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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 buffeted by decades of substance abuse, including a pill addiction that began during her days as a child star when she was plied with amphetamines to work up to 72-hour shifts, then given barbiturates to be able to sleep afterwards.
When Garland was found dead in her bathroom after taking too many sleeping tablets, Minnelli - the eldest of her three children - was only 23.
Now a new documentary called Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story, has premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and shone a light onto the shattering moment when Minnelli, 78, discovered she had lost her mother.
She recalled in the film that she initially reacted with incredulity, thinking: 'My mother? Nah. She's never gonna pass,' according to People.
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; the pair are pictured in 1964
Eventually she had no choice but to accept the truth, at which point she began to sob and 'didn’t stop for about eight days. It was just devastating to me.'
Garland welcomed her firstborn child with the legendary filmmaker Vincente Minnelli, who was the second of her five husbands.
Having witnessed her mother's rollercoaster battle with addiction, Liza Minnelli at first steered clear of drugs and alcohol herself.
However in the 1970s, when she had become an internationally recognized star, she took her first drink at the Hollywood hot spot Trader Vic's.
She soon plunged into a maelstrom of hedonistic excess, indulging in substances ranging from alcohol to cocaine to Quaaludes.
Ultimately, she was able to wrench herself out of her spiral, undergoing rehab at the Betty Ford Clinic and entering Alcoholics Anonymous.
Minnelli has been increasingly reclusive in recent years, with fans harboring mounting concerns about her health - which intensified this week when she failed to attend the premiere of her new documentary.
It emerged she was 'too unwell' to make the journey from her home in Beverly Hills to New York to appear at the screening at the Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday.
When Garland was found dead in the bathroom of her London home after taking too many sleeping tablets, Minnelli was only 23; the pair are pictured in 1962
Garland's life was buffeted by decades of substance abuse, including a pill addiction that began during her days as a child star; she is pictured in the final 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 go on to be divorced four times
In April, Minnelli was pictured in California in a wheelchair
She was personally asked to attend by festival founder Robert De Niro, an old friend, who co-starred with her in Martin Scorsese's New York, New York in 1977.
The documentary was much anticipated, and features footage from her own private archive and interviews with friends.
But the Daily Mail has been told that Minnelli has had to demur, as her many health conditions would make the journey to the premiere too difficult. In March, she was pictured in California in a wheelchair.
She remains active on social media, and recently revealed she was working on 'multiple spectacular new projects', including starting to record again.
Of the documentary, she said: 'I've been working quietly with a brilliant director, Bruce David Klein . . . to bring 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 attending Tribeca for the premiere of her 'fabulous documentary'. 'I'm so excited, I can't stand it!' she had exclaimed.
Director Klein was excited, too. He said of the film: 'When 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 realised that there was a story in here about this magical time in the 1970s when she transformed.
'Her mother died, and in three to five years she was winning a Tony, an Oscar and on and on: a mind-blowing accomplishment.'
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 onstage during the 94th Annual Academy Awards in 2022
In 2022 Minnelli appeared at the Oscars in a wheelchair, and there was concern about her confused state.
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 appeared to struggle with the paper she was holding, and told Lady Gaga, who came on with her: 'I don't understand.'
Her close friend Michael Feinstein (once Ira Gershwin's assistant) attributed the episode to the fact that she'd been 'ambushed' — told at the last minute she would be appearing in a wheelchair rather than sitting in a director's chair, which was her preference.
In March, she was too frail to attend the funeral of another close friend, producer Allan Lazare. A source said at the time: 'Liza is in bad shape. For her to miss Allan's funeral underscores the toll her health issues have taken.'
Minnelli has had numerous stints in rehab for substance abuse, but has been sober since 2015. She's had hip and knee replacements, and a jaw reconstruction after a fall on stage. She's also broken her wrists, and once contracted viral encephalitis, which can affect movement, sight and hearing.