When Elizabeth Taylor was the biggest movie star in the world, she was also one of the most messed-up. The clean up from the animal excrement from the carpets, curtains, mirrors, and furniture at the Four Seasons Hotel, New York, took days. Burton and Taylor were married for nearly 10 years, divorcing in , before remarrying in and splitting up again a year later.
Things were so bad that she lived in filth and even got sick from it, according to a new book. Elizabeth Taylor, seen here with husband Richard Burton, was a mess -- in various ways. Sygma via Getty Images. Elizabeth Taylor allegedly caught Malta fever from "slobbering" over her "innumerable and terrible pets, which shared her bed," according to writer Roger Lewis.
Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images. Taylor, seen here with husband Richard Burton, was said to keep rooms "crowded with shedding cats and unhousebroken dogs and a general atmosphere of disorderly paraphernalia. Filming on "Cleopatra" was delayed, in part, due to Taylor's unending health issues.
Getty Images. Taylor's husband at the time, Eddie Fisher, was paid by the movie studio to make sure the troubled star got to the "Cleopatra" set. Burton and Taylor began an affair on the set of "Cleopatra," while both married to other people.
Fisher center held a press conference denying that Taylor and Burton were having an affair. Bettmann Archive. Burton was apparently not a positive influence on Taylor's housekeeping habits. Lewis writes: " Burton and Taylor's rocky road to marriage included at least one suicide attempt. You are viewing 1 of 9 images Previous Image Next Image.
