Liza Minnelli was born to actor Vincente Minnelli and, of course, the legendary Judy Garland. Like her parents before her, it seemed she was destined to go into show business. Many children of famous actors end up getting an easy way into the acting industry, and some are even more likely to be cast in films due to their parentage, rather than their actual skill level. Liza Minnelli, however, was a gem among her kind. At a young age, she displayed amazing singing and acting talents that her mother was beyond proud of.
The world was shocked to discover that the daughter of Judy Garland was nearly as talented as her mother! Before long, she had taken Hollywood by storm. Today, she is one of only 21 people in the entire world with an EGOT. That is, she’s won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony! Her stunning alto singing has captured millions of audience members, and her captivating, energetic stage presence makes her a force to be reckoned with in film, television, and theatre.
Break Free From Tragic Influence
At first, it seemed that Liza Minnelli was able to break free from the tragic influence of her mother. Judy Garland, while an astonishingly good actress, suffered a great deal of loss and difficulty throughout her life. Mistreatment from producers and directors caused her to become involved in drugs at an incredibly young age, and she would eventually die of an accidental overdose when she was just 47 years old. Furthermore, Judy Garland’s long string of failed marriages also caused her a great deal of embarrassment in the public eye.
Despite being quite close with her mother, Liza Minnelli seemed to be carving her own path in life, one with less heartbreak and tragedy. Over the years, however, Liza Minnelli’s life has mirrored her mother’s in more ways than one. It seems that, no matter how hard she tries, some family wounds run too deep. Even after her mother’s tragic death, the circumstances of her life have continued to haunt Liza Minnelli.
In today’s article, we’re going to take a look at the many ways tragedy has befallen Liza Minnelli, as well as some of the striking similarities between her and her mother. Make sure you stick around, because we’re also going to reveal Liza Minnelli’s strong bond with Judy Garland, along with the pain and heartbreak her mother caused her.
She Wanted to Be an Ice Skater, but Eventually Changed Her Mind
As a young girl, Liza Minnelli was immediately part of show business, whether she wanted to be or not. Her parents were always busy with their own careers, and so Liza Minnelli was swept along. In fact, she made her first film debut when she was just an infant, in the 1949 film In the Good Old Summertime. As she grew older, however, she found interest in something else: Ice skating. She started learning how to ice skate, and found that she was actually quite good at it. What truly drew her into the hobby, however, was the music. She felt that ice skating was a kind of physical extension of the music, and was entranced.
However, after watching a performance of Bye Bye Birdie, she realized what she really loved was music and performance, and immediately decided to follow in the footsteps of her parents.
Her Loving Yet Tragic Relationship With Her Mother
It’s no secret that Judy Garland had a troubled life, and as a result, many fans suspected that Liza Minnelli’s upbringing would be difficult. However, Liza Minnelli has always remained firm that she and her mother were incredibly close. The two loved and cared for each other deeply. In one interview, Liza Minnelli even referred to her mother as her best friend.
Because of Judy Garland’s substance abuse, however, Liza Minnelli found herself being the emotional caretaker of her mother. Even though she insists she had a happy childhood, it’s clear that Liza Minnelli found herself caring for her mother too often as a young girl.
After Judy Garland’s death, Liza Minnelli was understandably devastated. Still, she admits that she still feels close to her mother, and even has conversations with her in her mind.
She Sadly Had a Miscarriage
Despite a laundry list of marriages, Liza Minnelli never mothered any children. She was pregnant once, but doctors feared they would lose the baby. They performed a medical procedure that left her with a hiatal hernia, a painful condition that would affect her many years after. Sadly, she lost the baby, and never had any children after that. She never revealed the true father of the baby.
Later, Liza Minnelli explained that certain muscles used while eating or singing caused her great pain, and would at times refused to eat because it hurt too much.
Her Romantic Life Is Very Similar to Her Mother’s
Judy Garland was famous, first and foremost, for her amazing talent as an actress. However, she also had quite a bit of notoriety for her string of failed marriages. Altogether, July Garland married (and divorced) five men. Shockingly, however, two of Garland’s husbands later turned out to be gay. Her marriages to both Vincente Minnelli and Mark Harron ended when she found out they were gay.
Liza Minnelli carried on Garland’s tradition and married and divorced a total of four men. Even more surprising, however, is the fact that two of her ex-husbands also turned out to be gay! Her first husband was Peter Allen, who ended up having an affair with Judy Garland’s ex-husband, Mark Harron! Liza Minnelli’s fourth and final husband to date, David Gest, was plagued by rumors about his sexuality. While he did deny it, the two had a long and painful divorce. David Gest later claimed that Liza Minnelli would get drunk and beat him!
The striking similarities between Liza Minnelli and Judy Garland’s love lives are apparent, but there’s another unfortunate similarity between the two. Make sure you stick around until the very end, because we’re going to reveal the saddest way that both Liza Minnelli and Judy Garland are alike. And if you’re enjoying this video so far, please take a moment to like this video, and don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for more!
Doctors Once Believed She Would Never Walk Again
In 2000, Liza Minnelli contracted a rare and dangerous virus called encephalitis from a mosquito bite. The virus caused inflammation in her brain, causing massive damage. It was a miracle that Liza Minnelli survived the virus, but the after effects were devastating. She dealt with severe speech issues and was unable to walk. Doctors admitted that she would likely never walk again.
Liza Minnelli, however, refused to take no for an answer. To overcome the disability, she went to vocal lessons and dance lessons every single day. While it took a long time of hard work, she was amazingly able to make a full recovery!
She’s Been Accused of Being Abusive
After David Gest divorced Liza Minnelli while alleging she beat him, another person came forward claiming something eerily similar. Her former chauffeur, M’Hammed Soumayah, announced that she had beaten, injured, and sexually harassed him. Furthermore, he asserted that she had threatened to fire him unless he engaged in sexual activity with her. Liza Minnelli vehemently denied these accusations, and after counter-suing for defamation, they eventually settled outside of court. Still, it left a dark stain on Minnelli’s reputation. While she is known to be lively onstage, there’s a chance she might secretly be manipulative and abusive. Unfortunately, we’ll never really know what goes on in some celebrities’ personal lives.
She and Her Mother Were Both Very Insecure
Upon first entering the film industry, despite being at a perfectly healthy weight, Judy Garland was treated cruelly by producers and directors, who relentlessly teased her for being fat. They would even put her on extreme diets and force her to take dangerous drugs to make her lose weight. This led to Judy Garland developing a life-long insecurity of her body.
Sadly, Liza Minnelli has also struggled with self-image, something all too prevalent in the film industry, especially with women. Women are constantly held to unrealistic body standards, and many develop eating disorders and drug addictions as a result.
Liza Minnelli’s Struggle With Addiction
After being forced to take drugs as a child to lose weight, Judy Garland would eventually develop lifelong addictions to a variety of drugs. And, of course, this ultimately led to her untimely demise when she was just 47 years old.
Even more sad is the fact that her daughter has gone down the very same road. Liza Minnelli has been checked into rehab for alcoholism at least five times, and has also developed an addiction to drugs. After her mother’s death, addiction gripped Liza Minnelli especially hard. It’s been a long, tough battle for her, filled with many victories and losses. We can only hope that she’ll get better someday, and not go down the same road as her mother.
Liza Minnelli has had a long and difficult life, greatly influenced by her mother, Judy Garland. Were you more surprised to learn how suspiciously similar their romantic lives were, or about the allegations from her former chauffeur? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t forget to subscribe to Facts Verse for more!
