AncientFaces
Gloria Vanderbilt, 1958
The daughter of railroad tycoon Reginald Vanderbilt and his second wife (a Swiss born American socialite) Gloria Morgan, Gloria Vanderbilt inherited $5 million (over $72 million in today's dollars) at 18 months old when her father died.
A court battle erupted (known at the time as the "trial of the century) between her aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, and her mother - her aunt claimed that her mother was an unfit mother and wasn't handling Gloria's finances properly. The trail was so notorious (with many scandalous allegations that included, among others, the British royal family) that books and tv movies have been made about it.
Aunt Gertrude gained custody and Gloria grew up surrounded by her father's family. Her mother wasn't really part of her adult life but she did provide some financial support for mother in her later years.
Much to Gloria's credit, she became more than the "poor little rich girl" of her childhood. She was an artist, a model, an actress, a writer, and a fashion designer.
Married 4 times, she had 4 sons - one of whom is CNN correspondent Anderson Cooper. Together, they made an HBO documentary about their family in 2016.
Gloria died of stomach cancer at the age of 95.
A court battle erupted (known at the time as the "trial of the century) between her aunt, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, and her mother - her aunt claimed that her mother was an unfit mother and wasn't handling Gloria's finances properly. The trail was so notorious (with many scandalous allegations that included, among others, the British royal family) that books and tv movies have been made about it.
Aunt Gertrude gained custody and Gloria grew up surrounded by her father's family. Her mother wasn't really part of her adult life but she did provide some financial support for mother in her later years.
Much to Gloria's credit, she became more than the "poor little rich girl" of her childhood. She was an artist, a model, an actress, a writer, and a fashion designer.
Married 4 times, she had 4 sons - one of whom is CNN correspondent Anderson Cooper. Together, they made an HBO documentary about their family in 2016.
Gloria died of stomach cancer at the age of 95.
Date & Place:
Not specified or unknown.
Amanda S. Stevenson 
