Scott Thorson, a significant figure in Liberace’s personal life and a minor player in his late 1970s Las Vegas stage show, passed away on August 16 at the age of 65. Thorson had been battling cancer and a heart condition and was under care at a Los Angeles healthcare facility.
Thorson resided in Liberace’s Las Vegas mansion from 1977, when he was just 18 and the flamboyant pianist was 57, until their tumultuous breakup in 1982. During this period, Thorson was a familiar face to audiences who frequented Liberace’s performances at the Las Vegas Hilton. He was often seen chauffeuring the charismatic Liberace to his stage in an opulent, jewel-encrusted Rolls Royce, opening the door for the star to emerge, draped in a fur coat with a 16-foot train.
Their romance dissolved partly due to Thorson’s addiction to drugs, a habit he developed from painkillers prescribed after undergoing plastic surgery. In a landmark move, Thorson sued Liberace for $113 million in what became the first same-sex palimony suit in the United States. The lawsuit was settled out of court in 1986, with Thorson receiving $75,000 in cash, three cars, and three pet dogs valued at $20,000, despite Liberace’s continued public denials of his homosexuality.
Liberace, born Władziu Valentino Liberace, was a pioneer in making Las Vegas a revered center of showmanship and entertainment. From his debut performance at the Hotel Last Frontier in 1944 to his final show at the Las Vegas Hilton in 1986, he was instrumental in creating the template for long-term Las Vegas residencies. His impact on Las Vegas’s cultural landscape was only exceeded by legends such as the Rat Pack and Elvis Presley.
Liberace succumbed to HIV/AIDS-related complications in 1987 at the age of 67. Thorson claimed they reconciled on Liberace’s deathbed. In 1988, Thorson released his sensational tell-all book, “Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace,” where he alleged that his multiple plastic surgeries, including a nose job and chin implant, were at the behest of Liberace, who desired Thorson to resemble a younger version of himself.
The dramatic story of Thorson and Liberace’s relationship was adapted into an HBO film in 2013, directed by Steven Soderbergh. The film, which earned critical acclaim and several Emmy Awards, starred Matt Damon as Thorson and Michael Douglas as Liberace.
Thorson struggled with drug addiction throughout his life. In 2008, he received a four-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to felony drug and burglary charges. In 2013, he pleaded guilty to additional charges, including burglary and credit card fraud, and was sentenced to five years’ probation. His continued battle with substance abuse led to the revocation of his probation in 2014 due to multiple failed drug tests, resulting in his imprisonment in Nevada until 2022.
