Gloria Vanderbilt Biography, Age, Spouse, Son, Net worth, Cancer And Death

Last Updated on 2 weeks by Kev

Gloria Vanderbilt Biography

Gloria Vanderbilt was an American artist, author, actress, fashion designer, heiress, and socialite. In  1930s she was the subject of a high-profile child custody trial.  This is when her mother, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt, and her paternal aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, each sought custody of her and control over her trust fund referred to as “trial of the century” by the press, the court proceedings were the subject of wide and sensational press coverage due to the wealth and notoriety of the involved parties. The scandalous evidence presented to support Whitney’s claim that Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt was an unfit parent.

Gloria Vanderbilt
Gloria Vanderbilt

During her  adult in the 1970s, Gloria  became known in connection with a line of fashions, perfumes, and household goods bearing her name. She was particularly noted as an early developer of designer blue jeans.

Gloria was a member of the Vanderbilt family of New York and the mother of CNN television anchor Anderson Cooper.

How Old Is Gloria Vanderbilt | Gloria Vanderbilt Age

Gloria was born on February 20, 1924 in Manhattan, New York City. She died on June 17, 2019 when she was 95 year old.

Gloria Vanderbilt Death | Gloria Vanderbilt Cancer

Famed fashion designer and socialite Gloria died at the age of 95, following a battle with stomach cancer, CNN reported on Monday June 17, 2019. Gloria  who is best known for turning blue jeans into high fashion, is the mother of CNN anchor Anderson Cooper.

“Earlier this month, we had to take her to the hospital,” Cooper said. “That’s where we learned she had very advanced cancer in her stomach and that it had spread.”

Gloria Vanderbilt Photo

Gloria Vanderbilt Family | Gloria Vanderbilt Family Tree

Gloria  was born  in Manhattan, New York City.  She was  the only child of railroad heir Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt (1880–1925) and his second wife, Gloria Morgan (1904–1965). After Gloria was born, her father was heard to exclaim in delight, “It is fantastic how Vanderbilt she looks! See the corners of her eyes, how they turn up?”  She was baptized as Gloria Laura Vanderbilt in the Episcopal church by Bishop Herbert Shipman .  When her father’s died, she was confirmed and raised in the Catholic Church, to which her mother belonged. She had a half-sister, Cathleen Vanderbilt from her father’s first marriage to Cathleen Neilson (1904–1944).

Gloria Vanderbilt Young

Gloria when she was 18 months old, she and her half-sister became heiresses to a half share each in a $5 million trust fund upon their father’s death from cirrhosis.  Her mother was the one with the rights to control Vanderbilt’s share since she was a minor.  Her mother  traveled to and from Paris for years, taking her Gloria with her. Their beloved nanny Emma Sullivan Kieslich accompanied them. Gloria had named her  “Dodo”. Dodo meaning she would play a tumultuous part in the child’s life,  and her mother’s identical twin sister, Thelma, who was the mistress of the Prince of Wales during this time.

Her mother’s use of finances was scrutinized by the child Vanderbilt’s paternal aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney as a result of her spending habits. Whitney who is  sculptor and philanthropist, wanted custody of her niece, which resulted in a famous custody trial. The trial was so scandalous that at times the judge would make everyone leave the room so as to listen to what young Vanderbilt had to say without anyone influencing her. Some people heard weeping and wailing inside the court room. Testimony was heard depicting the mother as an unfit parent; Vanderbilt’s mother lost the battle and Vanderbilt became the ward of her aunt Gertrude,  however Litigation continued.

Vanderbilt’s mother was forced to live on a very reduced portion of her daughter’s trust, which was worth more than $4 million at the end of 1937. Her Visit was also closely watched to ensure that Vanderbilt’s mother did not exert any undue influence upon her daughter with her supposedly “raucous” lifestyle. Gloria was raised amidst luxury at her aunt Gertrude’s mansion in Old Westbury, Long Island, surrounded by cousins her age who lived in houses circling the vast estate, and in New York City.

Gloria Vanderbilt Education

Gloria attended the Greenvale School on Long Island; Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, Connecticut; and then the Wheeler School in Providence, Rhode Island, as well as the Art Students League in New York City. She  developed the artistic talent for which she would become increasingly known in her career. When she grew up and took control of her trust fund, she entirely cut her mother off , though she supported her in later years.  Her mother lived for many years with her sister, Thelma, Lady Furness, in Beverly Hills and died there in 1965.

Gloria Vanderbilt Spouse | Gloria Vanderbilt Children | Gloria Vanderbilt Husbands

Vanderbilt was married four times, divorced three times, and gave birth to four sons in all.
Her first marriage was in 1941 when she was aged 17. She went to Hollywood, where she became the second wife of Pat DiCicco, an agent for actors and an alleged mobster. in 1945 they divorced and had no children together. She later alleged that DiCicco was an abusive husband who called her ‘Fatsy Roo’ and beat her. “He would take my head and bang it against the wall,” Vanderbilt said, “I had black eyes.” They were married for four years.

Within weeks of divorcing DiCicco in April 1945 , she married conductor Leopold Stokowski, who had three daughters by his previous marriages to Olga Samaroff, an American concert pianist, and Evangeline Love Brewster Johnson, a Johnson & Johnson heiress. She became the third and last wife of Leopold. They divorced in October 1955 with two sons Leopold Stanislaus “Stan” Stokowski (born August 22, 1950) and Christopher Stokowski (born January 31, 1952,)

Her third husband was the director Sidney Lumet. She was the second of his four wives. They were married on 28 August 1956 and divorced in August 1963. They had no children together.

On 24 December 1963 she was married a final time to author Wyatt Emory Cooper. She was his only wife. The marriage, lasted 15 years it ended with his death in 1978 while undergoing open-heart surgery. The couple had two sons:Carter Vanderbilt Cooper (January 27, 1965 – July 22, 1988), who committed suicide at age 23 by jumping from the family’s 14th-floor apartment and Anderson Hays Cooper (born June 3, 1967), CNN news anchor.

Vanderbilt maintained a romantic relationship with photographer and filmmaker Gordon Parks for many years until his death in 2006. Other notable lovers included Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Howard Hughes, and Roald Dahl.

Gloria Vanderbilt Son | Gloria Vanderbilt Son Death | Gloria Vanderbilt Anderson Cooper

Carter Cooper son to Gloria died in July 1988 after swinging off the terrace wall of his mother’s 14th floor Manhattan apartment. Carter’s passing came ten years after the death of Carter and Anderson’s father, author Wyatt Cooper, a man Anderson and Vanderbilt both describe as the glue who held the family together.

Anderson Cooper is the son to Gloria and his fourth husband author Wyatt Emory Cooper.  Anderson is was born on June 3, 1967 . He is a journalist, television personlity and author. He is currently a CNN news anchor.

Gloria Vanderbilt Grandchildren

From his son Leopard Stanislaus she has three grandchildren Aurora Stokowski (born in March 1983) (by Ivy Strick) and  married to Anthony Mazzei with two children, Abra Stokowski (born in February 1985) (by Ivy Strick) and Myles Stokowski (born in 1998) (by Emily Goldstein)

Gloria Vanderbilt Pants | Gloria Vanderbilt Perfume

In her  1970s, she ventured into the fashion business, first with Glentex, licensing her name for a line of scarves.  Indian designer Mohan Murjani’s Murjani Corporation in 1976, proposed launching a line of designer jeans carrying Gloria’s signature embroidered on the back pocket, as well as her swan logo. Gloria’s types of jeans were more tightly fitted than other jeans of that time. Eventually the logo appeared on dresses and perfumes, while Vanderbilt also launched a line of blouses, sheets, shoes, leather goods, liqueurs, and accessories. She was one of the first designers to make public appearances, which was a difficult thing for her because of her shyness.

Gloria sold the rights to her name to the Murjani Group in 1978 . On 7th Avenue in New York she launched her own company, “GV Ltd.,”.  From 1982 to 2002, L’Oreal launched eight fragrances under the brand name Gloria Vanderbilt. In 2002 Jones Apparel Group acquired the rights to Gloria Vanderbilt jeans.

gloria vanderbilt jeans and perfumes

Gloria Vanderbilt Net Worth

Gloria has an estimated net worth of $200 million.

Gloria Vanderbilt Books

  • The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss
  • It Seemed Important at the Time: A Romance Memoir
  • Gloria Vanderbilt Book of Collage
  • Woman to woman
  • A Mother’s Story
  • Once upon a Time: A True Story
  • ONCE UPON A TIME: A TRUE STORY
  • Obsession: An Erotic Tale
  • Black Knight, White Knight
  • Gloria Vanderbilt’s Book of Collage
  • Book of Collage
  • Gloria Vanderbuilt Designs For Your Home

Gloria Vanderbilt Now | Is Gloria Vanderbilt Still Alive

Today, Gloria was a prolific artist and author, and in 2016, was the subject of a documentary about her life called Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt & Anderson Cooper, which was directed by Liz Garbus and allowed Vanderbilt to tell the long, complicated story of her life in conversation with her son, who does this for a living.

Gloria Vanderbilt Website

Gloria Vanderbilt Clothing – Walmart.com
Shop for Gloria Vanderbilt Clothing. Buy products such as Gloria Vanderbilt Women’s Amanda Classic Tapered Jean at Walmart and save.

 

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