Liza Minnelli Opens Up About Her Challenging Relationship with Martin Scorsese and Its Impact on Her Life

Liza Minnelli Reflects on Tumultuous Affair with Martin Scorsese in New Memoir

Liza Minnelli’s latest memoir, Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, reveals vivid details about her passionate relationship with director Martin Scorsese. The book, now available, captures the essence of their "volcanic" affair that began on the set of their 1977 film, New York, New York.

In her memoir, Minnelli describes the intense dynamics of their romance, noting it was “the worst-kept secret on the set.” She characterizes their connection as having “more layers than a lasagne,” but emphasizes that their fiery tempers ultimately took a toll on their relationship.

A particularly explosive moment occurred when Minnelli had an encounter with Scorsese while out with her then-husband. The director, who had learned of Minnelli’s reported affair with ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, confronted her. “How can you do this to me!” Scorsese reportedly exclaimed.

Reflecting on the chaotic nature of their bond, Minnelli states, “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.” She also addresses the darker aspects of their romance, including substance use that complicated their time together.

According to Minnelli, as filming progressed, Scorsese became increasingly dependent on cocaine, altering the creative energy on set. “As we filmed, Marty became a heavier and heavier user of cocaine. It seemed that it was no longer recreational for either of us,” she writes, explaining their constant companionship even amid substance abuse. “Line by line, Marty claimed the drug helped his creative juices.”

At the time of their affair, Minnelli was married to Jack Haley Jr., the son of her mother Judy Garland’s co-star in The Wizard of Oz, while Scorsese was in a troubled marriage with his second wife, Julia Cameron. Reflecting on the relationship, Minnelli describes it as being on “a runaway train,” acknowledging that “nothing good could come of it.”

While Minnelli and Haley Jr. divorced in 1979, she wed her third husband, Mark Gero, the same year, marking a new chapter in her life amid the tumult of her past.