78-Year-Old Liza Minnelli Seen In Rare Outing Glammed Up With Friends

Legendary actress and singer Liza Minnelli was recently spotted during a rare night out with friends following her 78th birthday. The Cabaret entertainer looked gorgeous as she made for her Beverly Hills home in a Cadillac Sedan, which she needed help getting out of on arrival. After a fun time in Los Angeles, Liza’s friends helped get her in a wheelchair and into the house. It has been nearly a year since Liza was last photographed in public at a restaurant in West Hollywood. At the time, she reportedly required constant healthcare as her health deteriorated, however her latest appearance proves the multi-talented star is in good spirits.

While celebrating 78 years alive in March, Liza expressed gratitude and reflected on life so far during a chat with PEOPLE. “I am so grateful for all the good wishes and all the love that comes my way. Not only on my birthday but always,” the New York, New York star told the outlet, adding that she wishes “I knew how to act my age. But kids guess what, I have never been this damn old! Just keep going, baby, that’s the secret!”

Is Liza Minnelli still alive?

Cabaret star Liza Minnelli, 78, is seen all glammed up as she arrives at her Beverly Hills home after spending an evening out with friends https://t.co/FuYJaUeqbk

— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) April 7, 2024

Following her famous mother, Judy Garland’s death in 1969, Liza turned to alcohol and prescription drugs like Valium and ended up at the Betty Ford Clinic in the ‘80s. According to Andy Warhol, Liza went to fashion designer Halston’s house asking him to “give me every drug you’ve got” after losing Judy. She then had viral encephalitis in 2000, however she kept performing in shows like The Rosie O’Donnell Show and Michael Jackson’s 30th Anniversary Special at Madison Square Garden, New York.

RELATED: Final Days: Liza Minnelli’s Friends & Family Worry As She Now Lives In Isolation

Things got worse in 2007 when Liza fell on stage and had her jawbone reconstructed; this incident was followed by more accidents leading to a broken wrist and back, as well as three miscarriages that left her with a hiatal hernia. During a chat with The Guardian, Liza said she could not eat before performances due to her challenging health. “If I eat and sing like that, and all that muscle, it hurts!” she told the outlet. Despite having had her fair share of life-threatening conditions and health emergencies, Lizza Minnelli is very much alive and thriving. The actress has stayed strong through it all and still loved working regardless. While leaving Los Angeles’ Craig restaurant in 2022, she happily told Daily Mail that she was working on new music. “Hi, guys! I’ve been coming out with new songs since I was born!” she exclaimed.

Last year, Liza also sang with her friend, Ben Vereen, during his cabaret show at Catalina Jazz Club in Los Angeles. They dueted “Quiet Love” with Ben on stage and Liza in her seat with a microphone. She also attended the Oscars that same year and joined Lady Gaga in presenting the Best Picture Award; however, concerns emerged due to her gaunt figure at the ceremony. “She has had some health problems. However, when an opportunity comes in front of me that says, ‘Would Liza Minnelli like to present the Best Picture Oscar with Lady Gaga?’ the quiet life goes out of the window! Liza is a legend, and she deserves to be at the Academy Awards, so I put it in front of her people and recommended that she do it,” her former publicist Scott Gorenstein said at the time.

While discussing her plans as a seventy-eight-year-old, Liza promised more songs and plans, which, according to her publicist, Victoria Varela, is “very exciting news but not something we can reveal yet.” “A party is being thrown in my honor by dear friends, pianist Michael Feinstein and Terrence Flannery. There will be food and fabulous music, and I am told to expect a wonderful surprise, and my only clue is Elsa Peretti!” she gushed ahead of her anniversary. “I am recording music again! And I’m involved in an exciting brand collaboration that will be announced soon.”

Does Liza Minnelli have any children?

Like her late mother, Liza has lived a tumultuous life and was married four times without children. Judy’s first marriage to Australian singer-songwriter Peter Allen lasted from 1967 to 1974, although it appeared doomed to fail as she caught him being intimate with a man on their wedding night. Allen reportedly had an affair with Liza’s stepfather, Mark Herron, as well, leading to a more chaotic dynamic. Shortly after, Liza married Jack Hayley Jr., whose father starred alongside Judy as the Tin Man in the classic Wizard of Oz. “Haley was husband number two and straight, but they were friends rather than lovers,” The Guardian reported after their union dissolved five years later.

Although she is allegedly child-free by choice, Liza wanted to start a family with her third husband, Mark Gero but sadly had multiple miscarriages during their time together. By 1992, they got divorced, and Liza remained unmarried until 2002. Her last wedding to music promoter David Gest cost 3.5 million dollars, and the late pop legend Michael Jackson was the best man. The couple had plans to adopt children, which Liza disclosed on CNN’s Larry King Live. “We are looking into it right now. When one has been through a lot and learned something along the way, hopefully, the least you can do is to pass it on to an innocent child who needs parents because they have lost theirs,” she told the program host, while Gest replied, saying, “I’m for it. I’ve always wanted to have children, and I have no doubt she’ll make a great mother.’’

Unlike her previous relationships, Liza was chirpy about her love for Gest and hardly held back from expressing it. ‘‘He’s the most wonderful producer I have ever seen. He is so funny, supportive, and, dear, and sweet. He’s a very special, caring person. He has many friends,” she said, while praising him for sticking “with me all the time” when she was sick. “He gave me hope and supported me, I suddenly wasn’t all by myself anymore, he came to visit me on a daily basis, and that was extraordinary,” she gushed.

Unfortunately, they were only together for 16 months and went apart after a long and messy legal battle. Gest, who died from a stroke in 2016, sued Minnelli for $10 million for “loss of work and illness caused by marriage” and accused her of abuse at the Supreme Court of Manhattan. He claimed she “just kept hitting me in the head with her fists, over, and over and over” leading to injury, hypertension, and scalp tenderness. Howeverm Liza retorted saying her late ex-husband was “cruel and inhuman” to her. “Oh my God, it’s not true. He’s an a–hole,” she said, denying Gest’s claims of being physically abused.

There have also been reports about Liza being retrospectively grateful for her childlessness, as she did not deem herself fit for motherhood due to her mental and health issues. Regardless of the ups and downs in her life, Liza prefers to enjoy the moment and keep at life. She is currently working on “developing multiple projects based on the intellectual property” of her father, who directed musicals like American in Paris, Meet Me in St. Louis, and Gigi. Liza revealed the tentative title to be “Dreams My Papa Gave Me,” after which she gushed about “receiving another honor from the government of France.”