Liza Minelli has exposed the details of a passionate affair with acclaimed director Martin Scorsese in her recently published memoirs, Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, released on March 10th. The revelation focuses on their intense relationship while working together on Scorsese’s 1977 film New York, New York, in which Minelli starred alongside Robert De Niro.
The memoir describes how the two
quickly got swept up in a passionate romance
during filming, despite Minelli being married at the time. The affair was so conspicuous that Minelli admits it
was the worst-kept secret on the set
.
The Relationship’s Descent Into Obsession and Addiction
Minelli characterizes their liaison as an all-consuming passion, writing,
I got lost in amour fou, the French term for a passionate relationship that becomes a self-destructive obsession. The relationship becomes a powerful, hypnotic drug in every way.
However, as their affair progressed, cocaine increasingly played a harmful role, overshadowing their connection. Minelli remembers,
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. We were constant companions, and I was right there beside him. Line by line.
She also reflects critically on Scorsese’s justification for his drug use:
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?
Despite these claims, New York, New York was neither a critical nor awards success, with the film overlooked by the Academy Awards, questioning the creative benefits Scorsese attributed to his cocaine use.
Conflict and Fallout: The Impact on Personal Lives
Minelli also recounts a tense encounter in Greenwich Village that involved Scorsese confronting her, with her then-husband Jack Haley Jr present. Scorsese angrily challenged her over another affair with Russian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, demanding,
How can you do this to me?
Minelli recalls,
Jack and I quickly walked away, trying to laugh it off. It would be impossible to forget. Marty was incensed. I’d been outed. Mikhail got caught up in a messy situation. And Jack now had a good reason for us to part.
The relationship turmoil contributed to Minelli and Haley Jr’s divorce in 1979, while Scorsese’s marriage to Julia Cameron, which began in 1976, ended by 1977, underscoring the consequences of their destructive entanglements.
Legacy of the Memoirs and What Lies Ahead
These candid revelations about Minelli’s affair with Martin Scorsese shed light on a turbulent period marked by passion, addiction, and personal conflict. By sharing this chapter in her memoirs, Minelli offers a raw look at both the allure and the dangers behind their relationship, enhancing public understanding of the complexities involved behind the scenes during the making of New York, New York.
