NEWSLiza Minnelli Opens Up About Her Complicated Relationship With Mom Judy Garland
Liza Minnelli Liza Minnelli detailed her complex relationship with Judy Garland in a candid new memoir. her complex relationship with Judy Garland in a candid new memoir.
March 12 2026, Published 7:00 a.m. ET
In her new memoir, Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, Liza Minnelli discusses a pivotal moment during her teenage years when she shared the stage with her mother, Judy Garland, at the London Palladium.
At the age of 18, Minnelli experienced both the thrill of performing alongside her legendary mother and the tension that arose as the night progressed.
Liza Minnelli recalled performing with Judy Garland at the London Palladium.
Initially, Garland supported her daughter. “After my first song [on opening night] I heard her shout, ‘Yeah, baby! Go get 'em!’” Minnelli recalls. However, as Minnelli continued her performance, Garland’s enthusiasm began to wane. By the third song, it became apparent that her mother was struggling to share the spotlight.
Liza Minnelli described tension with her mom in the book.
Minnelli vividly remembers the moment when Garland attempted to remove her from the performance. “I heard her whispering to our producer, Harold Davison: 'Harold, get her off my f------ stage!'" Despite Garland's frustrations, Minnelli carried on, receiving roaring applause from the audience while her mother fumed behind the scenes.
Liza Minnelli wrote that she often cared for her mother on tour.
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The complexity of their relationship is a central theme in Minnelli's memoir. She reflects on how the performance marked a shift in their dynamic. “I had begun the night as Mama's daughter. Now, I was onstage with Judy Garland,” she explains.
Minnelli notes that her upbringing was far from ordinary. Garland offered her and her half-brother, Joey Luft, two choices: remain in school or join her on the road. They chose the latter, leading to a childhood filled with hotel stays and a multitude of schools.
Throughout their time on tour, Minnelli looked after her mom. “At 13, I was my mother's caretaker — a nurse, doctor, pharmacologist, and psychiatrist rolled into one,” she writes. She often called doctors to refill Garland's prescriptions, revealing the weight of responsibility she carried at such a young age.
Judy Garland died in 1969 from an accidental overdose.
The tragic death of Garland in 1969 from an accidental overdose deeply affected Minnelli. “I cried for eight straight days,” she recalls, explaining how the stress from her mother’s death contributed to her own struggle with addiction.
As Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! hit bookstores on March 10.
