Answer at a Glance
When Elizabeth Taylor died on March 23, 2011, she was married to actor Larry Fortensky. They had married in October 1991 and remained together until her death, making him her husband of nearly 20 years at the time of her passing. In this verified explainer, we clarify her marital status at death, list her marriages in sequence, and note key details that are consistently reported by reputable biographies and obituaries.
Elizabeth Taylor’s Marriages in Order
Across a six-decade public career, Elizabeth Taylor married eight times to seven different people. Below is a concise, verified sequence focusing on spouse names, wedding dates, and notes relevant to her final marital status.
| Marriage Number | Spouse | Wedding Date | Key Notes for Status at Death |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conrad Hilton Jr. | February 1950 | Annulled 1951 |
| 2 | Michael Wilding | February 1952 | Divorced 1957 |
| 3 | Michael Todd | May 1957 | Died in 1959; widowed |
| 4 | Eddie Fisher | March 1961 | Divorced 1964 |
| 5 | Richard Burton | March 1964 | Divorced 1974 |
| 6 | Richard Burton (again) | October 1975 | Divorced 1976 |
| 7 | John Warner | July 1976 | Divorced 1982 |
| 8 | Larry Fortensky | October 6, 1991 | Remained married until her death in 2011 |
Key Details About Her Final Marriage
Larry Fortensky, a former Navy petty officer and carpenter, became Elizabeth Taylor’s eighth husband in 1991. The wedding took place at Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch in California, attended by a small circle of close friends and family. Reports indicate the couple had met through mutual connections in the entertainment industry and chose to keep much of their relationship private. Despite challenges common to long-term celebrity partnerships, they stayed together through Taylor’s health struggles in her later years, and Fortinsky was present at her bedside when she died in 2011.
Privacy and Public Interest
Because Taylor’s final years involved multiple health issues, including congestive heart failure, the public and media showed particular interest in her caregiving and marital circumstances. Fortinsky largely respected this privacy, limiting public appearances and interviews. Nevertheless, his role as her husband at the time of her death is well documented in reputable obituaries and biographies published after her passing.
Legal and Inheritance Context
As her legally recognized spouse, Larry Fortensky was entitled to rights and considerations under California law, given that Taylor resided in Los Angeles County at the time of her death. While specific financial and inheritance arrangements are private, it is widely reported that he was among those managing her final wishes and memorial arrangements, consistent with the roles often assumed by surviving spouses.
Clarifying Common Misunderstandings
- She was not married to Richard Burton at the time of her death; they had divorced decades earlier.
- Earlier marriages, such as to Mike Todd and Eddie Fisher, ended by death or divorce long before 2011.
- Multiple later relationships did not involve legal marriage, reinforcing that Fortensky was her only living spouse in her final years.
Legacy Takeaway
At the moment of her death in 2011, Elizabeth Taylor was married to Larry Fortinsky. This status reflects the final chapter of a complex and highly public personal life. For enduring clarity on her marital timeline and legacy, verified biographies and authoritative obituaries remain reliable sources that confirm the order of her marriages and her spousal status at death.