Meet Liza Minnelli’s 4 ex-husbands: Judy Garland’s daughter also counted Michael Jackson and Andy Warhol as friends – and the actress won’t get hitched again

Oct 20 , 2024

Actress Liza Minnelli with her fourth, and last, ex-husband, the late David Gest, in 2002. Photo: Reuters

The award-winning actress married for the first time at 20 and divorced her fourth husband in 2007; she’s since sworn she’ll never walk down the aisle again

Hollywood legend Liza Minnelli recently opened up about her fascinating life in a rare interview with Michael Feinstein for Interview Magazine. In it, she spoke of her childhood as the daughter of The Wizard of Oz actress Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli, teased her upcoming memoir, recalled her friendship with Andy Warhol, and reminisced about Jack Haley Jr., her second husband.

Feinstein noted that the 78-year-old’s eyes lit up when she spoke about the late producer and she agreed, saying, “I do light up. He was the loveliest man, the gentlest and most interesting.” The Emmy winner was married to the That’s Entertainment! creator from 1974 to 1979, but she was also married to (and divorced from) three other men.

So, what do we know about Liza Minnelli’s four ex-husbands?

1. Her first husband, Peter Allen, was gay

Minnelli married musician and songwriter Peter Allen in 1967 at the age of 2o. He was part of The Allen Brothers, a musical duo who was discovered by Minnelli’s mother. It was Garland that reportedly introduced her daughter to Allen. The couple’s relationship soured quickly, with Allen supposedly stepping out on the actress with other men. They split for good in 1974.

2. She cheated on her second husband, Jack Haley Jr.

Minnelli already had a connection to her second husband long before they met. His father starred as the Tin Man in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, alongside Minnelli’s mum Judy Garland. The couple have been described as “friends rather than lovers” and Minnelli reportedly had multiple affairs during their marriage, including with filmmaker Martin Scorsese and ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, at the same time.

According to an Andy Warhol diary entry, she was once walking with Haley Jr. when they bumped into Scorsese, who confronted her about cheating on him with Baryshnikov – all in front of her husband. They eventually divorced after five years of marriage, but remained friends, per The Guardian.

3. She wanted children with her third husband, Mark Gero

Mark Gero, son of Broadway producer Frank Gero, was a sculptor who was married to Minnelli from 1979 to 1992. Minnelli had hoped to have children with Gero, but after suffering three miscarriages, gave up on her dream. The marriage quickly deteriorated and Minnelli eventually filed for divorce in 1990, charging Gero with abandonment.