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Elizabeth Taylor says her father called her ‘a whore’ for affair with Richard Burton
By Vanessa Serna,
1 day ago
Elizabeth Taylor opened up about the pushback she received from her father, Francis Lenn Taylor, amid her infamous affair with Richard Burton.
“My father called me a whore,” she said in a never-before-heard interview with late reporter Richard Meryman, which was featured in the HBO documentary “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes,” per People .
In a taped conversation, which was recorded between 1964 and 1965, the iconic actress explained she was met with “such opposition from everyone” when news of the scandal broke in 1962.
Elizabeth Taylor, pictured above with Richard Burton on the set of “The Sandpiper” in 1965, got candid about the pushback she received from her father amid her infamous affair with the actor. Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images “My father called me a whore,” the actress, pictured here with her parents, Francis and Sara, said in an unearthed interview released in the HBO documentary “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes.” Bettmann Archive
At the time, Elizabeth was wed to her fourth husband, Eddie Fisher, while Burton was married to Sybil Christopher.
Their illicit romance began on the set of the 1963 film “Cleopatra,” which starred Elizabeth as the leading lady and Burton as Mark Antony.
The Oscar-winning star, who had kids Michael Wilding Jr., Christopher Wilding and Elizabeth Todd from previous marriages, recalled the negative headlines that were published, including one taking aim at her role as a mom.
During the taped conversations, which were recorded between 1964 and 1965, she explained the “opposition” she received when news of the affair came out in 1962. Getty Images Taylor and Burton, pictured above in the 1963 film “Cleopatra,” were both married at the time. Getty Images
“The Vatican newspaper had come out with an item saying that I was so despicable that my own children should be taken away from me, an attack that really — well, it made me vomit,” she said in the documentary.
Elizabeth reflected on the “horrendous week” she had while filming “Cleopatra,” including the various threats she received.
“Somebody was at the studio trying to blow me up with a bomb,” she said in the tapes. “So the Italian FBI were out there for five days.”
They were starring as Cleopatra and Mark Antony when their illicit romance started. Bettmann Archive Taylor was wed to her fourth husband, Eddie Fisher, during the scandal. Bob Penn
Elizabeth, who tied the knot to Burton in 1964, admitted she struggled with the guilt of leaving Fisher because of the “awful pain” inflicted on their children.
Burton, who shared daughters Kate and Jessica with Christopher, later went on to adopt daughter Maria with Elizabeth.
When the interviewer asked if Elizabeth feared retribution in hell for her mistakes, she responded, “I think we must pay on this earth. We should do our penance now.”
“The Vatican newspaper had come out with an item saying that I was so despicable that my own children should be taken away from me, an attack that really — well, it made me vomit,” she said in the tapes. Getty Images Taylor and Burton eventually wed twice, with both times ending in divorce. Getty Images
Elizabeth and Burton split in 1974 after 10 years of marriage. They reconciled and rushed to the altar again in 1975 before calling it quits a year later.
Before her death in March 2011 at the age of 79, Elizabeth had been married eight times to seven different men. She was not married when she passed.
As for Burton, he had tied the knot four times to three different women before he died in August 1984 while married to Sally Burton. He was 58.
“Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes” is streaming now on Max.
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