In a deeply emotional interview on CBS Sunday Morning, Liza Minnelli shared a haunting memory from her childhood that revealed the chaotic and often heartbreaking reality of growing up with her iconic mother, Judy Garland. At just nine years old, Liza woke up one night to find her mother missing. "I thought she’d gone out," she said, "but she was lying on the floor, unconscious." Liza didn’t flinch as she recalled the moment. She explained plainly that Garland had taken too many sleeping pills. Without hesitation, Liza shook her mother, screamed her name, and called for help. The image of that night stayed with her forever.

Born on March 12, 1946, in Los Angeles, Liza Minnelli was thrust into the spotlight from an early age. Her mother, Judy Garland, was already a star—famous for her role in The Wizard of Oz and beloved by America. However, Garland’s life was also a turbulent one, swinging between brilliance and breakdown. As a child, Liza not only witnessed her mother's extraordinary talent but also felt the weight of the fallout from her stardom. In later interviews, she described how unpredictable her mother’s moods could be. “She could be the funniest person you ever met,” Liza recalled, “or she could go into a room and shut the door for hours.”

In the 1972 documentary Judy Garland: By Myself, Liza offered a glimpse into the emotional fragility that marked her mother’s life. She remembered how Garland would sometimes cry without reason, staring out the window as if haunted by something unseen. Yet, despite the darkness, Liza insisted that there was always love. “She never stopped kissing me, hugging me, holding me,” Liza said in a 2008 interview with The Advocate. “But it was hard to know when things would get dark again.”

A pivotal moment in Liza’s life came in 1963, when, at just 17 years old, she was cast in an Off-Broadway production of Best Foot Forward. Garland attended the opening night, sitting front row, and wept during Liza’s final number. Backstage, she clutched Liza’s hands and said, “You’re going to be bigger than me. Just don’t let it kill you.” Liza kept this moment private for many years, only revealing it in a 2004 tribute to her mother in Vanity Fair.

Perhaps the most startling story Liza ever shared came during a stage appearance in London in 2008. She recounted a night when Garland, in the midst of a fight with Sid Luft, locked herself in the bathroom. Liza, only 12 at the time, sat outside the door for two hours, softly talking to her mother through the keyhole. When Garland finally opened the door, her face blotchy with tears, she whispered, “Promise me you’ll never need a man to tell you who you are.” That sentence, Liza said, shaped how she navigated her own relationships and career. It became a guiding principle that stayed with her for the rest of her life.

As Liza grew older, she also took on the role of managing her mother’s spiraling routines. In a 2010 NPR interview, Liza revealed that, “I became the adult in the house.” She would make sure the bills were paid, the lights stayed on, and the fridge had food. Sometimes, she even forged Garland’s signature to keep the electricity running. The admission shocked many, not because of the forgery, but because it showed the depth of Liza’s protective nature. She was a daughter carrying the burden of love and responsibility.

Despite the difficult moments, there were lighter times too. In a 1997 interview with Rolling Stone, Liza remembered how she and her mother would dance in the kitchen when Garland was in a good mood. Garland would put on “Get Happy” and say, “Show me your jazz hands, sweetheart!” They would laugh and enjoy those rare moments of joy. “In those moments, she was mine,” Liza said. “Not America’s, not MGM’s. Just mine.”

Liza never wrote a full memoir, but through scattered quotes and interviews, she painted a poignant picture of a daughter’s love for her mother, who was both a star and a woman deeply vulnerable. In 2012, she told The Telegraph, “I never tried to fix her. I just loved her. All of her.”

Judy Garland passed away in 1969, when Liza was only 23. Though the loss was immense, Liza has always refused to define her mother’s life by tragedy. Instead, she honors Garland’s resilience and the unfiltered truth of her life, sharing both the darkness and the love that shaped her.

Liza Minnelli’s words never beg for sympathy. They reveal strength forged in fire, loyalty born from chaos, and a daughter’s unwavering commitment to remembering her mother for all that she was. Through her reflections, Liza shows us what it truly means to love someone—unconditionally, through the highs and the lows.

Credit to the rightful owner for sharing this powerful and heartfelt reflection on Judy Garland and the relationship between a daughter and her mother.