Elizabeth Taylor and the drugs "I thought I was a good mother"
Elizabeth Taylor became dependent on drugs and alcohol late in her life due to health problems. Her family intervened and her son now gives a behind-the-scenes look at this time.
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- In the BBC documentary "Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar", family members talk about Taylor's struggle with alcohol and painkiller addiction.
- Her son Christopher Wilding describes a difficult family intervention that eventually led Taylor to accept professional help.
- Taylor's public admission of her addiction problems empowered her and provided additional support on her road to recovery.
The BBC is currently showing a documentary about Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor. In the latest episode of "Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar", the surviving relatives of the popular actress talk about her battle with drugs and alcohol.
Her son Christopher Wilding explains: "She had physical limitations, especially her ailing back. So she took painkillers, which is perfectly legitimate. That was also her plan: a better life thanks to science."
However, Wilding also admits that those close to her knew exactly how unhealthy her relationship with medication was. Taylor had "abused alcohol and painkillers, including those that could be injected".
"We were paralyzed"
Her family would have spoken to her about it, set up an intervention. "Everyone flew in for her, and my God, it was difficult," says her son.
Elizabeth Taylor herself also has her say in a recording and talks about the shock of the intervention. Her whole family was present: "It was so sincere and loving, I knew it was hell for them."
"We were so worried, we were paralyzed. She was an impressive woman," recalls Christopher Wilding.
Things she had never had to do in her life
The intervention was like a slap in the face for Taylor: "I thought I was a good mother. How could I do this to my loved ones?" Her son was also surprised by his mother's reaction. She immediately agreed to get professional help.
In a rehabilitation clinic, Elizabeth Taylor had to share a room with a stranger for the first time. She did housework. "She has never had to do these things in her entire adult life," says Wilding.
Elizabeth Taylor also made her withdrawal public, which offered her additional help: "She shared her suffering, it gave her all the more strength."
