BABE PALEY
BABE PALEY
5 July 1915 - 6 July 1978
TRUMAN CAPOTE’s SWAN
Babe Paley (Barbara Paley) was an American magazine editor and socialite. She was known for her fashion sense and was honoured on the Best Dressed List.
Paley was born in Boston, Massachusetts, US, and was the daughter of a brain surgeon. She and her sisters, Mary and Betsey were known as the ‘Fabulous Cushing Sisters’, Babe’s debut was in 1934 which was attended by the sons of Roosevelt. Betsey married James Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s son.
Paley was married twice, whilst working at Vogue magazine she met Stanley Mortimer Jr. an oil heir from a wealthy New York family and the couple married in 1940. The couple had two children and then they divorced in 1946. Their daughter Amanda married Carter Burden Jr. from the Vanderbilt family. Babe had neglected her children and concentrated on socialising and her extravagant lifestyle.
In 1946, Babe met William Paley “Pasha” who was married to Dorothy Hearts (wife of John Hearst). Paley was wealthy and divorced his wife in 1947 to marry Babe. The couple had two children together but Babe experienced loneliness during the marriage due to her husband’s constant infidelities.
Babe is best known due to writer Truman Capote, who was close friends. Capote befriended wealthy upper-class women and called them his ‘swans’. Capote wrote a book named ‘Answered Prayers’ which exposed his friend’s secrets, under ‘fiction’. After reading the book, Truman’s swans had nothing to do with him again.
Babe found out she had lung cancer in 1974 due to heavy smoking. She planned her funeral and the funeral luncheon. She died a day after her 63rd birthday and Truman wasn’t invited to her funeral.
#babepaley #trumancapote #answeredprayers
