Four Uncomfortable Facts About Elizabeth Taylor

A brilliant woman with a scandalous reputation

Jacob Wilkins
Lessons from History
5 min readMay 25, 2024

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A photograph of Elizabeth Taylor by an unknown photographer, 1953 (Wikimedia Commons)

Elizabeth Taylor was one of the most interesting — and notorious — actresses of her generation. Beautiful yet salacious, this talented woman had a knack for causing trouble.

While some praised her for challenging the conservative standards of her time, there’s no denying she made some immoral decisions throughout her career.

1. Elizabeth Taylor Had an Affair With Her Friend’s Husband

A photograph of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher with their children Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher by Gloria Luchenbill, 1958 (Wikimedia Commons)

The story of Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds, and Eddie Fisher is one of the most infamous scandals in the history of Hollywood.

In March 1958, Taylor’s husband Mike Todd died in a plane crash. This tragic event led to plenty of sympathy for the widowed actress. But sympathy soon turned to outrage when the public learned Taylor was having an affair with the actor Eddie Fisher, who was married to one of Taylor’s closest friends: Debbie Reynolds.

It’s important to remember that the United States was much more culturally conservative in the 1950s. Extramarital affairs were…

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