The extramarital affair of these superstars was labeled as the world’s biggest scandal and made international news. Read to know more.
In 1962, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, Hollywood’s power couple, sparked a scandal during the filming of Cleopatra. Rumors of their affair surfaced when a paparazzi photo in Italy unveiled their secret relationship. The revelation marked a shift in celebrity culture, altering personal and public lives.
Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were the highest-paid actors in 1962. The affair became a global sensation, labeled the world’s biggest scandal. The Catholic Church, represented by the Vatican, publicly criticized Burton and Taylor for their ‘erotic vagrancy.’ In the US, Congress faced demands to bar the stars from re-entry. According to the Sociologist Ellis Cashmore, the publication of the photograph was a “turning point”, that made it difficult for celebrities to keep their personal lives separate from their public images. The picture suddenly turned Burton and Taylor from public sweethearts to public enemies
The affair became a global sensation, labeled the world’s biggest scandal. It made international news created by ‘Liz and Dick’. It reached such proportions that even the Catholic Church had to condemn them. The Catholic Church, represented by the Vatican, publicly criticized Burton and Taylor for their ‘erotic vagrancy.’ In the US, Congress faced demands to bar the stars from re-entry.
Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor after the scandal
A year later In 1963, Burton divorced his wife, followed by Taylor divorcing her husband a year later. The two got married on March 15, 1964. This was dubbed the ‘wedding of the century,’ and attracted tabloid frenzy. Despite their stardom, their marriage lasted just over a decade. Finally, they divorced each other in 1974. However, the two reconciled and married again, in 1975. But they finally split for the second time in July 1976. When in 1984 Burton passed it marked the end of their journey. Taylor married twice post-Burton and remained single after her final divorce in 1996. She passed away in 2011 at 79.
