Carrie Fisher’s Brother Said Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher Were ‘Vilified’ During Their Marriage

Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher had one of the most infamous celebrity affairs of their era. The longtime friends decided to get married in 1959. Fisher left actress Debbie Reynolds and their two children- Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher, to be with Taylor.

In 2018, Todd released a memoir titled My Girls: A Lifetime with Carrie and Debbie, documenting his famous mother and sister’s life. He shared how the scandal between his parents and Taylor affected their high-profile careers. 

Todd Fisher thought Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher were ‘too good to be true’

Reynolds and Fisher were considered Hollywood’s “it couple” in the 1950s. When they met, Fisher had hit songs like “Any Time” and “Thinking of You.” Reynolds had a successful movie career that began with her first leading role in Singin in the Rain. 

After several years of dating, Reynolds married Fisher in 1955. The next year, Reynolds gave birth to their first child, Carrie Fisher. Unsurprisingly, their marriage made headlines, as the public gushed about how perfect the couple appeared to be.

In excerpts from Todd’s memoir, he shared that he also didn’t see any flaws in his parents’ marriage. According to The Daily Mail, Todd wrote that he never saw anything out of the ordinary between Reynolds and Fisher, although he was a toddler during their relationship.

“They seemed almost too good to be true,” he wrote. “Which, of course, they were.’’

Why Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher were ‘vilified’

Fisher and Reynolds’ seemingly perfect relationship halted in 1958. After Taylor’s third husband, Mike Todd died, Taylor and Fisher started spending time together. Reynolds initially supported their bond, as she and Taylor were also close friends. Eventually, Fisher fell in love with Taylor and informed Reynolds that he wanted to end their marriage. Although Reynolds had small children at the time, she agreed to the divorce. Fisher and Taylor married in 1959. 

The love triangle between Reynolds, Fisher, and Taylor instantly became headline news. According to Todd’s memoir, Fisher and Taylor suffered from the ordeal the most. Soon, many fans sided with Reynolds during that time, who continued to work after the divorce.

“The world was stunned. Eddie and Elizabeth were vilified,” Todd wrote. “Eddie was declared a philandering, opportunistic loser, and Elizabeth was labeled a bad-girl, home-wrecking slut. Debbie, the good girl, the innocent, unsuspecting victim, and single mom, was globally embraced with love and sympathy.’’

Elizabeth Taylor divorced Eddie Fisher

Taylor and Fisher’s marriage ended in 1964. Toward the end of their relationship, Taylor met and fell in love with Richard Burton and asked Fisher for a divorce. Additionally, Reynolds married shoe magnate Harry Karl. In 1966, Reynolds and Taylor boarded the same cruise ship with their new husbands. The women decided to air out their past issues, and Reynolds forgave Taylor for the affair.

“It seems that, by pure coincidence, Mom and Harry had found themselves on the same cruise ship (ironically, the Queen Elizabeth) as Richard and Elizabeth,’ Todd wrote.  “The four of them had dinner together on the ship, to the hysterical glee of the tabloids.” 

Reynolds and Taylor’s friendship continued for several decades. When Taylor died in 2011, she left jewelry for Reynolds. In December 2016, Reynolds died of a stroke.