How About Refund? Tabloid Says of Liberace Libel Award
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LONDON — The Daily Mirror tabloid, which lost a libel case 20 years ago for suggesting Liberace was a homosexual, said today it wants its money back.
The paper’s celebrated columnist Cassandra--William Connor--said in 1956 that Liberace, who died on Feb. 4 of AIDS, was a “sugary mountain of jingling claptrap.”
The showman was further described as a “deadly, winking, sniggering, snuggling, chromium-plated, scent-impregnated, luminous, quivering, giggling, fruit-flavored, mincing, ice-covered heap of mother-love.”
Liberace claimed the paper’s words suggested he was a homosexual and he was awarded $53,000 in costs and damages. He said at the time that he laughed all the way to the bank.
“Any Chance of a Refund?” said the headline in today’s Daily Mirror.
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