In her new memoir, Liza Minnelli spills on a secret, stormy romance with director Martin Scorsese during the 1977 film New York, New York. The pair's fling was fueled by passion, drugs, and drama, all while both were married to others. Minnelli describes it as 'amour fou,' a self-destructive obsession that left hearts broken.
Oh honey, Liza Minnelli is serving up the tea that's been brewing for decades! In her memoir Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, the 79-year-old icon dishes on her turbulent secret relationship with filmmaker Martin Scorsese, now 83. It all went down while they were shooting the 1977 musical New York, New York, a production that was anything but smooth.
Picture this: escalating cocaine use on set and off, turning their fling into a volatile mess. Liza writes, “As we filmed, Marty became a heavier and heavier user of cocaine. It seemed that it was no longer recreational for either of us. It was day and night. On the set, in between takes, and when we went out in the evening.” She adds, “We were constant companions and I was right there beside him. Line by line, Marty claimed the drug helped his creative juices. Sure it did. Or is that just one more fabulous lie you tell yourself when you’re in the grip of substance use?” 😏
Drama peaked with a Greenwich Village showdown after Marty heard rumors of Liza's involvement with ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov—which she confirms did happen. He reportedly shouted, “How can you do this to me. How can you do this to me!” Both were married at the time: Liza to her second hubby Jack Haley Jr., and Marty to Julia Cameron.
Liza calls it “amour fou,” the French term for a passionate relationship that spirals into self-destructive obsession, like a hypnotic drug. The film's budget ballooned from $7 million to $12 million, and shooting stretched to 22 weeks from 14. Later, she even tapped Marty to direct her Broadway show The Act—despite his theater newbie status—only to fire him, a move that “damn near killed me and broke my heart.”
Talk about messy love in the spotlight! So, is this the full story, or are there more chapters waiting? 🔥
