| Scott Thorson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1958 (age 53–54) United States |
Scott Thorson (born c. 1958) became famous for his relationship with and lawsuit against entertainer Liberace[1] and his testimony against gangster Eddie Nash.
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Thorson met Liberace when he was seventeen in 1976, through his friendship with a Hollywood film producer named Ray Arnett. Thorson was subsequently hired by Liberace to act as his personal friend and companion, a position that allegedly included a five-year romantic relationship, with lavish gifts, travel and promises by Liberace to adopt and care for Thorson. Liberace even incorporated Thorson into his Las Vegas stage performances. According to Thorson, their committed relationship ended because of Liberace's sexual promiscuity and Thorson's drug addiction. Thorson also later battled Hepatitis C. [2]
In 1982, Thorson filed a $113 million lawsuit against Liberace [3], with the palimony suit being the more famous part. In 1986, Thorson and Liberace agreed to settle out of court for $95,000, two cars, and two pet dogs. He visited and reconciled with Liberace shortly before the entertainer's death at Liberace's request. A year later, Thorson published a book about his relationship with Liberace, his last visit with him, as well as both men's childhoods titled Behind the Candelabra: My Life With Liberace.
In 1989, Thorson emerged as a pivotal witness in the prosecution of gangster Eddie Nash in the 1981 quadruple murders of the Wonderland Gang. For his testimony, he was placed in the federal witness protection program. In 1990, he was shot five times when drug dealers broke into his hotel room in Jacksonville, Florida.[4]
In 2000, Thorson was amongst people being interviewed on Liberace: Too Much Of A Good Thing Is Wonderful, a television documentary about Liberace. In 2002, Thorson was interviewed by Larry King on Larry King Live. During his relationship with Liberace, Thorson underwent plastic surgery to look more like Liberace. During the interview with Larry King, Thorson revealed his chin implant had been removed earlier in 2002.[5]
In 2004, Thorson claimed to have had an affair with pop star Michael Jackson years earlier, beginning in 1979, shortly after the two were introduced by Liberace in Las Vegas. Detailng further trysts, he claims the affair continued into the early 80s. Although revealed in the tabloid newspaper the National Enquirer, Thorson attempted to bolster his claims by stating he had taken and passed a lie detector test administered for the publication[6].
In 2008, Thorson pleaded guilty to felony drug and burglary charges, and was sentenced to four years in prison. [7] He was subsequently released. Thorson currently lives with his common-law wife in New England.
HBO is to film Behind the Candelabra to air on its network[8]. Matt Damon has agreed to portray Thorson in the film that is scheduled to be shot in the summer of 2012[9]. Michael Douglas will play Liberace. This will be the first movie on the Thorson-Liberace relationship and its aftermath since the 1988 Canada-US made-for-TV movie biography Liberace: Behind the Music where Thorson was portrayed by Michael Dolan. The film is to be directed by Steven Soderbergh with screenplay by Richard LaGravenese based on Thorson's book Behind the Candelabra: My Life With Liberace. The score will be by Marvin Hamlisch[10].