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Scott Thorson, renowned for his revealing 1988 memoir, “Behind the Candelabra,” about his relationship with the iconic pianist Liberace, has passed away. Thorson, who was 65, died on August 16 while receiving care for cancer and a heart condition in a Los Angeles healthcare facility, just a year after Liberace’s own death in 1987 from HIV/AIDS-related complications.
Their relationship began when Thorson, then 18, was hired as Liberace’s personal companion; Liberace was 57 at the time. The relationship lasted for five years, but ended sourly in 1982 when Thorson was dismissed and subsequently filed a groundbreaking $113 million same-sex palimony suit against Liberace.
Despite Liberace’s consistent denials of his homosexuality, the legal battle was settled quietly out of court. Thorson later chronicled their tumultuous romance in his book, which was adapted into a 2013 HBO film directed by Steven Soderbergh, featuring Matt Damon as Thorson and Michael Douglas as Liberace.
In addition to his relationship with Liberace, Thorson was also a significant witness in the 1981 Wonderland Massacre trial. His life, marked by its high and low points, came to a quiet close earlier this month.