According to a biography by Emanuel Levy, Vincente Minnelli is believed to have lived as an openly gay man in NYC, but after moving to Tinsel town, that lifestyle was discouraged by the film industry that made him—the pressures in Hollywood pressured him to live straight.
After divorcing Judy Garland, Minnelli married three other women. He had another daughter with his second wife, but the marriage only lasted four years. He was married to a third wife for nine years and, finally, he married Lee Minnelli in 1980. That marriage ended when he died in 1986 of complications from pneumonia and emphysema. He was 83. He died in the Beverly Hills home. His wife, Lee, remained there until her death in 2009. But, a scandalous struggle to retain her property rights plagued her elder years.
A year after Vincente Minnelli and Judy Garland married, a star was born. The Hollywood couple’s first and only child, Liza Minnelli, arrived on March 12, 1946. She would grow up to win an Oscar, like her parents, for her 1972 role in 'Cabaret'.
Her beautiful mezzo-soprano voice, nurtured as a child at home by the best of the best, graces many recordings and is remembered for concerts at Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall. Her tours with Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. are also recalled fondly.
Garland and Vincente’s ill-fated marriage ended in 1951. Little Liza was turning five. As time went on, Vincente’s secret gay lifestyle seeped out of the closet. Garland caught him cheating on her with another man. It’s believed that Garland’s substance abuse and depression, two attempted suicides, and then divorce, were linked to those revelations.
She struggled with the demands of fame and industry pressures on personal appearance. During that time, she was also dropped from her contract with MGM due to her personal struggles. In 1969, she succumbed to an overdose; she was 47.
At the time of his death, the entire property, valued at $1.1 million, was bequeathed to his daughter Liza. A stipulation, however, gave life estate rights to his wife Lee. Liza inherited the house, and its occupant. Vincente’s will included two clauses—one, that Lee was to have lifetime access to the home, and, secondly, that Liza was in charge of the estate.
In that case, Liza paid for the maintenance of the mansion, including the utilities and salaries for the help. In 2000, Liza decided to put the property up for sale. A provision of the sale promised Lee a $450K condominium, but Lee refused to take it.
Lee sued for “breach of contract, elder abuse and infliction of emotional distress.” As it happened, Liza’s lavish marriage to David Gest was making headlines, coincidentally, with news and magazine articles detailing the festivities and sharing descriptions, such as the magnificent 12-foot high cake. It was the talk of the town. Guests included Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Martha Stewart, and Mia Farrow.
Lee’s attorneys stated in the lawsuit, “While defendant is honeymooning all over the world, having fed 850 of her closest friends a 12-foot cake, plaintiff is alone in a cold, dark house, at age 94.” Adding, Lee has “been reduced to an anxious and fearful beggar.”