Zsa Zsa Gabor led an extraordinary life that was a celebration of the very notion of fame. Gabor’s death this week – possibly at 99, though such was the mystery she created that nobody knows for sure – was the final chapter in a story that could have been a Harlequin romance novel.
The former Miss Hungary fled to the United States with her mother and sisters Magda and Eva (with whom she was often confused) on the eve of the Second World War. Appearances in forgettable films followed, but she didn’t need them. She blazed the trail later followed by Paris Hilton (to whom Gabor was related through one of her many marriages) and Kim Kardashian by becoming famous simply for being famous.
Film and television roles merely supplemented the publicity she gained from her very public private life, characterised by a love of diamonds, extravagant gowns and wealthy husbands – including a self-styled prince. Fashions came and went over 70 years, but Gabor always managed to remain in the headlines.
