Liza Minnelli has never shied away from speaking honestly about the highs and lows of her life, and her latest memoir revisits one of the most complicated relationships she has ever experienced. In ‘Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!‘, the 79-year-old legend reflects on a turbulent chapter tied to the making of the 1977 film ‘New York, New York‘.
That relationship, according to Minnelli, carried “more layers than a lasagne,” and the story behind it reveals a troubling period filled with obsession, jealousy, and destructive habits.
The Beggining Of Liza Minnelli And Martin Scorsese’s Affair
The relationship between Minnelli and Martin Scorsese began while they were filming ‘New York, New York‘ in 1977. At that time, both were married to other people. Minnelli remained married to her second husband, Jack Haley Jr., while Scorsese was married to Julia Cameron, the mother of his daughter Domenica.
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However, intense emotions surfaced almost immediately. Minnelli recalls that both she and Scorsese had “volcanic tempers,” which meant arguments could escalate quickly. As a result, the relationship often felt dramatic and unpredictable.
One confrontation in Greenwich Village clearly showed how tense things had become. During an unexpected encounter, Minnelli and Haley ran into Scorsese, who had heard rumors that she was also involved with Russian ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov. Consequently, Scorsese reacted angrily and shouted, “How can you do this to me. How can you do this to me!” Later, Minnelli acknowledged that she did sleep with Baryshnikov during that period.
Looking back now, Minnelli describes the affair as an example of amour fou, a French phrase referring to a love that becomes obsessive and destructive. According to her memoir, such relationships can feel hypnotic and overpowering, and eventually they draw people deeper into damaging behavior.
Minnelli Gets Honest About Drug Abuse
As the relationship deepened, drug use began to dominate their daily lives. During the filming of ‘New York, New York‘, Scorsese started using cocaine more frequently, and soon the habit became constant. Gradually, cocaine appeared everywhere in their lives.
It showed up on set between takes, during evenings out in Manhattan, and throughout long nights that stretched into the early morning hours. Minnelli admits she stayed beside him even as the addiction intensified. Scorsese repeatedly insisted that cocaine helped his creative juices. Nevertheless, she later questioned whether that belief was simply another illusion people tell themselves while trapped in substance abuse.
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In fact, one notorious night even appeared in Andy Warhol’s published diaries. Minnelli recounts arriving late at fashion designer Halston’s Manhattan apartment. At that moment, she bluntly said, “Give me all the drugs you’ve got.” Halston handed over cocaine, marijuana, Valium, and Quaaludes. Shortly afterward, Scorsese emerged after waiting nearby, kissed Halston on the cheek, and the pair thanked him before leaving.
Meanwhile, the film itself began facing serious problems. Production costs rose dramatically, climbing beyond the original $7 million budget to reach $12 million. In addition, filming lasted 22 weeks rather than the planned 14. Eventually, when ‘New York, New York‘ premiered, Minnelli later admitted that the movie failed to meet box-office expectations.
How Addiction Nearly Destroyed Their Relationship
Minnelli and Scorsese continued seeing each other even after the film premiered. Eventually, she asked him to direct her Broadway musical ‘The Act‘, despite his having no experience with a large-scale stage production before. Warning signs appeared almost immediately.
Minnelli recalls that Scorsese raised a “red flag” when he entered the theater and demanded a personal dressing room, something directors typically do not request. Ultimately, she made the painful decision to fire him, even though it nearly broke her heart. Around the same time, Scorsese himself reached a dangerous breaking point.
Exhaustion, hostility, and substance abuse took a serious toll on him. As a result, he eventually landed in the hospital and nearly lost his life. Meanwhile, Minnelli also faced a long and painful struggle with addiction. Her life had already been touched by substance abuse because her mother, Judy Garland, died in 1969 after an accidental barbiturate overdose.
Later, a close friend, Elizabeth Taylor, warned Minnelli that she would die if she refused treatment, which prompted her to enter the Betty Ford Clinic in 1984. Unfortunately, sobriety did not come easily. After undergoing hip replacement surgery, Minnelli began abusing OxyContin.
In 2000, staff members discovered her collapsed at home. Doctors later diagnosed severe encephalitis, a dangerous inflammation of the brain that can be fatal. At first, Minnelli told the press the illness resulted from a mosquito bite. Later, friends discovered around 60 Oxy pills hidden under her mattress and throughout the house.
Another frightening moment occurred in 2003 when Minnelli collapsed on a Lexington Avenue sidewalk after heavy drug and alcohol use. Passersby walked past her without realizing who she was. Today, however, Minnelli says she has remained sober for 11 years after entering a Malibu recovery center in 2015. She calls sobriety the greatest personal victory of her life.
Even so, she emphasizes that addiction never completely disappears. According to Minnelli, recovery remains a lifelong fight because an addict is always either recovering or moving closer to disaster.
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