EXCLUSIVE: Elizabeth Taylor's Stepdaughter Speaks — Read the Real Story of Hollywood Icon's Tempestuous Richard Burton Romance
Elizabeth Taylor's stepdaughter has shared insight into the real story behind her turbulent romance with Richard Burton.
Jan. 30 2026, Published 6:00 a.m. ET
Booze and betrayal!
Forty-two years after the death of her father, Richard Burton, Kate Burton is opening up about his battle with alcoholism as well as his marriage to Elizabeth Taylor, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Inside Hollywood's Most Watched Romance
Richard Burton was accused of battling alcoholism during his marriage to Elizabeth Taylor, according to his daughter.
"I grew up alongside two of the most famous human beings on earth," shared Kate, 68. "There was no precedent for the kind of attention my dad, Richard Burton, and my stepmom, Elizabeth Taylor, received. Dad was an alcoholic, but in my entire 26 years with this man, until he died in 1984, I maybe saw him drunk five times."
His romance with Elizabeth began on the set of Cleopatra in 1962 when he was married to Kate's mother, Sybil Williams.
Taylor was also married to Eddie Fisher.
Two Families, One Tight Bond
Eddie Fisher was Taylor's husband at the time her romance with Richard began on the set of 'Cleopatra.'
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But despite the scandal, Kate said she had a very loving upbringing.
"I was parented as much by Elizabeth and my stepdad, the actor and musician Jordan Christopher – who my mom married in 1965 – as my actual parents," she recalled.
"These two vibrant families never spoke or intersected, but in the middle of all that was us, my stepsiblings and I, bonded for life because we really got what it was like to be us. We were and still are incredibly close."
