An exclusive nude portrait of Elizabeth Taylor has just surfaced from a private collection.
The black and white photograph is reported to be the only nude portrait of the world-famous actress in existence. Further reports say, according to Daily Mail, this is the first time it has ever been shown in public.
So why show it now?
Elizabeth Taylor reportedly wanted it as a gift for her then-soon-to-be third husband, Mike Todd.
Taylor was 24, already a well-known actress, and arguably the most beautiful woman on the planet. But how to get such a photograph was a problem in 1956, when nudity was taken seriously, and stars gave more thought to their reputations. No studio could be trusted. No self-snapshot was even possible.
They just don’t make photographs like this anymore, nudity with old Hollywood glamor.
It’s a sad day in Hollywood today as screen legend and icon Elizabeth Taylor passed away from a congestive heart failure early this morning at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. She was 79. Her son, Michael Howard Wilding, released a statement that said:
“My Mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humor, and love,” he said. “Though her loss is devastating to those of us who held her so close and so dear, we will always be inspired by her enduring contribution to our world. Her remarkable body of work in film, her ongoing success as a businesswoman, and her brave and relentless advocacy in the fight against HIV/AIDS, all make us all incredibly proud of what she accomplished. We know, quite simply, that the world is a better place for Mom having lived in it. Her legacy will never fade, her spirit will always be with us, and her love will live forever in our hearts.”
A rep said she was surrounded by her children, Michael Wilding, Christopher Wilding, Liza Todd, and Maria Burton, right before she died. May she rest in peace.
Kim grew up in a mansion, complete with a Bentley, a pool house, and all the Hollywood fixings. “We were really privileged,” she admits, settling into a booth and ordering a chopped salad. “I’m on a diet,” she says, looking glum but resolute. “I need to be. I love to eat—Kit Kats or cookies-and-cream ice cream. I need sugar like five times a day.”
“I worked out once. I gained like 10 pounds. All the papers were like, Kim’s pregnant! I ate the nuts on the street corner, the hot dogs, the street meat. It was not a joke.”
Street meat? 10 pounds? Her butt alone weighs 10 pounds.
Why does Bazaar keep defacing our precious legends like this?
As we all know in Hollywood celebrities get married and divorce all the time, but there are some who really take the biscuit and have done this a few times. Here are 8 celebrities that have married 5 times or more….
Billy Bob Thornton: 5
Actor, director, and musician Billy Bob Thornton has been married and divorced five times, most notably to Angelina Jolie. His other wives include Melissa Lee Gatlin, Toni Lawrence, Cynda Williams, and Pietra Dawn Cher.
Danielle Steel: 5
The prolific romance novelist has been divorced five times, perhaps in search of her own happily ever after. After a nine year marriage to Claude-Eric Lazard, she married and divorced Danny Zugelder, William Toth, John Traina, and Tom Perkins.
Robert Evans: 6
Famed producer Robert Evans married seven times, and none of his marriages lasted more than three years. His shortest union–to Catherine Oxenberg–was annulled after nine days. Other wives include Sharon Hugueny, Camilla Spary, Ali MacGraw, Phyllis George, Leslie Ann Woodward, and Victoria White.
Larry King: 7
With seven divorces under his belt–two with third wife Alene Akins–the recently retired talk show host is often referred to as a serial marrier. He opened up to CBS “Early Show” co-anchor Erica Hill about his love life following the final episode of Larry King Live. “I think in my life, I have loved three people. Married all three. The other marriages I wasn’t in love, it was the thing to do,” he said. His current marriage to Shawn Southwick almost ended in divorce but the pair reconciled.
Zsa Zsa Gabor: 7
Hungarian actress Zsa Zsa Gabor has been married nine times–seven ended in divorce and one was annulled after a day because her prior marriage had not been properly dissolved. “I’m an excellent housekeeper,” she once said. “Everytime I get a divorce, I keep the house.”
Elizabeth Taylor: 7
Elizabeth Taylor has won two Academy Awards in her career and married almost four times as many husbands. Two of her seven divorces were from former co-star Richard Burton.
Mickey Rooney: 7
The 5’3 veteran actor has been divorced seven times, though his current marriage to Jan Chamberlain has lasted over 30 years. He is often the subject of comedians’ jokes for his inability to stay married, and has joked about it himself. He once said, “A lot of people have asked me how short I am. Since my last divorce, I think I’m about $100,000 short.” His other marriages include Hollywood starlet Ava Gardner.
Lana Turner: 8
Lana Turner, the famed American actress who passed away in 1995, had seven husbands, eight marriages, and eight divorces. Her shortest–4 months–was to Artie Shaw when she eloped with him on their first date. She then divorced her second husband, Joseph Stephen Crane, twice. The reigning queen of divorce once famously said, “My goal was to have one husband and seven children, but it turned out to be the other way around.”
And they say love is dead.
source: The Most Divorced Celebrities: 8 Stars Who Split 5 Times Or More [Huffington Post]
Pop singer Eddie Fisher passed away Wednesday night at his home in Berkeley of complications from hip surgery, his daughter, Tricia Leigh Fisher of Los Angeles, told The Associated Press. He was 82.
“Late last evening the world lost a true America icon,” Fisher’s family said in a statement released by publicist British Reece. “One of the greatest voices of the century passed away. He was an extraordinary talent and a true mensch.”
In the early 50s, Fisher sold millions of records with 32 hit songs including ‘Thinking of You,’ ‘Any Time,’ ‘Oh, My Pa-pa,’ ‘I’m Yours,’ and ‘Wish You Were Here.’ His fame was enhanced by his 1955 marriage to movie darling Debbie Reynolds — they were touted as “America’s favorite couple” — and the birth of two children. Their daughter Carrie Fisher became a film star herself in the first three ‘Star Wars’ films as Princess Leia.
His clear voice brought him a devoted following of teenage girls in the early 1950s before marriage scandals overshadowed his fame.
When Eddie Fisher’s best friend, producer Mike Todd, was killed in a 1958 plane crash, Fisher comforted the widow, Elizabeth Taylor. Amid sensationalist headlines, Fisher divorced Reynolds and married Taylor in 1959.
The Fisher-Taylor marriage lasted only five years. She fell in love with co-star Richard Burton during the Rome filming of ‘Cleopatra,’ divorced Fisher and married Burton in one of the great entertainment world scandals of the 20th century. Fisher’s career never recovered from the notoriety. He married actress Connie Stevens, and they had two daughters. Another divorce followed.
In 1983, Fisher attempted a full-scale comeback. But his old fans had been turned off by the scandals, and the younger generation had been turned on by rock. The tour was unsuccessful.
At 47, Fisher married a 21-year-old beauty queen, Terry Richard. The marriage ended after 10 months. His fifth marriage, to Betty Lin, a Chinese-born businesswoman, lasted longer than any of the others. Fisher had two children with Reynolds: Carrie and Todd; and two girls with Stevens: Joely and Tricia.
After an hour-and-a-half delay, Michael Jackson’s funeral got under way around 8:30 p.m. PT on Thursday (September 3) at Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale, California.
The Jackson family and close friends, who departed their Encino compound in a police-escorted caravan around 7:30 p.m. PT, arrived at Forest Lawn at about 8:10. Solo piano renditions of Michael’s songs began to play as the family — including Michael’s three children, his sisters Janet and La Toya, brothers Jermaine and Tito, mother Katherine and father Joe — took their seats.
Jackson’s body was driven into Forest Lawn in a hearse shortly before 8:30 p.m. and arrived at the Great Mausoleum burial site minutes later. As soon as the hearse pulled up, the cemetery-provided camera feeds shut off, ending the public’s up-close, audio-assisted view of the proceedings. Helicopter shots continued to provide somewhat grainy footage of the ceremony.
Celebrities in attendance included Macaulay Culkin, Mila Kunis, Stevie Wonder, ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley, Corey Feldman, Elizabeth Taylor, Barry Bonds, Chris Tucker, Gladys Knight and the Reverend Al Sharpton.
[Click thumbnails for a larger view]
On either side of a flower-decorated dais set up in front of the approximately 200 seats stood two pictures of Jackson in a bright yellow shirt and thick gold belt. Helicopter cameras hovering overhead showed that Jackson’s family placed his flower-covered casket in front of the audience. Without audio, however, it was impossible to discern exactly what was taking place at the service. But at least one attendee used the power of social networking to communicate details from Forest Lawn.
“I just spoke at the conclusion of tributes,” Sharpton wrote on his Twitter account during the ceremony. “Gladys Knight sang her heart out. Now we prepare to lay him to rest.”
CNN reported that Knight sang the Lord’s Prayer, Presley was extremely emotional when the casket was brought in from the hearse, and Taylor’s wheelchair had to be lifted up a series of steps after the various tributes when attendees entered the mausoleum.
The ceremony lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes and wrapped up at approximately 9:45. “Michael Jackson has been laid to rest,” Sharpton tweeted around this time.
It took them two months to lay this man to rest, that’s a shame. May he finally rest in peace.
Dame Elizabeth Taylor was really close to Michael Jackson and yesterday she was so devastated at hers and our loss, that she couldn’t bring herself to release a statement.
Her rep said:
“Dame Elizabeth Taylor is too devastated by the passing of her dear friend Michael Jackson to issue a statement at this time.”
Today, she has pulled herself together to be able to let us in on how much she loved Michael and what he meant to her.
She said:
“My heart…my mind are broken. I loved Michael with all my soul and I can’t imagine life without him. We had so much in common and we had such loving fun together. I was packing up my clothes to go to London for his opening when I heard the news. I still can’t believe it. I don’t want to believe it. It can’t be so. He will live in my heart forever but it’s not enough. My life feels so empty. I don’t think anyone knew how much we loved each other. The purest most giving love I’ve ever known. Oh God! I’m going to miss him. I can’t yet imagine life without him. But I guess with God’s help … I’ll learn. I keep looking at the photo he gave me of himself, which says, ‘To my true love Elizabeth, I love you forever.’ And, I will love HIM forever.â€
RIP Michael Jackson, you are missed.
How are you paying tribute to the late King of Pop?
