The Untold Truth Of Liberace’s ‘Boy Toy’ Partner – Scott Thorson

• Liberace was a renowned entertainer of the '50s and '70s and the highest-paid entertainer in the world.
• His relationship with employee Scott Thorson ended when Scott was 2•
• Thorson sued Liberace for $113 million and received a settlement of $75,000 and three cars.
• Thorson had numerous problems with drugs and was sentenced to prison in 2008.
• Liberace died of AIDS in 1987 with a net worth of over $110 million.

Known for movies

Behind the Candelabra (2013)
as Writer

Michael Jackson's Boys (2005)
as Himself

Entertainment Tonight (2013)
as Himself

Reputations (2000)
as Himself

Mr. Showmanship, as Liberace was popularly called, lived a full life; through the ‘50s and ‘70s, he was the highest-paid entertainer in the world, had a rather controversial life, and at the end of died of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). He never admitted to being a homosexual while alive, but a number of his lovers came forward following his death, but also a few before he died. One of them was his employee, Scott Thorson, who is now serving a jail sentence in unsupervised custody in residential confinement, scheduled for release on the 3rd September 2022.

Liberace’s Boy Toy, or Toy Boy as he is often called, has had a dramatic life, since first meeting Liberace when just 17 years old.

The Untold Truth

Scott Thorson was born on the 23rd of January 1959, in La Crosse, Wisconsin USA; living with an abusive father and a mentally ill mother, Scott soon found himself on the street. He met Liberace in 1976 through their mutual friend, Bob Street, who was working with Liberace on his shows in Vegas, and it was on one of these shows that Liberace and Scott met. A year later, Scott was hired by Liberace as a personal friend, companion, chauffeur and assistant during shows.

Their relationship turned into romance and lasted for the next five years until young Scott turned 22, when he was let-go, and their relationship ceased.

According to Scott, he claimed that their relationship ended, either because of Thorson’s drug addiction, Liberace’s promiscuous behavior, or both. Over the years, Scott developed a drug addiction so hard that later in life he had numerous problems, and until the present day hasn’t shaken-off his addiction. He claimed that once he underwent plastic surgery – to look more like Liberace – the surgeon gave him a cocktail of addictive drugs that included cocaine, Quaaludes, Demerol, and biphetamines.

Once their relationship ended, Scott filed a lawsuit against Liberace for $113 million, but ultimately the case was settled out of court in 1986, a year before Liberace’s death, with Scott receiving $75,000 cash and three cars plus three pet dogs, worth over $20,000. According to sources, the worth today of that sum would be $222,000. Once the lawsuit was public, and Scott’s claims that Liberace threw him out on the streets with nothing, Liberace started denying the allegations that he was gay, and in 1984 during court depositions, claimed that Thorson was never his lover.

After Liberace’s death, Scott published the book, “Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace”, depicting their relationship. The book was later made into the film “Behind the Candelabra” directed by Steven Soderbergh, and released in 2013 starring Michael Douglas as Liberace, while Scott was portrayed by Matt Damon.

Law Problems, Shootings, Incarceration

Back in 1989, Scott was the main witness for the quadruple murders of the Wonderland Gang, and due to the importance of his testimonies, he was entered into the federal witness protection program.

However, the following year he was shot five times in his hotel room in Jacksonville, Florida, but survived to literally tell the tale.

His drug problems continued into the late 2000s when he was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to felony drug and burglary charges in 2008. Four years later, he was diagnosed with stage II colon cancer, but also managed to overcome the disease – during his treatments, he would plead for money through public campaigns. A year after he got out of jail, the police traced stolen credit cards to Scott under the alias Jess Marlow, and after pleading guilty to charges, he received five years’ on probation.

However, his efforts to stay out of jail were really non-existent, as he tested positive on drugs several times, and his probationary sentence was turned into a prison sentence of from eight to 20 years. On the 2nd January 2014, he was confined in the Northern Nevada Correctional Center, in Carson City, but is now in unsupervised custody in residential confinement, with a scheduled release date of 3rd September 2022.

Scott Thorson Net Worth

Scott enjoyed a lavish life while being with Liberace, as the showman showered him with gifts, jewelry, expensive travel, diamonds and mink coats.

View this post on Instagram

#Liberace #ScottThorson #drama #addictive #legendary 🧚‍♂️🚬🌈👌🏻😁

A post shared by Freddy Cruz (@freddy_cruz_251) on Jan 11, 2019 at 4:05pm PST

Scott claimed that he had more diamonds and mink coats than Elizabeth Taylor. However, he later sold almost all of his worldly possessions for cars and drugs. Still, his net worth is now estimated at around $1 million, as of mid-2020.

Liberace’s Short Bio

Born as Władziu Valentino Liberace on the 16th May 1919, in West Allis, Wisconsin USA, he was the son of Salvatore Liberace, an immigrant from Formia in the Lazio region of Italy, and his wife, Frances Zuchowska, of Polish ancestry. His identical twin brother died at birth, and he had three siblings that outlived him – George, a violinist, Angelina and Rudolph Valentino Liberace.

The family struggled financially, which had put a strain on the members, but Liberace started taking piano lessons when just four years old. He was a child prodigy and nurtured his talent – he wasn’t like other children, which became more obvious in his teenage years when he started showing his effeminate personality, for which he was bullied throughout his school years.

Nevertheless, he found solace in the piano and music, and under the guidance of Florence Kelly, a music teacher who oversaw his development, he started performing for dancing classes, in clubs and at weddings.

It was in 1936 that he got his first major engagement, and was constantly performing through 1986,. He was heard on the radio, in concert halls and seen on television. For his live performances, he was earning over $300,000 a week. Although almost everyone knew, Liberace never admitted to being gay, but eventually died of HIV on the 4th of February 1987.

At the time of his death, Liberace’s net worth was estimated at over $110 million.

Quotes

#	Quote
1	I was 17 years old. Liberace had taken me out of a situation with a father who was very abusive, a mother who was mentally ill. I did everything I possibly could to please this man... There's always been a love-hate relationship. At that time, I was so honored to be in his presence. And I didn't want to go back to my lifestyle in the foster homes, which was pure hell.
2	[on pleading guilty, being jailed for stealing and using a credit card] This experience has scared me straight. There comes a time when you've got to take responsibility. You've got to stop lying and face your mistakes.

Facts

#	Fact
1	Reno, Nevada: Has been held in Washoe County jail since February after being arrested for using someone else's credit card and license [May 2013]
2	Battling colon cancer [May 2013].
3	His tell-all book, "Behind the Candelabra: My Life With Liberace", published in 1988, is the basis for the 2013 HBO movie with the same title, Behind the Candelabra (2013).
4	Says he earned just under $100,000 from his work on Behind the Candelabra (2013), all of which he spent on cars and jewelry in about two months.
5	Thorson filed a $113 million palimony suit against Liberace in 1982 and five years later he received a $95,000 settlement.
6	Former bodyguard, limo driver and alleged live-in lover of five years of Liberace.

Pictures

Movies

Writer

Title	Year	Status	Character
Behind the Candelabra	2013	TV Movie book

Self

Title	Year	Status	Character
Oprah: Where Are They Now?	2013	TV Series	Himself
The View	2013	TV Series	Himself
Entertainment Tonight	2013	TV Series	Himself
Michael Jackson's Boys	2005	TV Movie documentary	Himself
Reputations	2000	TV Series documentary	Himself