Claims that Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney ran a casting couch by luring young actresses in for roles that did not even exist, have been attacked by his daughter, Kelly Rooney, as a disgusting attempt to destroy her father’s legacy.
Last week, reports surfaced about an explosive book from Australian journalist Craig Bennett that claimed Rooney “almost wore out the casting couch” at the prime of his career through some rather despicable means. Speaking with Fox News, Rooney’s daughter said the claims were all garbage, highlighting the many wonderful things her father did in his lifetime.
“It’s disgusting to me,” she told the outlet. “My dad fought for our country and helped veterans towards the end of his life. There’s a lot of other things we should be talking about where we could be lifting people up.”
On top of the casting couch claims, Bennett’s book also alleged that Rooney did not live up to the nice guy persona he portrayed on screen. “In person, Mickey could be blisteringly bombastic,” Bennett said in the book. “A former Hollywood PR friend of mine labeled Mickey as abrasive, nasty, curt and rude.”
A 2015 biography of Rooney also alleged that he had an affair with actress Elizabeth Taylor when she was just 14 and he was 25. Bennett says in his book that Mickey Rooney secretly hated Liz Taylor and would bad-mouth her in private.
According to Kelly Rooney, her father addressed many of these rumors while he was still alive. She lamented the fact he can no longer address them here and now.
“My father and Elizabeth Taylor were lifelong friends and they’re no longer here to defend themselves,” said Kelly Rooney. “My father is not here to react to this. When he was younger, before I was even born, [the media] always made accusations about my dad. And I spoke to him about it; he was very open and honest with all of us.”
Kelly described her dad as being “an open book” regarding his personal life, admitting he was “no saint.” She also likened the character assassination against her father to the routine character assassination seen in modern politics.
“If someone was disrespectful to him or his family or loved ones, of course, he would become reactionary,” Kelly told Fox News. “It saddens me people have to reach back, look at some of these amazing Hollywood legends and tear them down. … It’s just like what’s happening in politics — everyone’s gotta tear everybody down. I would love to stay away from that type of negativity and instead show a respectful light on my father, just like any of his children would.”
Mickey Rooney married eight times throughout his long life and fathered 11 children. His fifth wife, Barbara Thomason (Kelly’s mother), was shot to death at the young age of 29 by his friend, Milos Milosevic, when Kelly was just seven years old. She praised her father for being a good support system after the horrific tragedy in 1966.
“My dad and [Milos] became friends,” Kelly told Fox News. “My dad was trying to help him in the business. And unbeknownst to my mother, he fell in love with her and became obsessed with her. … She and my dad had such a loving relationship. When you saw them together, it was that look of love. My mother loved him dearly. And my dad loved her dearly. She was a hands-on mom who taught us to say our prayers and brushed our teeth. We had a lot of love from my mom. Losing her put a real hole in our hearts.”
Kelly claims her father declared Thomason the love of his life.