It's good news for Elizabeth Taylor!
A week after checking into an L.A. hospital for symptoms associated with congestive heart failure, the Hollywood icon is showing marked improvement, People magazine has learned.
"Since being admitted, there has been steady improvement in her condition, and over the weekend she has had visits from family and close friends," says a statement from reps for the legendary actress, 78, who suffers from an ongoing heart condition. "Her medical team is gratified by her progress to date, and it is hoped and expected that this will continue over the next few days. For now, she will remain under their care in the hospital for continued monitoring."
While Taylor is enjoying visits from those close to her, "she is sleeping and resting a lot, which she really needs to recover her strength," the star's rep Sally Morrison told People. "Due to symptoms of congestive heart failure, she is still being monitored and continues to need rest to recover her strength. She did not have a heart attack."
Symptoms of congestive heart failure include difficulty breathing and fluid in the lungs.
Taylor, who underwent heart surgery in October 2009, appreciates support of her loyal fans. As the statement continues: "Friends and fans around the world should be reassured that Elizabeth Taylor is in good hands and receiving the best possible care from her skilled and dedicated doctors and nurses."
Eight marriages are enough right now for Elizabeth Taylor.
"The rumors regarding my engagement simply aren't true," the legendary Hollywood actress Tweeted in response to online reports she planned to tie the knot for ninth time with Jason Winters. "Jason is my manager and dearest friend. I love him with all my heart."
Taylor, 78, has been married eight times to seven different men: Conrad Hilton Jr., Michael Wilding, Mike Todd, Eddie Fisher, Richard Burton (twice), John Warner and Larry Fortensky. She has been single since her divorce from Fortensky in 1996.
Winters, 49, is a principal in Sterling Winters Management. In 2007, Taylor told columnist Liz Smith: "Jason Winters is one of the most wonderful men I've ever known and that's why I love him. He bought us the most beautiful house in Hawaii and we visit it as often as possible."
Dame Elizabeth Taylor is to wed for a ninth time.
Sources claim the 78-year-old movie icon and her longtime companion Jason Winters, 49, recently became engaged.
An insider tells www.UsMagazine.com, "It's no secret that they've been together forever and are in love... Right now they are keeping it between them."
Taylor has often spoken publicly about her feelings for Winters, who recently became Janet Jackson's manager - she recently told gossip columnist Liz Smith that her "friend" was "one of the most wonderful men I've ever known".
Taylor;s last union, to construction worker Larry Fortensky, ended in 1996.
While fans won't be able to see the Michael Jackson's "This Is It" documentary until October 28th, Elizabeth Taylor has watched the film and given it two thumbs up, reports Entertainment Tonight.
The late King of Pop's longtime friend, 77, reportedly hosted a private screening of "This Is It" for several Jackson staff members, including his former assistant Miko Brando, at MGM Studios in L.A. last weekend.
Taylor, who attended Jackson's funeral on September 4th, led a standing ovation at the end of the documentary, a source tells Entertainment Tonight.
Pouring out her grief on her Twitter page, Elizabeth Taylor says she's going to skip Michael Jackson's memorial – and she feels the pop star would have approved of her decision.
"I just don't believe that Michael would want me to share my grief with millions of others. How I feel is between us. Not a public event," she writes.
Taylor, 77, one of Jackson's closest friends, says she was asked to speak at the Tuesday event at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. "I cannot be part of the public whoopla," she writes. "And I cannot guarantee that I would be coherent to say a word."
Instead, she's expressing herself in writing. "I will always love Michael from the depth of my being and nothing can separate us." And, she adds, "My love goes out to Katherine and Michael's beloved children."
The sudden death of Michael Jackson jolted his friends and family, a second blow to the entertainment world after it lost another icon, Farrah Fawcett, just hours earlier.
"I can't stop crying over the sad news," Madonna says. "I have always admired Michael Jackson. The world has lost one of the greats, but his music will live on forever! My heart goes out to his three children and other members of his family. God bless."
Lisa Marie Presley, who was briefly married to Jackson in the mid-1990s, says, "I am so very sad and confused with every emotion possible. I am heartbroken for his children, who I know were everything to him, and for his family. This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me."
"My heart is overcome with sadness for the devastating loss of my true friend Michael," adds Brooke Shields, who raised eyebrows when she briefly dated Jackson. "He was an extraordinary friend, artist and contributor to the world. I join his family and his fans in celebrating his incredible life and mourning his untimely passing."
Elizabeth Taylor, one of Jackson's closest and longstanding friends, was "too devastated" to issue a statement, her rep says, while Quincy Jones, who produced Jackson's biggest hits, says, "I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news. For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words."
Cher, c
alling in to Larry King Live on CNN, shared many memories of Jackson, including dancing together on the Queen Mary and seeing the musical Dreamgirls together. "I am having a million reactions," said Cher. "When I think of him, I think of this young boy, this teenager I first met … He was a great teenager, optimistic and adorable."
She also praised his talent. "He was a great singer. You can't write him off as just a pop [star]. He was a genius like Ray Charles … He had a gift… He was able to connect with people."
Whitney Houston, who has battled her own demons and is on the verge of a comeback, just as Jackson was, released a statement saying simply, "I am full of grief."
Actress Jane Fonda used Twitter to express her grief writing, "I am stunned. My friend, Michael Jackson is dead. He lived with me for a week on the Golden Pond set after 'Thriller.' "
In a statement Thursday afternoon Britney Spears said, "I was so excited to see his show in London. We were going to be on tour in Europe at the same time and I was going to fly in to see him. He has been an inspiration throughout my entire life and I'm devastated he's gone!"
Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy, which honored Jackson with 13 Grammys, says, "Rarely has the world received a gift with the magnitude of artistry, talent, and vision as Michael Jackson. He was a true musical icon."
In a long, heartfelt statement Usher said he was "deeply saddened" by the loss and paid tribute to Jackson's legacy. "May God cover you Michael. We all lift your name up in prayer. I pray for the entire Jackson family particularly Michael's mother, children and all his fans that loved him so much. I would not be the artist, performer, and philanthropist I am today without the influence of Michael. I have great admiration and respect for him and I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to meet and perform with such a great entertainer, who in so many ways, transcended the culture. He broke barriers, he changed radio formats! With music, he made it possible for people like Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama to impact the mainstream world. His legacy is unparalleled Michael Jackson will never be forgotten."
Another star who was clearly influenced by Jackson, Justin Timberlake, also paid tribute to the pop star. "We have lost a genius and a true ambassador of not only Pop music but of all music," he wrote on his Web site. "He has been an inspiration to multiple generations and I will always cherish the moments I shared with him on stage and all of the things I learned about music from him and the time we spent together. My heart goes out to his family and loved ones."
On his Web site, former child actor Corey Feldman, who was once very close friends with Jackson, posted a statement mourning his old pal. "I come to you today with great sadness, acknowledging the loss of the greatest entertainer in the history of mankind. For me he was more than that, he was my idol, he was a role model, he was someone to cry to when my childhood was unbearable, he was a brother, he was a dear friend," Feldman writes. "Unfortunately Michael and I had a falling out on Septenmber 10th 2001 and that broken friendship had never been repaired … I am filled with tremendous sadness and remorse. All I choose to remember from this point is the good times we shared and what an inspiration he was to me and the rest of the world. Nobody will ever be able to do what Michael Jackson has done in this industry, and he was so close to doing it all again. I am truly, and deeply sorry for all of the heartbroken fans and supporters worldwide."
It's good news for Elizabeth Taylor!
