The Saddest Things About Liza Minnelli

In March 2002, Liza Minnelli headed to the altar for a fourth time, marrying seven-years-her-junior producer David Gest. The extravagant nuptials boasted the star power of Michael Jackson and Elizabeth Taylor as ring-bearers. The marriage, however, was plagued with rumors — that Gest was gay, that he was only after her money — all of which he denied. The marriage was also filmed for a TV reality show — which VH1 cancelled before its premiere. 

Few were surprised when the marriage imploded 16 months later, and the uncoupling was far from amicable. As NBC News reported, Gest sued Minnelli for $10 million, alleging several instances of physical abuse dating back to before they were married. "She just kept hitting me in the head with her fists, over, and over and over," he claimed. In his divorce filing, he alleged that Minnelli's abuse had left him in such continual agony that he had been prescribed 11 daily medications to manage the pain. Additionally, he claimed that he now suffered a variety of ailments including scalp tenderness, nausea, and hypertension.

Per the New York Post, Minnelli fired back with her own divorce filing claiming that Gest had been "cruel and inhuman" toward her. The outlet reported that when questioned by Splash News about her ex-husband's allegations of physical violence, she reportedly laughed and said, "Oh my God, it's not true." After Gest's death in 2016, Liza summed up her feeling about her late ex-husband when she told Page Six's Cindy Adams, "He's an a**hole."

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

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