Liza Minnelli Said Judy Garland Stood Her Up on the ‘Most Important Night’ of Her Life

Liza Minnelli was introduced to the entertainment industry as a child through her parents, Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli. She pursued a similar path as her mother, which Minnelli said Garland viewed with a mix of joy and jealousy. She recalled one important event that Garland didn’t attend. While she had an excuse, Minnelli didn’t believe it. 

Liza Minnelli said she felt hurt by Judy Garland’s lack of support

Minnelli began pursuing a career in entertainment from a young age. While she had solid connections in the industry, she said she wanted to make it on her own. At 16, she moved to New York. While her parents agreed to let her, they said they would not support her. She supported herself, even though she had to sleep on a park bench once or twice.

Her work paid off, and she made her Broadway debut at 19. In her book Kids, Wait Till You Hear This, Minnelli said that while Garland felt proud, she also gave her “stinging critiques I came to dread” that gave her “a feeling of deep inadequacy. Years later, I wonder if I’ve fully risen above it.”

Minnelli made her off-Broadway debut in 1963’s Best Foot Forward. Garland didn’t show. She told her daughter she had a delayed flight, which Minnelli didn’t believe. She saw it as an intentional snub.

“I didn’t buy it. Come on, Mama, I thought, cut the crap,” she wrote. “You stood me up on the most important night of my life.”

While their relationship was complicated at times, Minnelli still referred to her mother as her best friend.