Liza Minnelli Recalls Drug-Fueled Romance With Martin Scorsese

Liza Minnelli has opened up about her turbulent relationship with director Martin Scorsese, describing an intense and ultimately destructive affair that unfolded during the late 1970s while the two were working together in Hollywood.

The Tony-winning actress detailed the relationship in her memoir "Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!," according to InStyle. 

In the book, Minnelli recounts how the romance developed while she and Scorsese collaborated on the 1977 film "New York, New York," and says it quickly became widely known among colleagues. According to Minnelli, their tryst "was the worst-kept secret on the set."

Minnelli describes the relationship as emotionally volatile and layered, writing that it had "more layers than a lasagne," before their "volcanic tempers" ultimately overtook them. 

Reflecting on the dynamic, she writes: "I got lost in amour fou, the French term for a passionate relationship that becomes a self-destructive obsession," adding, "The relationship becomes a powerful hypnotic drug in every way."

The actor also recounts how drugs became intertwined with the relationship during the production period.

She writes that drug use escalated while filming and continued during their time together outside of work.

"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 continues.

Describing their closeness at the time, she adds: "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?"

Minnelli also recounts a confrontation that took place on a New York City street while she was with her then-husband, Jack Haley Jr.

During the encounter, Scorsese confronted her after learning about her relationship with ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov. Minnelli recalls that the director reacted angrily, shouting, "How can you do this to me!"

At the time, Minnelli was married to Haley Jr., the son of Judy Garland's "The Wizard of Oz" co-star who portrayed the Tin Man. 

Scorsese was still married to his second wife, Julia Cameron, though their marriage would soon end in divorce. Looking back on the affair, Minnelli writes, "We were on a runaway train," adding, "Nothing good could come of it."

Minnelli and Haley Jr. separated in 1979, and later that same year she married her third husband, Mark Gero. 

According to Page Six, Minnelli has been sober for 11 years, with her most recent rehabilitation stay taking place at a Malibu recovery center in 2015.

Scorsese later described his own turning point during that era in a 2016 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, recalling a near-fatal health crisis in 1978 when he was 35. 

"After finishing 'New York, New York,' I took chances," he said. "[I was] out of time and out of place and also in turmoil in my own life and embracing the other world, so to speak, with a kind of attraction to the dangerous side of existence. Then on Labor Day weekend, I found myself in a hospital, surprised that I was near death."

Reflecting on the experience, the filmmaker said it prompted deep self-examination. "I was stunned by the realization of my naivete and denial," he said. "I prayed. But if I prayed, it was just to get through those 10 days and nights. I felt [if I was saved] it was for some reason. And even if it wasn't for a reason, I had to make good use of it."

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