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Scott Thorson
Scott Thorson (January 23, 1959 – August 16, 2024) was an American known for his relationship with and lawsuit against Liberace. Thorson wrote a memoir on his time with Liberace, "Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace," which was published in 1988 and adapted into the Emmy-winning film Behind the Candelabra in 2013. Thorson was also a key witness in the trial for the 1981 killings known as the Wonderland Massacre.
At 17-years-old Thorson met Liberace in 1976 through his romantic friendship with dancer Bob Street (a friend of Hollywood producer Ray Arnett), who was staging Liberace's shows in Las Vegas. When Thorson was 18, Liberace hired him to act as his personal friend and companion, a position that allegedly included a five-year romantic relationship with lavish gifts, travel, and Liberace's promises that he would adopt and care for Thorson. Liberace claimed that he had "more mink coats and diamonds than Elizabeth Taylor". Liberace also incorporated Thorson into his Las Vegas stage performances: for example, Thorson drove Liberace's Rolls-Royce onstage, and was a dancer.
According to Thorson, Liberace introduced him to pop star Michael Jackson in the late 1970s. Thorson claimed that he had an affair with Jackson for about six years, starting around the release of the Thriller album.
Thorson said that his drug addiction and Liberace's promiscuous behavior caused their relationship to come to an end. Thorson also claimed that it was Liberace who originally started him on the drugs, but then when his habit got out of control, Liberace cut him off from all of his credit cards. Thorson stated that following his plastic surgery, the surgeon provided for him a cocktail of addictive drugs that included cocaine, Quaalude, amphetamine, and Demerol. Thorson stated that since he was so young at the time of meeting Liberace, he would do anything that he could to please the pianist, including getting plastic surgery so that he could resemble Liberace, but he felt that their relationship was one-sided. He called Liberace both generous and possessive.
In 2000, Thorson was among several people featured in the British television documentary Liberace: Too Much of a Good Thing Is Wonderful. In 2002, Thorson was interviewed by Larry King on Larry King Live, during which Thorson confirmed that, in the midst of his relationship with Liberace, he chose to have plastic surgery to look more like Liberace at the pianist's suggestion. Also during the interview with King, Thorson revealed his chin implant had been removed earlier in 2002.
In 2012, while serving a 4 year prison sentence for drug and burglary charges, Thorson gave several interviews about his relationship with Liberace. One was with Howard Stern, in June 2013, in which he talked about former lovers and affairs he had when he lived with Liberace. Another interview was on Entertainment Tonight in May 2012, where he stated that memories of his time with Liberace were still difficult for him.
In 1982, after he was dismissed by Liberace, Thorson filed a $113 million lawsuit against Liberace, part of which was a palimony suit. This was the first same-sex palimony case filed in U.S. history. Thorson decided to sue because he claimed that Liberace threw him out on the streets with nothing. Liberace continued to deny that he was homosexual, and during court depositions in 1984, he insisted that Thorson was never his lover. Throughout their lawsuit, Thorson stated that Liberace referred to him in the media as a disgruntled employee, a liar, a gold digger, and claimed that there was never a sexual relationship between them.
The case was settled out of court in 1986, with Thorson receiving a $95,000 cash settlement, plus three cars and three pet dogs worth another $20,000 (a total of $273,000 today). Thorson visited and reconciled with Liberace shortly before the entertainer's death in February 1987. Thorson said, after Liberace had died, that he settled because he knew that Liberace was dying, and that Thorson had intended to sue based on conversion of property rather than palimony.
Scott Thorson
Scott Thorson (January 23, 1959 – August 16, 2024) was an American known for his relationship with and lawsuit against Liberace. Thorson wrote a memoir on his time with Liberace, "Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace," which was published in 1988 and adapted into the Emmy-winning film Behind the Candelabra in 2013. Thorson was also a key witness in the trial for the 1981 killings known as the Wonderland Massacre.
At 17-years-old Thorson met Liberace in 1976 through his romantic friendship with dancer Bob Street (a friend of Hollywood producer Ray Arnett), who was staging Liberace's shows in Las Vegas. When Thorson was 18, Liberace hired him to act as his personal friend and companion, a position that allegedly included a five-year romantic relationship with lavish gifts, travel, and Liberace's promises that he would adopt and care for Thorson. Liberace claimed that he had "more mink coats and diamonds than Elizabeth Taylor". Liberace also incorporated Thorson into his Las Vegas stage performances: for example, Thorson drove Liberace's Rolls-Royce onstage, and was a dancer.
According to Thorson, Liberace introduced him to pop star Michael Jackson in the late 1970s. Thorson claimed that he had an affair with Jackson for about six years, starting around the release of the Thriller album.
Thorson said that his drug addiction and Liberace's promiscuous behavior caused their relationship to come to an end. Thorson also claimed that it was Liberace who originally started him on the drugs, but then when his habit got out of control, Liberace cut him off from all of his credit cards. Thorson stated that following his plastic surgery, the surgeon provided for him a cocktail of addictive drugs that included cocaine, Quaalude, amphetamine, and Demerol. Thorson stated that since he was so young at the time of meeting Liberace, he would do anything that he could to please the pianist, including getting plastic surgery so that he could resemble Liberace, but he felt that their relationship was one-sided. He called Liberace both generous and possessive.
In 2000, Thorson was among several people featured in the British television documentary Liberace: Too Much of a Good Thing Is Wonderful. In 2002, Thorson was interviewed by Larry King on Larry King Live, during which Thorson confirmed that, in the midst of his relationship with Liberace, he chose to have plastic surgery to look more like Liberace at the pianist's suggestion. Also during the interview with King, Thorson revealed his chin implant had been removed earlier in 2002.
In 2012, while serving a 4 year prison sentence for drug and burglary charges, Thorson gave several interviews about his relationship with Liberace. One was with Howard Stern, in June 2013, in which he talked about former lovers and affairs he had when he lived with Liberace. Another interview was on Entertainment Tonight in May 2012, where he stated that memories of his time with Liberace were still difficult for him.
In 1982, after he was dismissed by Liberace, Thorson filed a $113 million lawsuit against Liberace, part of which was a palimony suit. This was the first same-sex palimony case filed in U.S. history. Thorson decided to sue because he claimed that Liberace threw him out on the streets with nothing. Liberace continued to deny that he was homosexual, and during court depositions in 1984, he insisted that Thorson was never his lover. Throughout their lawsuit, Thorson stated that Liberace referred to him in the media as a disgruntled employee, a liar, a gold digger, and claimed that there was never a sexual relationship between them.
The case was settled out of court in 1986, with Thorson receiving a $95,000 cash settlement, plus three cars and three pet dogs worth another $20,000 (a total of $273,000 today). Thorson visited and reconciled with Liberace shortly before the entertainer's death in February 1987. Thorson said, after Liberace had died, that he settled because he knew that Liberace was dying, and that Thorson had intended to sue based on conversion of property rather than palimony.