Actress, socialite and style icon Zsa Zsa Gabor died today of a heart attack. She was 99.
The Hungarian-born star was rushed to the hospital where she was pronounced dead, TMZ reports. Gabor would have turned 100 in February, and is survived by her ninth husband, Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt.
In 1952 she hit the big screen in four films — her only lead part was “Moulin Rouge.” Gabor’s contributions to the cinematic canon are relatively slim, and her resume is dominated by cameos and supporting roles or spoofing herself.
With a seemingly cartoonish affection for jewelry, exotic skins and head-to-toe luxury labels, she was the perfect muse — and punchline — for generations of Hollywood observers. Her family was just as excessive.
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Indeed, the bombshell is best known as a pop culture figure whose foray into showbiz circles was through glamorous appearances at parties alongside her sisters Eva and Magda, and mother, Jolie, (think Kardashians of Old Hollywood).
“All these years later, it’s hard to describe the phenomenon of the three glamorous Gabor girls and their ubiquitous mother,” Merv Griffith described the Gabors in his 2003 memoir “Merv: Making the Good Life Last.”
“They burst onto the society pages and into the gossip columns so suddenly, and with such force,” he continued, “it was as if they’d been dropped out of the sky.”
In fact, Andy Warhol found inspiration in Zsa Zsa Gabor for his 1957 “Crazy Golden Slippers” series, displayed at the former Bodley Gallery in New York City.
The artist created paintings of fantasy golden slippers that were named after the celebrities they represented, including Julie Andrews and Mae West. Warhol’s flashy reimagining of a French court-style golden slipper was aptly dubbed: “Zsa Zsa Gabor.”
Still, it was her stunning nine times down the aisle that grabbed the most attention throughout her career. She said “I do” — and then, “I don’t” — to: Burhan Asaf Belge (1937 – 1941), Conrad Hilton (April 1942 – 1947), George Sanders (1949 – 1954), Herbert Hutner (1962 – 1966) Joshua S. Cosden, Jr. (1966 – 1967), Jack Ryan (1975 – 1976), Michael O’Hara (1976 – 1983) and Felipe de Alba (1983 – 1983). Her daughter Francesca Hilton, through her marriage to Hilton Hotel founder Conrad (Paris Hilton’s grandfather), died last year.
Zsa Zsa remained married to Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt for 30 years (1986 – 2016) until her death. Her marriage to O’Hara in 1976 was the second longest in her history — seven years.
However, it seems that her love affair with shoes has been one of her most fulfilling relationships of all.
The other seven husbands didn’t manage to last longer than a pair of her beloved leopard print boots and matching coat, of which published photos reveal that she had for at least six years.
In photos taken in 1962 and later in 1968, Gabor beamed in the luxe companion pieces. The boots were mid-length and cut below the knee, and featured a round toe profile and around a 1.5-inch heel. Zebra prints were a part of her wardrobe, too, including a pair of double strap platform sandals designed with a red sole.
Below, click through the gallery for more photos of her style through the years.
