Liza Minnelli has opened up about a secret, deeply troubled relationship with Martin Scorsese that unfolded during the making of their 1977 film New York, New York. The longtime actress and singer reveals in her memoir that their affair was overshadowed by heavy drug use and intense emotional turmoil while they were both married to others.
The Hidden Romance Amidst Turmoil on a Film Set
In her memoir Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, Minnelli, now 79, recounts how she and Martin Scorsese, the famed director of The Godfather, became involved during production of their musical film. Their connection was far from simple — marked by mutual insecurities, jealousies, and volatile tempers. Minnelli notes that the affair took place while both were wed, she to her second husband Jack Haley Jr., and Scorsese to Julia Cameron.
Jealousy flared publicly at times, including one encounter in Greenwich Village when Scorsese confronted Minnelli about rumors of her involvement with Russian ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov. She later admitted to the affair with Baryshnikov, which provoked a furious response from Scorsese.
“How can you do this to me. How can you do this to me!”
Scorsese shouted, highlighting the emotional intensity of their secret relationship.
Passion Turned to Self-Destruction
Minnelli attributes their affair to a phenomenon known as amour fou, a French phrase describing a passionate but self-destructive love. This recklessness was as evident in their personal lives as it was on set. Drug use quickly became a constant, dominating factor for both.
“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,”
Minnelli writes, capturing the extent to which substance abuse controlled their days and nights. She continues,
“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?”
This chaotic lifestyle led to escalating tensions and destructive behaviors that threatened both Minnelli’s and Scorsese’s well-being. At one point, Minnelli recalls visiting fashion designer Halston’s Manhattan home with Scorsese late at night, demanding drugs.
“’Give me all the drugs you’ve got,’ I said, and he handed over some cocaine, marijuana, Valium and quaaludes,”
she recalls.
“Then Marty, who had been waiting around the corner, came up to Halston and kissed him on the cheek. We thanked him and said goodbye.”
The Affair’s Impact on Their Work and Lives
The film New York, New York exceeded its $7 million budget, costing $12 million and stretching 22 weeks to complete instead of the planned 14. Despite this, the movie underperformed at the box office. Minnelli acknowledged that it
“did not live up to box office expectations,”
reflecting the strain placed on the project during production.
Their romantic relationship extended beyond filming when Minnelli insisted that Scorsese direct her Broadway musical The Act. Though he had no prior theater experience, Scorsese took on the task. Minnelli, however, sensed warning signs when Scorsese demanded a dressing room typically reserved for performers, not directors. Eventually, she had to end their working relationship despite the emotional toll it took.
“It damn near killed me and broke my heart,”
Minnelli confesses.
Meanwhile, during this period, Scorsese’s health sharply declined. Addiction and constant conflict left him physically and mentally depleted, bringing him close to death. Minnelli reveals,
“Scorsese, meanwhile, was exhausted … and a steady diet of hostility and substances certainly wasn’t helping matters. As it turns out, his life was in jeopardy, and he is now able to admit that he ended up in the hospital cheating death.”
Support from Friends and a Turning Point
During his hospitalization, actor Robert De Niro delivered a stern wake-up call to Scorsese, urging him to recover for the sake of his young daughter Domenica. De Niro also motivated Scorsese to direct Raging Bull, a film that brought critical acclaim and Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Picture in 1981. This signaled a significant turning point in Scorsese’s career.
Despite the sobering moments, Minnelli’s affair with Scorsese persisted during this turbulent time. She also struggled to maintain her own professional commitments while contending with the
“steady impact of drugs and alcohol.”
Their relationship ended with lingering bitterness. Minnelli recounts an encounter years later at the 2014 Oscars, where she attempted to greet Scorsese but was coldly ignored: “Very sad.”
Inherited Struggles and Personal Battles with Addiction
Minnelli’s challenges with addiction are deeply rooted in her family history. Born to Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli, she refers to herself as “the original nepo baby,” acknowledging her high-profile lineage. Garland’s lifelong addiction struggles ended tragically with her death from an accidental barbiturate overdose in 1969 at age 47.
Minnelli has battled addiction herself for decades. Encouraged by lifelong friend Elizabeth Taylor, she entered rehab at the Betty Ford Clinic in 1984. However, sobriety remained elusive. After a hip replacement left her dependent on Oxycontin, staff found her collapsed at home in 2000.
“It looked like I had suffered a major stroke,”
Minnelli recalls.
“Fire department officials said I was paralyzed on one side of my body. My speech was slurred, my facial muscles sagging. Dr Maurice Hanson, a respected neurologist, later told the press that I had a severe case of encephalitis — a sudden inflammation of the brain that can be fatal.”
Minnelli admitted she lied to the press, claiming her symptoms came from a mosquito bite. In reality, friends found around 60 Oxy pills hidden at her house. She recalls,
“I can’t remember how many prescription bottles were in my bathroom and bedroom.”
Her dependence persisted to the point that, in 2003, she passed out on a New York City sidewalk, ignored by indifferent passersby.
“Who didn’t give a damn who I was,”
she says.
A Hard-Fought Journey Toward Recovery
Despite years of addiction and relapse, Minnelli reports that she has now been sober for 11 years, following a final rehab stay at a Malibu recovery center in 2015. She describes this as
“the great personal victory of my life,”
but cautions that recovery is an ongoing battle.
“But let me warn you — I’m not talking about a slam dunk triumph over addiction. An addict is always in recovery or dying.”
This candid memoir reveals the difficult intersection of love, artistry, and substance abuse within the lives of two iconic figures, shedding light on the destructive forces that shaped their personal and professional experiences during a pivotal era.
