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Liz Smith Dead At 94: Celebrities React To Death Of Legendary NY Gossip Columnist

By Victoria Miller
Published on: 21:29 PST, Nov 12, 2017

Liz Smith, the famed New York City newspaper gossip columnist who became a celebrity in her own right, has died at age 94. The queen of New York’s tabloid gossip columns passed away from natural causes at her home in Manhattan, according to the New York Times. Smith’s literary agent and longtime friend, Joni Evans, confirmed her death.

Smith, whose chit-chat writing style earned her the nickname “The Grand Dame of Dish,” was once the publicist for singer Kaye Ballard and an assistant to newsman Mike Wallace and Candid Camera creator Allen Funt. Smith later wrote for Cosmopolitan, where she became regarded as an authority on A-list lovebirds Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

But Liz Smith was best known for her self-titled column in the New York Daily News which she started writing in 1976. The column, which became a staple in the publication for 25 years, dished on the lives of the rich and scandalous, with Smith’s celebrity status giving her insider’s access to the stars. Liz Smith rarely relied on tipsters or publicists to get information for her stories. Smith’s column was later syndicated in almost 70 newspapers and Liz became the highest-paid gossip columnist in the country.

[Image by Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images]

While Smith broke and chronicled some of the biggest news stories of the 1980s and ’90s, including Ivana Trump’s divorce and Madonna’s first pregnancy, she was more a friend than foe to most celebrities. Liz Smith’s coverage of the Trump divorce had her siding with wronged wife, Ivana, which reportedly had the Donald fired up enough that he talked of buying the New York Daily News just so he could fire her.

“I was swept up in the scandal of Ivana wanting a decent settlement from Donald. And I became a featured player in the story, which I came to regret,” Smith once admitted to the New York Times.

Still, Liz Smith was one of the most beloved tabloid columnists of the pre-internet era. After her death as announced, many celebrities took to social media to remember Liz Smith and her many contributions to the entertainment world. Talk show host Piers Morgan described Smith as “the greatest gossip columnist of them all.”

Other stars, including actor Rob Lowe, described Liz Smith as a class act. Actor James Woods wrote that Smith was “the definition” of a lady. “She dished but always found a way to make it entertaining and fun,” he wrote.

The Today Show’s Al Roker said a piece of New York is now gone with the loss of Liz Smith. You can read celebrity reaction to Liz Smith’s death below.

For more on the life of the legendary Liz Smith, see the video below.

[Featured Image by Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images]

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