This morning I saw these photos of 78-year-old Elizabeth Taylor over at The Daily Mail online. Liz is photographed in a wheelchair, wearing her best jewels, color coordinated with bright purple, furry Uggs. I saw the photos and thought “you fabulous bitch!” But Liz isn’t doing too well – she’s already been hospitalized three times this year, and now sources are telling the Mail and the National Enquirer that Liz has come to the end-times. Allegedly, she’s told friends and family that she’s not going to have any more surgeries, no matter how much pain she’s in:
After more than a hundred operations in the past 25 years, Hollywood icon Liz Taylor has had enough! The superstar, 78, has reportedly told friends and family she won’t go under the knife any more no matter how much pain she’s in.
Taylor who’s been in poor health most of her life after falling off a horse in National Velvet has already been rushed to a hospital 3 times this year.
Liz’s long list of surgery included having both hips replaced and five operations on her back. Medical problems for the Suddenly Last Summer star have also included a brain tumor, skin cancer, diabetes, pneumonia, seizures and a stroke.
Last October, Liz had a heart procedure to treat congestive heart failure – a progressive condition in which the heart is too weak to pump sufficient blood around the body.
And pals say she is still suffering excruciating neck pain as a result of her lifelong battle with scoliosis, or curvature of the spine.
Despite the searing daily pain, Liz is reputed to have said NO to docs’ demands to conduct corrective surgery before it’s too late.
Now, virtually confined to a wheel chair, the indomitable Taylor still quips about the numerous predictions of her “demise”.
“‘I enter hospitals as often as others enter taxi cabs,” Liz said in an interview. “But as I said before …I AM a survivor.”
[From The National Enquirer]
Poor old broad. I’ve always wanted to have a drink with Elizabeth, and I don’t care what state she’s in. Honestly, I would prefer to get rip-roaring drunk with her just so I could listen to all of her crazy stories about Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole and her jewelry. I could listen to her tell stories about her jewelry for days, honestly. I love her. I want her to be well, but I also think that if she’s ready to call it a day, so be it. It’s her decision.
I LOVE this woman and I TOTALLY want to have a drink with her too! And I LOVE that blue-green dress! She’s such a cool lady. She and Joan Collins: I really want to dress up and have cocktails with them for hours and hours on end, and chat and bitch about everybody, talk makeup, clothes, who were the best lovers, EVERYTHING!
There is no one that can do Cleopatra better than her. You do get tired after soo much pain.
The most Beautiful, Fabulous Woman to have ever lived.
NOOOOO! Not Liz Taylor!!! I love her!
You don’t get much classier than Liz.
This made me sad.
this is sad. there will never be another Elizabeth Taylor. she was so beautiful. they’ll never be another Taylor/Burton match either. those days are over.
Oh…I know what movie that “white swimsuit” pic comes from….
“Suddenly…Last Summer”….BEAUTIFUL!!!
My Mama, who is in age group…basically said the same thing to me the other night…and though it broke…no…breaks my heart…
I have to agree with her…and Lady Liz…
Ya know, between Liz Taylor & Grace Kelly, you’ve gotta worry about the Loonies and Jen Hens of today. Did they not watch old movies? Add Gene Tierney and the planet will spin off of its axis!
Good wishes to Liz.What an awesome lady.
This sort of decision is the bravest sort that someone can make, and I am not surprised. Mz. Taylor always marched to the beat of her own drum and she did it with aplomb, flair and plenty of grace.
Yea drink with her would be legendary, but I liked the reason Kaiser gave for it- to hear all the crazy stories. Has she ever written a biography or memoir? Even if she has, I doubt she would give the real dirt- too classy to risk insulting too many people.
Oh I wish we would learn the stories she could tell!
@ThunderC*ur – there are no real movie stars anymore. no one to compare with the likes of La Liz, Grace Kelly, Rita Hayworth.
To a certain extent I agree with @meme and @thunder…. But I wonder if Liz and these amazing actresses could have withstood the paps and media scrutiny Aniston, Lolo and Britney suffer now.
I think I once read that Liz said that she would not have been able to handle what Jennifer Aniston goes through in the media.
I will not canonize Taylor. If she lived that off-screen life today, I know some of us would be all over her personal choices (mutliple marriages, the whole Taylor-Fischer-Reynolds debacle, etc), and very little “but it was a different time” would apply. But she makes no excuses or apologies…even jokes about it. With age comes wisdom, and my respect.
But as an ACTRESS, she cannot and will not be touched by too many others. No question.
No one is canonizing La Liz as she certainly lived a rather colorful life. She is, however, a living legend and the last great movie star.
LOVE. LIZ. FOREVER.
One of the best things about her now is that I really, honestly don’t think you would have to put any alcohol in the woman to hear any crazy old story about ANYTHING in her life! All you’d have to do is sit and listen!
Again… LOVE. LIZ!
She was one of the first big celebrities to come out and support, advocate for, and raise a hell of amounts of money for AIDS foundations, wasn’t she?
I remember watching National Velvet and thinking there just couldn’t be anyone more beautiful than her. And then Little Women and A Place in the Sun.
I can’t blame her for the surgery decision. How much more crap would you sign on for? She does seem like the kind of woman who’d be awesome to dish with, I bet she’s got some great stories.
I’m not saying anyone ELSE is canonizing her. I said “I” (and I alone) will not. I’m not ignoring her elephant-in-the-room-of-a-life, especially in context of THIS website and it’s usual subjects.
The nice words, “classy” and “colorful” might not be the words I would use (and wasn’t always used), but I respect her and her WHOLE and very full life, including her ability to survive it scars, smiles and and all, and still maintain her reputation as a stellar actress.
She is a lesson for those “celebrities” (who call themselves actors/actresses) on here who keep making obviously horrible PERSONAL decisions in public, then turning in AWFUL performances to boot.
“Classy,” maybe not, but one smart cookie, oh yeah.
Team Debbie Reynolds! Hated Liz always.
JuiceinLA: Elizabeth Taylor was very controversial and underwent a lot of media scrutiny in her life. She “stole” Eddie Fisher from Debbie Reynolds, which was huge at the time, her epic public battles with Richard Burton, and how many marriages? 8?
I also wouldn’t call her “classy,” but that’s not a bad thing. She seems to be a passionate person who lives life to the fullest, which is better in many ways than “classy.”
You can’t deny this woman’s beauty. It doesn’t get any better.
Elizabeth (she hates Liz) is a fighter and now she is 78 and I don’t blame her for not wanting anymore surgery. It hurts to be cut open and at her age it takes a very long time to heal. I totally agree with her decision. I hope she is enjoying her life (even with the pain) and her children and grandchildren.
No one can say she didn’t live well, good or bad, she did live her life well. And, by the way, she and Debbie Reynolds are friends and supposedly talk all the time. Anybody think the same will ever happen with Angie and Jen?
I didn’t know her injuries went as far back as N.V. I had heard the story about her falling, but didn’t connect it to the rest of her health difficulties. Geez, she was just a little girl. And over one hundred surgeries? Whatever one may think of her, that’s so much more pain than one person should have to endure. I guess she’s made peace and now just wants some.
That teal dress is beautiful, and the white number from Cat On A Hot Tin Roof? Holy Saint Shutup, that outfit needs to get into my closet, now!
Can you imagine a world without Liz Taylor? OMG!!! Not worth considering!!!
What an effing legend, still stylin and profilin and probably looking forward to an afterlife full of fabulous, hot, difficult men. Liz, I salute you. Well played.
She was stunningly gorgeous and is one CLASS ACT! There will never be another like her…I wish her all the best and am so sorry for all her troubles.
now THAT is an image of beautiful woman that i can get down with. she’s thin but healthy, curvy, GORGEOUS, voluptuous.
i completely understand her being sick of being poked at. you know what I think is the main thing though? she misses michael. they were very close and seemed to share a bond and security with each other that maybe can only be shared with someone else who is also uber-uber-famous. i dont think she’d be talking this way if my michael was still alive.
as for her “colorful” life, i am a bit young to be too familiar with it, but it seems like it was basicaly being a drama queen and serial marrier. ill take that over this current crop of vadge-flashing, coked-out, brainless, plastic surgeried chicks who have NO *grace*. That is not glamour. Liz is glamour. And so is my Michael. 🙂
La Liz was the Angelina Jolie of her time. Or Angelina Jolie is Liz. Whatever, both have been accused of stealing another popular actresses man and people took sides then, as they do now. Scandal, scandal, scandal! The difference is that although Liz was a man-stealer at least she could act. By the way, Liz also adopted children and gave birth to some. I had a huge crush on her son Michael when he was on the soap opera The Guiding Light.
Liz and Dick (haha)—the Brangelina of their day. Liz was sooo gorgeous. Those old school Hollywood beauties really were something. And, Liz had talent, too.
I always thought she was pretty cool. And Debbie Reynolds agrees! 🙂
@andrea, I was thinking the same thing about her and Michael. And if she was already in poor health, losing someone so close to her might make her want to give up for good.
Pretty good argument for euthanasia, actually. Go out in style and looking fabulous!
After I saw this thread and the one about Grace Kelly I thought how shallow, ridicously unclassy and untalented are the present HW stars most of us are fans of.
Sad about Miss Taylor, I can’t imagine what it is to face all those diseases and still have the will to live. So she has the right to let it go…
I had the great pleasure of having lunch with Elizabeth about 2 years ago. I sat at the table next to her and I couldn’t help but talk to her, I mean she’s a legendary star, how often does that happen! She pulled up her chair and we had a chat. I ADORE her. I love anyone who lives there life by their own rules and f**k what anyone else thinks. She is an amazing actress, humanitarian, and human being. Much love to her always.
Three words to describe Elizabeth Taylor: LAST MOVIE STAR
Oh Kaiser. I agree with you, if I could spend one night with her and hear the stories she has to tell!
She has lived a long full life. I don’t think she needs anyone to feel sorry for her. You just know she is gonna go out with some of those fabulous jewels on and a smile on her face.
Best wishes Dame Elizabeth!
jako lijepa žena, umrla je, R I P
very nice