While some parents might hope that their children stay young forever, that wasn't the case with Judy Garland and her oldest daughter Liza Minnelli. In 1984, Minnelli spoke with The New York Times about her relationship with her mother, recalling, "I was always treated like a grown-up. There was no baby talk — ever." She remembered her mother saying, "Enough people are going to say goo-goo, ga-ga, when you're older. In other words, they'll double-talk you when you're older. So, I'll talk to you straight when you're young."
On one hand, it meant that Minnelli had — at a very young age — been exposed to all the hardships of being an adult: By the time she was three, she had heard stories of the difficulties of the real world, and by six, she could get whatever she needed from hotel room service. As she grew up, she found herself shouldering more and more, from overdue bills to facing the fallout of Garland's addictions and suicide attempts.
On the other hand, it also meant that she had a mother who was also her best friend. Still, Minnelli knew that meant she needed to make her own way. She left home at 16, bound for New York City. "[Garland] was smart enough to stay out of it," Minnelli recalled. "She never made calls. She said, 'I never want to be guilty of getting you a job,' and she's not."
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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