Liza Minnelli Says Late Ex-Husband Jack Haley Jr. Was the ‘Loveliest Man’: ‘The Gentlest’

Liza Minnelli remembered her marriage to Jack Haley Jr. and the legacy he left behind after his death.

The Cabaret actress sat down with Michael Feinstein for Interview Magazine on Wednesday, October 16, and opened up about her love life.

“One person in your life where your eyes light up whenever you talk about them is Jack Haley[Jr.],” Michael, 68, said, to which Liza, 78, responded, “I do light up. He was the loveliest man, the gentlest and most interesting.”

Michael went on to say that Jack “was an original,” and Liza agreed.

“Oh, he really was, because he understood how to make something original for whoever it was that he was working with,” she added.

Jack Jr. was a director and producer who directed the 1974 compilation film That’s Entertainment! to celebrate MGM’s 50th anniversary.

“He could pick out things that nobody had heard of and make them significant,” Liza said of her late ex-husband. “That’s a wonderful movie.”

The singer was married to Jack Jr. from 1974 to 1979. Prior to that, she was married to Peter Allen from 1967 to 1974. Following her split from Jack Jr., she was married to Mark Gero from 1979 to 1992 and to David Gest from 2002 to 2007. Liza does not have any children.

At her wedding to Jack Jr., Liza famously wore a yellow Halston pantsuit. Jack Jr. was the son of Jack Haley, who portrayed the Tin Man alongside Liza’s mother, Judy Garland, in The Wizard of Oz.

Jack Jr. died on April 21, 2001, of respiratory failure at age 67.

“Jack was the first one to remind the general public of our heritage,” Liza said in a statement at the time. “America’s royalty is our entertainers, who have given so much to the world.”

Further on in her most recent interview, Liza discussed what’s next for her and what she is currently working on in this phase of her life.

“I’m writing, creating, and working with Tiffany & Co.’s [creative director] Christopher Young, who is a pure genius. We’re collaborating on new ways to celebrate Elsa Peretti,” she revealed. “I’m also recording again and producing with you, Michael, and Sam Haskell. Our baby business just keeps growing, and at this age that’s a helluva good time. You didn’t ask, but I have one piece of advice: Take care of your body ’cause you might live longer than you expect to. I just keep replacing parts and moving forward. You just deal with it and be happy, and as Dick Van Dyke sang and taught to me, ‘Put on a Happy Face.’”

When asked how she wants to be remembered, Liza said, “I made my own lane. I worked and still work as hard as anyone can, and I love each person who supported me and cares about me for me.”

“I love performing,” she shared. “I still take dance lessons, and when I sing to people in the theater, I’m not giving a performance — I’m sharing my love with each individual person. I’m asking, ‘This is how I feel. How ’bout you?’ My work is real.”