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GLORIA VANDERBILT

Source: Eric Robert / Getty

Heiress to the Vanderbilt railroad fortune and creator of the popular Vanderbilt jeans, Gloria Vanderbilt has died. Apparently reports state she died of stomach cancer, which was so advanced she was taken to the hospital earlier this month.

Gloria, the mother of Anderson Cooper, was a woman of many talents from being a model, fashion designer and actress.

Gloria was known as the  biggest socialites in New York City and she even walked down the aisle 4 times. One of her husband’s was famed Director Sidney Lumet and she was linked over the years to famous men, including Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, and Gene Kelly, to name a few.

Her life was a mixture of colorful and tragic moments. In 1988, Gloria’s oldest son, Carter Vanderbilt Cooper, committed suicide at age 23 by jumping out of the family’s 14th floor window. Ms. Vanderbilt was also embroiled in a famous custody battle and she lost her father. In that stage of her life when she was a baby. It was the fight of the century, as her mom and aunt fought over who should raise her. The custody trial was the basis for her 1980 book and subsequent miniseries, “Little Gloria … Happy at Last,” which was nominated for 6 Emmys.

Her son, Anderson Cooper just gave a tribute to his mom, saying, “Gloria Vanderbilt was an extraordinary woman who loved life and lived it on her own terms.  What an extraordinary life.  What an extraordinary mom.  What an incredible woman.”

Gloria was 95 years young, R.I.P.

NieceyShaw