Whoa. An epic new series of remembrances and recollections of the late Elizabeth Taylor features the disclosure of a secret the icon carried to her grave -- or at least to an interview in 1997, when she let slip a disturbing, off-the-record bombshell about Giant co-star James Dean.
According to Kevin Sessums, the Daily Beast reporter who spoke to Taylor for another outlet 14 years ago:
[What did she think of] James Dean? "I loved Jimmy. I'm going to tell you something, but it's off the record until I die. OK? When Jimmy was 11 and his mother passed away, he began to be molested by his minister. I think that haunted him the rest of his life. In fact, I know it did. We talked about it a lot. During Giant we'd stay up nights and talk and talk, and that was one of the things he confessed to me."
Yikes. I don't know if I believe it happened like that -- Dean whiling away the hours on Giant by acknowledging having been molested at age 11 by his minister? Really? -- but one can only imagine how many more off-the-record-until-I-die secrets Taylor slipped to trusted journalists and industry confidantes as her health deteriorated over the last decade. Last year's Vanity Fair recap of her tempestuous relationship with Richard Burton concluded with Taylor reading aloud Burton's last letter to her, sentiments paraphrased loosely by her biographers yet sequestered in her nightstand until her death. So that's coming, too, I presume.
Also find herewith Andrew Sullivan's own startling confession about his encounter with Taylor, whose HIV/AIDS activism was legendary:
"I met her once and we talked about AIDS and HIV. She knew so little about both I was somewhat dumbstruck. She seemed to believe that some people could be carriers of the virus without being infected themselves. It was useless arguing with her--and who would want to? But her ignorance was matched by her benevolence."
Again, this is probably just getting started. Be prepared.
ยท Elizabeth Taylor Interview About Her AIDS Advocacy [The Daily Beast]