Liza Minnelli gets candid about her struggles with substance abuse post death of mum Judy Garland
Liza Minnelli has reflected on the addiction struggle after the great trauma of Judy Garland’s death.
The Wizard of Oz legend opened up about the painful period following the death of her mother, Hollywood icon Judy Garland.
In her memoir Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, Minnelli reflected on the emotional toll Garland’s passing had on her and how it led to struggles with addiction.
“I cried for eight straight days.”
“Stress and tension overwhelmed me. I was reeling, and a doctor prescribed Valium to help me relax just before the funeral. What began as a one-day blessing soon turned into a habit, then a full-blown case of addiction in the years ahead.
“It was a final gift, a genetic inheritance from Mama I could not escape.”
Garland died from an accidental overdose in June 1969 at the age of 47, and Minnelli believes one of her mother’s lasting legacies was the struggle she inherited.
Minnelli admitted that for years she did not believe she had a serious problem. She was even “convinced” that she was fine when her sister encouraged her to seek help in 1984.
Less than a year later, however, the legendry late actress Elizabeth Taylor, who had recently become sober herself, urged Minnelli to return to rehab and take her addiction seriously.
The performer eventually continued working on her recovery and later checked into rehab again in 2015. These days, Minnelli remains committed to maintaining her sobriety.
