In the case of actors Elizabeth Taylor and Debbie Reynolds, a messy love triangle was the source of their bitter rivalry throughout their careers. The women started as friends, with Reynolds following in the footsteps of the “Cleopatra” star in the early days of her acting career. “I was in awe of going to school with Elizabeth Taylor. And if anyone said they weren’t, then they were lying. Or blind,” she once told People.
Reynolds tied the knot to Eddie Fisher in 1955, and the pair became close friends with Taylor and her then-husband Mike Todd. All that changed, however, when Todd died suddenly in a plane crash leaving a grieving widow in his wake. Who was there to dry the tears? Well, Fisher of course, who got closer to Taylor after her loss.
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Just one month after Todd’s death, Fisher separated from Reynolds and began a relationship with Taylor. The news rocked Hollywood, but the “Three Little Words” actor defended her decision at the time. “A man doesn’t leave a woman for another woman unless he wants to go,” Reynolds told People (via Biography).
In a full circle end, Fisher and Taylor eventually divorced. Reynolds and her former frenemy ultimately mended their drama aboard a 1966 cruise they both happened to be guests on. Decades later, Taylor even offered Reynolds a place to stay during the 2001 terrorist attacks. They also went on to co-star together in the comedy film “These Old Broads” the same year.
