Liza Minnelli is speaking candidly about the painful chapter of her life that followed the death of her mother, Judy Garland. In her memoir Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, Minnelli reflects on how Garland’s sudden passing in June 1969 deeply affected her and marked the beginning of her own long struggle with substance abuse.
Garland died from an accidental overdose at age 47, leaving Minnelli devastated. “I cried for eight straight days,” Minnelli writes, recalling the overwhelming grief and anxiety she felt. Ahead of the funeral, a doctor prescribed Valium to help her cope. What initially seemed like temporary relief gradually developed into dependency. Looking back, Minnelli describes the experience as something she felt powerless to avoid, calling it “a genetic inheritance from Mama I could not escape.”
For years, Minnelli said she did not believe her substance use had become a serious issue. In 1984, her sister encouraged her to seek help, though she initially resisted the idea that she needed treatment. It was not until actress Elizabeth Taylor—who had recently achieved sobriety herself—urged Minnelli to return to rehab that she began confronting the depth of her addiction.
Minnelli continued working toward recovery over the years and entered rehab again in 2015. Today, she remains committed to her sobriety and reflects openly on her journey, hoping her story can shed light on the complexities of grief, addiction, and resilience.
