Multiple sources are reporting that movie star Elizabeth Taylor died early this morning at age 79. Good Morning America reports that the cause of death was congestive heart failure. She had been hospitalized earlier this month with symptoms of heart failure. Taylor's publicist said, "She was surrounded by her children- Michael Wilding, Christopher Wilding, Liza Todd, and Maria Burton."
Son Michael Wilding also released a statement: "My Mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humor, and love. Though her loss is devastating to those of us who held her so close and so dear, we will always be inspired by her enduring contribution to our world. Her remarkable body of work in film, her ongoing success as a businesswoman, and her brave and relentless advocacy in the fight against HIV/AIDS, all make us all incredibly proud of what she accomplished. We know, quite simply, that the world is a better place for Mom having lived in it. Her legacy will never fade, her spirit will always be with us, and her love will live forever in our hearts."
The iconic actress was known for her roles in Cleopatra, National Velvet, Suddenly Last Summer, Giant, Father of the Bride, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, as well as her private life—breaking up Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds's marriage, her tempestuous relationship with Richard Burton, and many other husbands. In her later years, Taylor was known for her work with amFAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research.
Taylor gave her last major interview for the March issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine, in which she spoke with Kim Kardashian about fashion, men and her iconic roles. Taylor said, "I have been supremely lucky in my life in that I have known great love, and of course I am the temporary custodian of some incredible and beautiful things. But I have never felt more alive than when I watched my children delight in something, never more alive than when I have watched a great artist perform, and never richer than when I have scored a big check to fight AIDS. Follow your passion, follow your heart, and the things you need will come."
Taylor had been plagued by numerous health problems, to chronic back problems caused by a fall from a horse at age 12 to a near-fatal bout of pneumonia when she was 28. She disclosed that she had heart failure in 2004, but regarding reports that she was dying she told Larry King in 2006, "Oh, come on, do I look like I'm dying?" Taylor also joined Twitter in her later years, and told Kardashian, "I like the connection with fans and people who have been supportive of me. And I love the idea of real feedback and a two-way street, which is very, very modern. But sometimes I think we know too much about our idols and that spoils the dream. So, like all things, it is to be used with care!"
