Princess Lee Radziwill with Truman Capote in the 60s

Legendary gossip columnist, Liz Smith

At the height of Liz Smith‘s column, it was syndicated in more than 75 newspapers worldwide, including the New York Post, which lured her away from arch-rival Daily News for more than $1 million a year. The Post let her go in ’09, but she’s still turning out her column from the same Murray Hill building she’s lived in since ’79. My old pal (and former editor of Radar) Maer Roshan interviewed the legendary gossip columnist and asked her about many things, including her aversion to Jackie O.’s sister, Princess Lee Radziwill:

“… she did something terrible. She was always a close friend of Truman Capote’s. But then Capote got embroiled in that ridiculous libel suit with Gore Vidal over his claim that Vidal had been drunkenly kicked out of the White House. Lee is the one who told Capote the story, but when it ended up in court, she threw him to the wolves. All she had to do was tell the truth. But she refused, and Truman lost the lawsuit, which devastated him. During the trial, as a last-ditch effort, he asked me to call her and beg her to testify. And you know, Truman had done everything for her. He even tried to help her start an acting career. But when I called her and said,

‘Lee, you really must testify for Truman.’

Sh said, ‘Oh, Liz, what do we care – they’re just a couple of fags! They’re disgusting.’

I was so stunned, I just hung up. I’ve never spoken to her since.”

To read more fascinating dirt from 93 year-old Liz, see the full interview here. (via THR)