Elizabeth Taylor’s estate has marked Taylor Swift’s wedding by sharing a throwback snap of the Hollywood star celebrating inside Madison Square Garden.
On Friday night the pop star, who played three nights at Dublin’s Aviva stadium in June 2024, married NFL player Travis Kelce inside the New York City arena.
Following the event, the official Instagram page for Taylor – who died aged 79 in 2011 – shared a photo of the star during one of her own milestone events inside the stadium.
“Congratulations to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce,” said the post, which showed a photo of Taylor standing on top of a staircase next to a huge cake.
“Before MSG hosted this amazing wedding, it hosted Elizabeth Taylor. On October 17, 1957, Mike Todd threw his wife the kind of party only a true showman could dream up: 18,000 guests packed into Madison Square Garden to mark the first anniversary of his film Around the World in 80 Days, complete with a 14-foot cake, a performance from the Boston Pops, and Walter Cronkite anchoring it live on CBS.
“The Garden was done up with flags of every nation and a giant balloon replica from the film floating overhead, while Duke Ellington played for the crowd on the main floor. Elizabeth, ever the star of the room, was the one who cut the towering cake.”
Todd was an American theatre and film producer who was celebrated for his 1956 film Around the World in 80 Days which starred David Niven, Cantinflas, Robert Newton and Shirley MacLaine, and won the Oscar for best picture.
The year after the film was released Todd married Taylor. However, in 1958, Todd died in a private plane accident.
The couple had a daughter, Elizabeth Frances (Liza) Todd, who was born in 1957.
He was the third of Taylor’s seven husbands, and the only one she did not divorce.
Last year Swift paid homage to Taylor, with a song named after the actress in her album The Life Of A Showgirl.
Swift called Taylor as “one of the most ultimate, quintessential showgirls” and explored the consequences of fame on one’s love life.
The music video also featured footage from Taylor’s films including Giant, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and Cleopatra, alongside archival newsreels documenting her public appearances and encounters with paparazzi.
Taylor’s son Christopher Wilding called the song “especially magical” in an interview with People.
“She and my mum do seem like kindred spirits. They are both the very embodiment of female empowerment. The way (Swift) has deftly captured the similarities and parallel tracks in their careers and personal lives is delightful,” he said.
Swift’s publicist Tree Paine confirmed her wedding had taken place on Friday night in a statement, also revealing the ceremony was officiated by Adam Sandler.
After the ceremony took place, a billboard outside the venue read “JUST&T MARRIED”.
The couple were reported to have invited around 1,000 guests, with celebrities including Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper, Graham Norton, Ed Sheeran, Hugh Grant and Ethan Hawke all in attendance.
Source: Press Association