Over her 79 years of life, Dame Elizabeth Taylor was one of the world's most celebrated and polarizing figures. While she is remembered today as a Hollywood legend, renowned for her beauty, style, fearless advocacy and acting chops, during her heyday, she was also looked down upon due to her many marriages and relationships, the perception of her as an "erotic vagrant," even being handed an Oscar for a movie that blatantly parodied her public image in BUtterfield 8.
Through it all, however, the screen and style icon handled everything with grace and class, expanded upon in a new interview from her son Christopher Wilding. Elizabeth welcomed Christopher, now 70, with her second husband Michael Wilding, who helps run the House of Taylor with her estate, as well as the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.
Speaking with People, timed with the US release of the Kim Kardashian-produced documentary Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar, Christopher said: "She was never cowed by the establishment whenever it criticized or condemned her lifestyle, which was often," attributing her decision making to a well-defined sense of right and wrong, plus the conviction to stand by them.
"Believe it or not, she had a strong moral compass and she made her choices in alignment with it, even when she knew they might not be popular," he continued. "She was curious, open-minded and lived life on her own terms until the day she died." Speaking to her influence decades later, he added: "Her tireless work on behalf of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS carries on through the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation."
He especially couldn't help but gush over another fellow Taylor – Taylor Swift, who released the track "Elizabeth Taylor" as an ode to the legendary actress from her album The Life of a Showgirl, drawing comparisons to their own lives. And Christopher couldn't be a bigger fan! "She and my mom do seem like kindred spirits."
He continued: "They are both the very embodiment of female empowerment. The way [Taylor] has deftly captured the similarities and parallel tracks in their careers and personal lives is delightful." He dubbed the song's nods to references like "eyes violet" and "white diamonds," her personal favorite scent, as "especially magical."
"Her life has been lived and her time in the spotlight is now over, but I hope that who my mother was as a person and the fearless life she led will continue to inspire generations to come," Christopher noted, similarly dubbing the "Opalite" hitmaker an "inspirational role model for her generation," adding: "Her advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights as well as her philanthropic work would have garnered her great admiration from my mother had they had a chance to get to know one another."
While the song received mixed critical response, it quickly became a favorite on the album, especially commercially. It has reached the top ten of several charts around the world, including Canada, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, debuting at number three just behind "The Fate of Ophelia" (No. 1) and "Opalite" (No. 2).