The Secret Life And Tragic Death Of Russell Eldridge: Roy Cohn's Closeted Partner

The enduring, dark legacy of Roy Cohn, the notorious New York power broker and legal mastermind, is being re-examined in the media today, December 10, 2025, largely due to renewed interest in his controversial life and his mentorship of Donald Trump. However, the most poignant and least-discussed chapter of his life centers on a man he publicly referred to as his "secretary" or "young cousin": Russell Eldridge. Eldridge’s presence in Cohn’s life was an open secret among their inner circle, representing the lawyer's deepest, most fiercely protected vulnerability: his closeted homosexuality.

The story of Russell Eldridge is a tragic lens through which to view the hypocrisy of Cohn's public life—a man who relentlessly prosecuted others during the McCarthy era’s "Lavender Scare" while secretly living as a gay man. Eldridge’s death from AIDS in 1985, just a year before Cohn's own passing from the same disease, stands as a devastating reminder of the personal cost of secrecy during the height of the AIDS crisis.

I. The Biographies: Roy Cohn and Russell Eldridge

To understand the complexity of their relationship, one must first appreciate the stark contrast between the two men’s public and private lives.

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Roy Marcus Cohn: A Profile in Power and Paradox

• Full Name: Roy Marcus Cohn.
• Born: February 20, 1927, in The Bronx, New York, U.S.
• Died: August 2, 1986, in Bethesda, Maryland.
• Cause of Death: AIDS-related complications (though he publicly insisted he was suffering from liver cancer).
• Career Highlights: Gained notoriety as a prosecutor in the high-profile espionage trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg (1952–53); became Chief Counsel to Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Army-McCarthy Hearings (1954); established himself as a ruthless and politically connected New York attorney and fixer, famously mentoring a young Donald Trump.
• Personal Life: Fiercely closeted, he publicly denied being homosexual despite his lifestyle and the nature of his relationships.

Russell Eldridge: The Hidden Partner

• Role in Cohn’s Life: Publicly introduced as Cohn’s "secretary," "assistant," or a "young cousin" through a Vanity Fair piece, he was widely understood by those close to Cohn to be his secret sexual and romantic partner.
• Background: Eldridge was approximately 20 years Cohn's junior. Details of his life prior to meeting Cohn are scarce, a common hallmark of the secrecy surrounding the partners of powerful, closeted men of the era.
• Death: January 26, 1985.
• Age at Death: 37 or 38 years old.
• Cause of Death: AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome).
• Significance: His death was a devastating personal blow to Cohn and a crucial, early indication of the disease that would ultimately claim Cohn’s life a year and a half later.

II. The Facade: Secretary, Cousin, or Secret Partner?

The relationship between Roy Cohn and Russell Eldridge was a perfect encapsulation of the extreme pressures placed on gay men in positions of power during the mid-20th century. Cohn, a prominent figure who helped drive the "Lavender Scare" to purge homosexuals from government, had to maintain an impenetrable facade of heterosexuality.

The 'Secretary' Cover Story

Cohn’s solution to having a constant male companion was to introduce Eldridge as his secretary. This professional title provided a legitimate, non-sexual reason for Eldridge to be a fixture at Cohn’s side, accompanying him to events and living in his opulent residences, such as the East 68th Street townhouse and his home in Greenwich, Connecticut.

The arrangement was complex and reportedly went beyond a simple romantic partnership. Some accounts suggest Eldridge also played the role of a fixer, helping Cohn manage his social calendar and even securing one-night stands for the powerful lawyer. This dynamic highlights the transactional and often emotionally fraught nature of relationships lived entirely in the closet.

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The Emotional Cost of Secrecy

Despite the public denial, the bond between the two men was deep. When Eldridge became ill in the early 1980s, Cohn was reportedly heartbroken, going to great lengths to care for him. He ensured Eldridge was housed comfortably and received medical attention, all while maintaining the utmost secrecy about the nature of the illness. This period of Eldridge's final years put immense strain on Cohn, forcing him to confront the grim reality of the AIDS epidemic that was ravaging the gay community he publicly disavowed.

III. The Tragic Shadow of the AIDS Crisis

The final years of Russell Eldridge’s life and his subsequent death from AIDS in January 1985 are central to the narrative of Roy Cohn’s downfall. This period was a dark foreshadowing of Cohn’s own fate and exposed the ultimate futility of his decades-long denial.

Eldridge’s Final Days

As the AIDS crisis took hold, the disease was often referred to as "gay cancer" or "the plague," carrying an intense social stigma. Eldridge, who was two decades younger than Cohn, was the first of the two to fall victim. Cohn’s efforts to shield Eldridge from the public eye during his illness were a desperate attempt to protect his own reputation and secret life. He could not afford to have his closest companion publicly die of the disease that was synonymous with the community he persecuted.

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The death of Russell Eldridge was a profound personal tragedy for Cohn. Witnesses noted his devastation, a rare display of genuine emotion from the notoriously cold-hearted lawyer. The loss of Eldridge, however, also marked a pivotal moment, as it was during this time that Cohn himself began to exhibit the symptoms of the same disease.

Cohn’s Lasting Denial

Following Eldridge's death, Cohn moved on to a relationship with Peter Fraser, a New Zealander who was 30 years his junior and would be his partner until Cohn’s death. But the shadow of Eldridge's passing remained. When Cohn was finally diagnosed with AIDS, he vehemently denied the diagnosis, using his considerable influence to claim he was suffering from liver cancer. He even sought experimental treatment, including a controversial drug called AZT, while maintaining his public denial until his final breath.

The simultaneous illness and death of both Cohn and Eldridge from AIDS, with Eldridge passing first, cemented the tragic irony of Cohn’s life. The man who built a career on destroying the lives of others, including gay men, was himself a closeted gay man whose life was ultimately cut short by the very disease he refused to acknowledge in his partner and then himself.

IV. The Legacy of a Hidden Relationship

The story of Roy Cohn and Russell Eldridge is more than just a footnote in political history; it is a powerful commentary on the destructive nature of the closet and the devastating impact of the AIDS epidemic on the culture of fear and denial. Cohn’s need to maintain a strict public image meant that Eldridge, his partner, had to remain a ghost, a mere "secretary" whose illness and death were swept under the rug.

The recent portrayal of Eldridge in media, such as the film The Apprentice, has finally brought this hidden figure into the light, forcing a deeper reckoning with Cohn’s hypocrisy and the personal sacrifices made by those closest to him. Eldridge’s life and death serve as a potent reminder that even the most powerful figures of American history were not immune to the personal tragedies that defined the era, no matter how fiercely they tried to hide them.