” including starting to record again.
About the documentary, she said: βI have been quietly working with a brilliant director, Bruce David Klein. . . to tell the real story of how my career in films and more began. And I’m not talking about my baby debut at MGM with Mama. . . that was pure nepotism.’
She had been looking forward to being in Tribeca for the premiere of her “fantastic documentary.” “I’m so excited, I can’t stand it!” she had exclaimed.
Director Klein was also excited. He said of the film: βWhen we started talking to the Liza people, they had just found about 25 hours of old footage that had never been seen before. . . in Liza’s closet! And our jaws dropped. We realized there was a story in there about this magical time in the 1970s when she was transforming.
“Her mother died, and within three to five years she won a Tony, an Oscar and so on: an astonishing achievement.”
Minnelli with Robert De Niro in 1979 in New York City
American actress and singer Liza Minnelli with her mother Judy Garland in 1965
Lady Gaga and Minnelli speak on stage at the 94th Annual Academy Awards in 2022
In 2022, Minnelli appeared at the Oscars in a wheelchair and there were concerns about her confused condition.
The star, who won a Best Actress Oscar for Cabaret in 1972, was greeted with a standing ovation when she reached the stage to present the Best Picture award. But she seemed to struggle with the paper she was holding and said to Lady Gaga, who came with her, “I don’t understand.”
Her close friend Michael Feinstein (once Ira Gershwin’s assistant) attributed the episode to her being “ambushed” β at the last minute she was told she would appear in a wheelchair instead of a director’s chair to sit, which was her preference. .
In March, she was too weak to attend the funeral of another close friend, producer Allan Lazare. A source said at the time: ‘Liza is in bad shape. Missing Allan’s funeral underlines the toll her health problems have taken.β
Minnelli has been to rehab numerous times for substance abuse, but has been sober since 2015. She has had hip and knee replacements and a jaw reconstruction after a fall on stage. She has also broken her wrists and once contracted viral encephalitis, which can affect movement, vision and hearing.