Liza Minnelli Admits She Couldn't Process Catching First Husband Peter Allen In Bed With a Man — 'This Was a Betrayal of Our Marital Intimacy'
Liza Minnelli recounts intimate details of her marriage to Peter Allen in her memoir.
March 11 2026, Published 11:45 a.m. ET
Liza Minnelli has opened up about the heartbreaking moment her first marriage began to unravel, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The legendary entertainer, 79, recalled the painful discovery in her new memoir, Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!, revealing she once walked in on husband Peter Allen in bed with another man.
'Impossible for My Heart to Absorb'
Liza Minnelli revealed the shocking moment she discovered husband Peter Allen with another man in her new memoir.
"This was a betrayal of our marital intimacy," Minnelli writes in the memoir seen by Page Six. "Our deepest trust in each other, and at first I couldn't process it. It was impossible for my heart to absorb what my eyes had seen."
According to the Oscar-winning Cabaret star, the moment unfolded suddenly. After she walked in on Allen, the other man hurriedly dressed and left the room.
Minnelli remembers being unable to move as the situation sank in. At one point, she says Allen approached her and pulled her into an embrace, causing them both to break down down in tears.
"He felt terrible and told me for the first time, 'Liza, I love you more than anyone in the world and I'm gay,'" Minnelli shares.
'Still Felt Enormous Love for Each Other'
The Oscar winner admitted she was left frozen after walking in on Allen during an intimate encounter.
The actress notes that the revelation came as a shock because their relationship had appeared strong in many ways. She described their marriage as having an "active and very fulfilling sexual life."
Allen, however, told her that despite his love for her, he was also attracted to men.
"He said he had tried desperately to be monogamous, but his feelings for men would not go away," Minnelli pens, reflecting on the moment he opened up about his sexuality. "It was a fact of his life and now mine."
Despite the betrayal, Minnelli clarifies the shocking news did not immediately destroy their bond.
"In that sad moment of discovery, we still felt enormous love for each other," she explains. "Neither of us wanted the marriage to end."
A Complicated Romance
Minnelli said they still felt 'enormous love' for each other despite the betrayal.
Minnelli and Allen first met through her mother, Hollywood legend Judy Garland, and their romance quickly blossomed. The pair got engaged in 1965 before tying the knot two years later.
However, the EGOT winner did have a whirlwind romance during their engagement. In the tell-all book, she admits to having a brief but passionate affair with famed French singer Charles Aznavour after meeting him at a cocktail party.
"I loved him," she wrote of Aznavour. "I also loved Peter Allen. We weren't yet married. Was life a delicious confusion? Yes. Did I follow my heart? Guilty as charged."
'Genuinely Love and Respect Each Other'
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Minnelli and Allen eventually divorced in 1974 but remained close in the years that followed.
Ultimately, Minnelli and Allen divorced in 1974. Even so, they "continued to genuinely love and respect each other in the years ahead."
The actress shares that their deep "spiritual connection" and lasting "mutual attraction" was what kept them close.
She also credits Allen with helping her process the trauma of her childhood and writing "beautiful" songs inspired by their relationship.
