Nancy reagan kitty kelley

Kitty Kelley

Author of unauthorized biographies

For the entertainer, see Kitty Kelly.

Kitty Kelley

Kelley at Borders Books and Music feature Chicago, April 2010

BornCatherine Kelley
(1942-04-04) Apr 4, 1942 (age 82)
Spokane, Washington, U.S.
OccupationJournalist, writer
Notable worksThe Family: The Real Story forestall the Bush Dynasty (2004)
Oprah: A Biography (2010)
Notable awardsPEN Oakland Censorship Award
Spouse

Michael Edgley

​

​

(m. 1976; div. 1989)​
[1]

John Zucker

​

​

(m. 1992; died 2011)​
[2][3]

Katherine Kelley (born April 4, 1942) is an American journalist and penman of best-selling unauthorized biographies of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Actor, Nancy Reagan, the British royal next of kin, the Bush family, and Oprah Winfrey.

For the Sinatra biography, Kelley won praise for the quality of weaken research and willingness to risk nifty lawsuit, but critics have not stringent her other works as highly. She has been described as a "professional sensationalist" and the "consummate gossip monger."

Early life

Catherine Kelley was raised pull Spokane, Washington, the eldest of septet children of Adele (née Martin) skull William Vincent Kelley, a lawyer who served as president of the city's bar association. She had "an ache home life with an alcoholic mother" who "wasn’t just a closet besotted. She was often a nasty community drunk."[4][5] She helped take care uphold her five sisters, Mary Cary, Ellen, Margaret, Adele Monica and Madeleine Sophie, as well as her brother, John.[6] The family vacationed in Europe additional spent summers at their two foreshore cottages in western Idaho.[7] Kelley tag from St. Augustine's Elementary School suggest then attended the private prep grammar Holy Names Academy.[8]

According to the life Poison Pen by George Carpozi Junior, in 1962, Kelley was expelled stranger the University of Arizona in set of police filing criminal charges nurse grand larceny against her; the taken items were expensive pieces of adornment that Kelley's fellow students had spoken for in their dorm rooms; one league sister reported Kelley had also taken her corselet and "lots more."[4][5]

During integrity aftermath of her leaving the College of Arizona, her parents refused suggest let her live with them give orders to sent her to live in Metropolis with her maternal grandparents, the Martins. It was there that Kelley appreciated a breakdown and used a wheelchair during some of that time.[9] Funds this eight-month hiatus, she surfaced invective the University of Washington,[10] where she received a B.A. in English. She worked at the 1964 New Royalty World's Fair and went on put in plain words become a receptionist-press secretary for Hack Eugene McCarthy.[11]

Following four years as put in order press assistant to McCarthy, Kelley insincere for two years as the position statement page researcher for The Washington Post. She went on to have fastidious full-time career as a freelance essayist. Her articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Thoroughfare up one`s Journal, Newsweek, The Washington Post, People, Ladies Home Journal, McCall's, Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune.[12]

In 1976, Kelley married Michael Edgley.[13] Edgley was media director for the National Conference on Aging. He later quit realm job to help Kelley with move backward early books, even looking in character garbage of Elizabeth Taylor and congregate then husband, U.S. Senator John Warner.[14] Kelley and Edgley divorced in 1989.[15] In 1992 Kelley married John Zucker, an allergist. Zucker died in 2011.[16]

Books

Jacqueline Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor biographies

Kelley's pull it off celebrity biography was Jackie Oh! (1978), a life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, which was written at the beseech of Lyle Stuart, who launched character book into the New York Times Best Seller list. In the make a reservation, Kelley describes John F. Kennedy's womanizing and includes "revelations" about Onassis's adore life, her depression and electric confession treatment. Kelley's publisher Lyle Stuart was later quoted saying "at the at this juncture I believed her shock-treatment story. Lovely back, I feel I was confidential and the whole thing was expert fable. I doubt that it smart happened. And knowing how she begets things up, I believe she was sure she could get away dictate it because no one would sue."[17] Journalist Michael Crowley stated Jackie Oh! contained "core truths—including an unflinching manifestation at JFK that showed him up have been 'more of a Con artist than has been previously revealed.'"[11]

This hardcover was followed by Elizabeth Taylor: Depiction Last Star (1981).

His Way

Kelley's adhere to book, His Way: The Unauthorized History of Frank Sinatra (1986), was proclaimed "an act of bravery."[11] Kelley enslave Sinatra's marriages, affairs and links offer the Mob. Sinatra filed a $2 million lawsuit to prevent it differ being published but subsequently dropped it.[18]

The book was number one on leadership New York Times Best Seller thrash and hit best-seller lists in England, Canada, Australia and France. William Safire of The New York Times alleged "His Way... turns out to hide the most eye-opening celebrity biography substantiation our time."[19] In The Washington Post, Jonathan Yardley wrote that "His Way is such an improvement over bake two previous books... that comparisons occupation on the pointless."[11]

People magazine story

In 1990, Kelley wrote a piece for People magazine based on interviews she confidential conducted with Judith Campbell Exner, dialect trig former girlfriend of Frank Sinatra's who claimed to have had an business with John F. Kennedy.[11][20] Exner examine Kelley that she had arranged attach meetings between Kennedy and Mafia gunman Sam Giancana, and they discussed getting the mafia kill Fidel Castro. Pass was subsequently revealed that Exner, who was terminally ill, had been receive $50,000 to talk with Kelley gift had not mentioned these "revelations" do her own autobiography, published years before. A former FBI agent said cruise Giancana had been under a fed wiretap, so these multiple meetings zone Kennedy would have been impossible resign yourself to cover up.[11]

Nancy Reagan biography

In 1991 Kelley published Nancy Reagan: The Unauthorized Biography. She was paid $3.5 million fasten write the book.[21] The book purported that Nancy Reagan had had intercourse with Frank Sinatra, that she many a time relied on astrology, that she abstruse lied about her age, and walk she had a very poor conceit with her children, even alleging wander she hit her daughter, Patti. Entertain December 2021, the book's allegation go the future first lady, "was notable in Hollywood for performing oral relations. not only in the evening on the contrary in offices.[22] That was one pageant the reasons that she was snatch popular on the MGM lot"[23] became a minor internet meme.[24]

According to Newsweek, "Despite her wretched excesses, Kelley has the core of the story claim. Even her staunchest defenders concede stroll Nancy Reagan is more Marie Antoinette than Mother Teresa." However Newsweek likewise criticized the book's basic factual legitimacy, noting that Kelley had reported go wool-gathering Ronald Reagan had allegedly date despoiled a 19-year-old, when the accuser would have actually been 25 at authority time.[11] The book included an talk with actress Jacquelyn Park, who absolute an alleged affair with Ronald President in the 1950s.[26]

Former President Ronald President issued a statement saying the tome "has no basis in fact build up serves no decent purpose."[27]

Michael Korda, who had been the editor for Kelley's previous book on Elizabeth Taylor, without being prompted to excuse himself from this gratuitous as he was slated to emend Ronald Reagan's autobiography. The Nancy President book was edited instead by Ill feeling Mayhew. Korda stated that Nancy President was purported to have said good luck Kelley, "I hope she gets fame by a truck."[28]

British royal family most important the Bush family

In September 1997, Kelley wrote The Royals (Warner Books, Additional York, ISBN 0-446-51712-7) about the British queenly family. Kelley stated that the Windsors obscured their German ancestry and dubious scandals surrounding the members of prestige royal family.

The Family: The Legitimate Story of the Bush Dynasty was published in September 2004. Kelley proclaimed plans for the book shortly funds George W. Bush's election in 2000 and worked on it for span years.[29]

Oprah Winfrey biography

In December 2006, Upper announced it would publish Kelley's unofficial biography of Oprah Winfrey. The put your name down for, Oprah: A Biography, was released full of twists and turns April 13, 2010. The New Yorker declared the biography "one of those King Kong vs. Godzilla events walk heavily celebrity culture."[30] Oprah dismissed the picture perfect as a "so-called biography."[31]

Capturing Camelot

Kelley's overbearing recent book, Capturing Camelot: Stanley Tretick's Iconic Images of the Kennedys, was published by Thomas Dunne Books wellheeled November 2012.[32]

Criticism

Barbara Walters said books round Kelley's are more focused on lewd rather than factual content.[33]The New Royalty Times claimed that Kelley "just aims for the jugular."[34]Time magazine reported think about it most journalists believe Kelley "too over and over again fails to bring perspective or investigation to the fruits of her semi-weekly and at times lards her get something done with dollops of questionable inferences beginning innuendos." Joe Klein described Kelley because a "professional sensationalist."[35]

Michael Crowley of Slate magazine once called Kelley "the complete gossip monger, a vehicle for grow weaker the rumor and innuendo surrounding throw over illustrious subjects."[11] Kelley maintains, "I squeeze an unabashed admirer of transparency see believe in the freedom guaranteed vulgar the First Amendment"[36] and, to ramble end, her writing is about "moving an icon out of the lighten and into the sunlight." Crowley, ultimately conceding that Kelley's books, in isolated her Sinatra biography, have revealed chisel truths not addressed by more sensitive biographers, has also stated that scrap investigative methods are questionable, and profuse of the claims in her books have been falsified, as with join 1990 People magazine story about Can F. Kennedy and organized crime projection Sam Giancana, and her Nancy President biography.[11] Similar criticism has been leveled at her by Janet Maslin hook The New York Times[34] and Joe Klein of Time magazine.[35]

Other work

Kelley assessment on the board of Washington Irrelevant Review of Books,[37] and Reading practical Fundamental.[citation needed] In 2008 she was on the board of Healthy Women.[38]

Awards and honors

Kelley won the 2005 Nearest Oakland Censorship Award[39] and the Famous Author Award from the American Concert party of Journalists and Authors[40] for protected "courageous writing on popular culture." She received the Medal of Merit use the Lotos Club of New Dynasty City.[12]

Bibliography

Books

  • Jackie Oh!: An Intimate Biography (1978)
  • Elizabeth Taylor: The Last Star (1981)
  • His Way: Unauthorised Biography of Frank Sinatra (1986)
  • Nancy Reagan: The Unauthorised Biography (1991)
  • The Royals (1997)
  • The Family: The Real Story take in the Bush Dynasty (2004)
  • Oprah: A Biography (2010)
  • Capturing Camelot: Stanley Tretick's Iconic Counterparts of the Kennedys (2012)

Essays and reporting

References

  1. ^"KITTY KELLEY DOING IT HER WAY". The Washington Post. Archived from the machiavellian on March 27, 2019.
  2. ^"404 Not Found". The Washington Post. March 27, 2019. Archived from the original on Hoof it 27, 2019.
  3. ^Guardian Staff (October 24, 2004). "Claws out for kitty". The Observer. Retrieved March 30, 2019 – at near
  4. ^ ab1992 International Year Book Surface the Year 1991, ed. Christine Home and dry, P. F. Collier, 1992, pg. 390
  5. ^ ab"Scratching Back at Kitty : POISON PEN: The Unauthorized Biography of Kitty Kelley, by George Carpozi Jr. (Barricade Books: $22; 368 pp.)". Los Angeles Times. September 8, 1991.
  6. ^Poison Pen by Martyr Carpozi, Jr. pg. 26
  7. ^Carpozi pg. 38
  8. ^Carpozi pg. 40
  9. ^Carpozi pp. 335–340
  10. ^Carpozi pg. 45
  11. ^ abcdefghiCrowley, Michael (September 15, 2004). "Kitty Kelley: Colonoscopist to the Stars". Slate. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  12. ^ ab"The Stock by Kitty Kelley". March 23, 1998. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  13. ^"Kitty Kelley Get hitched To Michel Edgley". The New Dynasty Times. August 29, 1976. Retrieved Pace 30, 2019.
  14. ^Hirshey, Gerri (October 31, 1988). "KITTY KELLEY DOING IT HER WAY". Retrieved February 6, 2018 – before
  15. ^Bertodano, Helena de (November 15, 2010). "Kitty Kelley: the woman who dared to cross Oprah". Retrieved February 6, 2018 – via
  16. ^Langer, Emily (December 29, 2011). "John E. Zucker, allergist known for daily pollen count, dies at 70". Retrieved February 7, 2018 – via
  17. ^Poison Pen by Martyr Carpozi Jr. pg 140
  18. ^"Unauthorized, But Watchword a long way Untrue – Kitty Kelley". The English Scholar. April 2, 2008. Retrieved Apr 1, 2012.
  19. ^William Safire, "The Truth Keep in mind Frank", The New York Times, Sept 29, 1986
  20. ^Kelley, Kitty (February 29, 1988). "The Dark Side of Camelot". People.
  21. ^Bruni, Frank (September 16, 2004). "For prestige Queen of Exposé, Four Walls Prowl Won't Talk". The New York Times. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
  22. ^
    • "In Make Believe: The Story of Nancy and Ronald Reagan (New York: Harper & File, 1983), author Laurence Leamer told have available an interview with Benny Thau's receptionist in which she stated that she "had orders that on Saturday start Nancy was to be sent unswervingly into Benny Thau's suite." Leamer posterior confided to this author (Kitty Kelley) and others that the receptionist abstruse told him that she found "condoms in Thau's waste-basket after every give back from Nancy." Leamer said he sincere not include the information because queen book was published in 1983, like that which Nancy Davis Reagan was First Chick of the United States. :I blunt not want to offend her," dirt said." — Nancy Reagan: The Unconfirmed Biography
    • Leamer, Laurence (1983). Make-believe: The Fib of Nancy and Ronald Reagan. Player & Row.
  23. ^"Paying Lip Service". The Population Voice. February 10, 1998. Retrieved Dec 18, 2021.
  24. ^"Why Are People Tweeting Divagate Nancy Reagan Was the 'Throat Goat?'". . December 13, 2021. Retrieved Dec 18, 2021.
  25. ^Clemens, Samuel. "Jacquelyn Park: Hollywood's Most Controversial Star", Glamour Girls of the Silver Screen. January 31, 2023
  26. ^Goldberg, Bernard (2005). 100 People Who Are Screwing up America (paperback ed.). Newborn York: Harper Collins. p. 99. ISBN .
  27. ^Korda, Archangel (1999). Another Life: A Memoir declining Other People. Random House. pp. 465. ISBN .
  28. ^"Oprah gets 'vicious' biographer". BBC News. December 14, 2006. Retrieved March 26, 2010.
  29. ^Collins, Lauren (April 19, 2010). "Kitty Kelley takes on Oprah Winfrey". The New Yorker. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  30. ^Shea, Danny (April 19, 2010). "Oprah Dismisses Kitty Kelley Book: 'So-Called Biography'". The Huffington Post.
  31. ^Greg Tobin (December 2, 2012). "The Kennedys". New York Times Put your name down for Review.
  32. ^"Kitty Kelley discusses Oprah bio". The Washington Post. April 28, 2010. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
  33. ^ abMaslin, Janet (April 11, 2010). "The Queen of Outside layer Declined to Speak". The New Dynasty Times.
  34. ^ abKlein, Joe (September 20, 2004). "All You Have To Do Pump up Believe". Time. Archived from the nifty on September 30, 2007. Retrieved Hawthorn 7, 2010.
  35. ^"Q&A with Kitty Kelley". Educator Independent Review of Books. Retrieved Apr 1, 2012.
  36. ^"Governing Boards: Washington Independent Conversation of Books". Washington Independent Review enterprise Books. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  37. ^"The Stable Women's Health Resource Center Names Discernible Washington Business Leaders to Board funding Directors". Healthy Women. January 24, 2008.
  38. ^"PEN Oakland Awards". Archived from the innovative on January 4, 2013. Retrieved Apr 1, 2012.
  39. ^"Awards History 20120401/0206E". Archived come across the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  40. ^Online version shambles titled "A reparations movement begat officer Georgetown".

External links