The Ultimate Betrayal: 5 Secrets Truman Capote Exposed To End His War With 'The Swans'
The core of the conflict was Capote's unfinished novel, *Answered Prayers*, from which he published the scandalous chapter "La Côte Basque, 1965" in *Esquire* magazine in 1975. This excerpt was a thinly veiled exposé, detailing the most intimate and damaging secrets shared with him by his closest confidantes. The Swans—the most beautiful, stylish, and powerful women in the world—had opened their lives to Capote, treating him as their trusted, witty court jester, only to have their deepest vulnerabilities weaponized against them.
The Principal Players: A Complete Biography of Truman Capote and The Swans
The conflict involved an elite group of figures whose lives defined the mid-20th-century American aristocracy. Their power, wealth, and influence made the betrayal all the more sensational.
- Truman Capote (Born: September 30, 1924, New Orleans; Died: August 25, 1984, Los Angeles)
- Key Works: *Other Voices, Other Rooms*, *Breakfast at Tiffany's*, *In Cold Blood*, *Answered Prayers* (unfinished).
- Claim to Fame: A celebrated American author and pioneer of the non-fiction novel genre. He was known for his distinctive high-pitched voice, flamboyant personality, and as the host of the legendary 1966 "Black and White Ball."
- Babe Paley (Born: Barbara Cushing Mortimer Paley; July 5, 1915; Died: July 6, 1978)
- Claim to Fame: Former *Vogue* magazine editor and perennial fixture on the International Best Dressed List. She was the second wife of CBS founder William S. Paley and was considered Capote's most beloved and central "Swan."
- The Betrayal: Capote revealed her husband's long-term affair, a secret that was devastatingly painful to Paley, who was already battling cancer.
- Slim Keith (Born: Nancy Gross; July 15, 1917; Died: April 16, 1990)
- Claim to Fame: A California-born socialite and fashion icon who was married three times, including to film director Howard Hawks and Broadway producer Leland Hayward. She was known for her sharp wit and impeccable style.
- The Betrayal: Capote fictionalized a story she had told him about her ex-husband's affair, making it easily identifiable and humiliating. She became one of Capote's fiercest enemies after the publication.
- C.Z. Guest (Born: Lucy Douglas Cochrane; February 19, 1920; Died: November 8, 2003)
- Claim to Fame: An American socialite, stage actress, author, and fashion icon known for her classic, tailored elegance and passion for gardening and equestrianism. She was the only Swan who maintained a degree of contact with Capote after the feud.
- The Betrayal: While less directly targeted than others, her world was still rocked by the exposure of her friends' secrets, and she was forced to choose sides in the ensuing social war.
- Lee Radziwill (Born: Caroline Lee Bouvier; March 3, 1933; Died: February 15, 2019)
- Claim to Fame: The younger sister of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. She was a socialite, interior decorator, and public relations executive who was a key member of the international jet set.
- The Betrayal: Capote included details about her sister's private life and her own social maneuvers, which was a significant breach of trust for the famously private Bouvier family.
- Gloria Guinness (Born: María Gloria Josefina Rubio y Alatorre; August 27, 1912; Died: November 9, 1980)
- Claim to Fame: A Mexican-born socialite, contributing editor to *Harper's Bazaar*, and style icon known for her immense wealth and international connections. She was considered one of the most glamorous women in the world.
- The Betrayal: Capote's story implicated her in various high-society scandals, contributing to the overall sense of exposure among the elite.
La Côte Basque, 1965: The Short Story That Destroyed a World
The title of the story, "La Côte Basque, 1965," refers to the exclusive, high-end French restaurant in New York City where the elite gathered. The setting was a perfect, glittering backdrop for the dark secrets Capote chose to reveal. Published in November 1975, the excerpt from his long-awaited novel *Answered Prayers* was not a work of pure fiction; it was a thinly disguised roman à clef, where the real-life identities of his friends were barely concealed.
The story contained two particularly explosive and devastating anecdotes. The first involved a character clearly based on Babe Paley, whose husband, William S. Paley, was exposed for a long-term, humiliating affair. The fictionalized scene described a character discovering evidence of the infidelity, a moment of private agony Capote had been entrusted with.
The second anecdote was even more sensational, detailing a fictionalized version of the notorious Ann Woodward murder case, in which a character based on Woodward was accused of deliberately shooting her husband. While Woodward was not one of Capote's core "Swans," her inclusion in the story—and the shocking implication of murder—sent a clear message: Capote knew everyone's secrets, and he was willing to tell them all.
For the Swans, this wasn't just gossip; it was a profound act of high society betrayal. They had confided in Capote, the charming, seemingly harmless writer, viewing him as a trusted confidant who was "one of the girls." The publication was seen as a vulgar, ungrateful, and cruel attack on the very people who had given him access to the world of glamour and power that he craved and had used for his art.
The Unprecedented Fallout: Ostracization and the Swan Song for an Era
The immediate reaction from the elite was swift and brutal. The publication of "La Côte Basque, 1965" triggered a social nuclear winter for Capote. The Swans, led by the fiercely protective Slim Keith, immediately cut him off. They refused to take his calls, declined his invitations, and effectively ostracized him from the high society circles he had spent two decades cultivating.
Babe Paley, in particular, was devastated. Capote had been her closest friend, and the betrayal was perceived as the ultimate cruelty at a time when she was already terminally ill. Her refusal to ever speak to him again was a crushing blow to Capote, who reportedly loved her deeply.
The social ostracization had a profound and lasting impact on Capote's life and career. He found himself exiled from the very world that fueled his creativity and provided the material for his writing. The isolation, combined with his long-standing struggles with drug and alcohol abuse, led to a dramatic decline in his health and his ability to write.
Capote never truly recovered from the "Swan Song" of his social life. He spent the last decade of his life struggling to finish *Answered Prayers*, which he famously referred to as his "magnus opus" and the reason for his social suicide. He died in 1984, leaving the novel unfinished, a testament to the fact that the price of his betrayal was far higher than he ever anticipated.
The Legacy: Why The Feud Still Captivates Today
The enduring fascination with "Capote versus The Swans" lies in its timeless themes of power, celebrity, and the dark side of ambition. The story is a dramatic exploration of the symbiotic yet destructive relationship between an artist and his muse. Capote needed the Swans for their stories, and they needed him for his wit and validation.
The recent FX series, *Feud: Capote vs. The Swans*, confirms the story's modern relevance, offering a fresh, cinematic look at the glamour and the grim reality behind the velvet curtains of the 1970s jet set. It highlights the human cost of the scandal, shifting the focus from Capote's literary ambition to the profound emotional damage inflicted on the women who had trusted him completely.
Ultimately, the Capote/Swans feud serves as a powerful cultural moment that marked a significant shift in American high society. It exposed the hypocrisy and the vulnerability of the elite, proving that even the most guarded secrets could be used as ammunition. The story is a dramatic reminder that in the world of high society and literary ambition, silence is the only true form of loyalty, and betrayal, once committed, is irreversible.
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