The Tragic True Story Of Russell Eldridge: Roy Cohn’s Secret Lover, AIDS, And The Betrayal Exposed In 'The Apprentice'

The name Russell Eldridge has resurfaced decades after his death, not as a footnote in history, but as a central, tragic figure in the narrative of power, denial, and hypocrisy that defined the infamous lawyer Roy Cohn. As of December 10, 2025, the relationship between the closeted power broker and his private secretary is once again under the intense spotlight of public scrutiny, driven by the controversial and highly anticipated biopic, *The Apprentice* (2024 film), which brings their hidden life to the screen with unprecedented detail. This article explores the man who was Eldridge, his pivotal role in Cohn’s inner circle, and the heartbreaking circumstances of his final years that mirror the darkest secrets of the 1980s AIDS crisis. The complex dynamic between Cohn and Eldridge—a relationship that was an open secret in New York's elite circles—offers a crucial lens through which to understand the moral contradictions of one of the 20th century's most feared and reviled political operators. Eldridge was far more than an assistant; he was a confidant, a partner, and, according to many who knew them, the one person who elicited a rare flicker of human tenderness from the notoriously ruthless Roy Cohn.

The Man Behind the Myth: A Biography of Russell Eldridge and Roy Cohn

To understand the significance of Russell Eldridge, one must first place him within the orbit of Roy Marcus Cohn, a man whose life was a tapestry of political intrigue, legal ruthlessness, and profound personal denial.

Roy Cohn: A Brief Biographical Profile

• Born: February 20, 1927, in The Bronx, New York City.
• Died: August 2, 1986, in Bethesda, Maryland (official cause: liver cancer; actual cause: AIDS).
• Education: Columbia College, Columbia Law School.
• Key Career Highlights:
  • Assistant U.S. Attorney, notable for prosecuting Julius and Ethel Rosenberg (1951-1953).
  • Chief Counsel to Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Army-McCarthy Hearings (1953-1954).
  • High-powered New York attorney and political fixer, representing clients including Mafia bosses and, famously, a young Donald Trump.
• Personal Life: Vehemently denied being gay throughout his life, despite numerous relationships with men.

Russell Eldridge: The Private Secretary and Confidant

Details on Russell Eldridge's life prior to meeting Cohn are scarce, a common fate for the associates who served as part of the lawyer's tightly controlled inner circle. What is known paints a picture of a young man who became indispensable to Cohn's daily life.

• Role: Private Secretary and personal assistant to Roy Cohn.
• Relationship: Widely considered Cohn's lover or boyfriend, though Cohn introduced him publicly only as his secretary.
• Death: January 26, 1985, in New York City.
• Age at Death: 37 or 38 years old.
• Cause of Death: AIDS.

Eldridge was one of several young, blonde men—including G. David Schine and later Peter Fraser—who were associated with Cohn, but his bond with Eldridge was notably deep. He lived a life in the shadow of one of America's most powerful and controversial figures, a life that would ultimately be cut short by the devastating epidemic both he and Cohn would contract.

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The Secret Life of Roy Cohn's Inner Circle: Eldridge, Love, and Denial

The relationship between Roy Cohn and Russell Eldridge was a microcosm of Cohn's entire existence: a public display of aggressive, conservative power masking a deeply closeted private life. Cohn, the man who helped fuel the anti-communist "Lavender Scare" and prosecuted the Rosenbergs, was a self-loathing gay man who vehemently denied his homosexuality until his death.

Eldridge's role as "secretary" was the acceptable public facade for a much more intimate arrangement. In the early 1980s, Eldridge was a constant presence, managing Cohn's chaotic life and traveling with him. The famed photographer Mary Ellen Mark, who documented Cohn's final years, noted the dynamic. While Cohn was known for his cold, snarling demeanor, Eldridge's presence occasionally revealed a different side of the lawyer, especially during their time in Provincetown, where a rare "tenderness" was observed.

This denial was not merely a personal choice; it was a political necessity for Cohn. To acknowledge his true self would have been to dismantle the very foundation of his public persona as a conservative crusader. Russell Eldridge, therefore, became an essential, yet publicly invisible, anchor in Cohn's tumultuous world, a silent partner in a life built on lies and manipulation.

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The Tragic Shadow of the AIDS Crisis and Cohn's Final Betrayal

The end of Russell Eldridge's life is a heartbreaking chapter that illuminates the callousness of the early AIDS crisis and the depths of Roy Cohn's self-preservation. In the mid-1980s, Eldridge became gravely ill. He was one of the many victims of the emerging HIV/AIDS epidemic that Cohn himself would later contract.

As Eldridge's condition worsened, Cohn—in a move that revealed a complicated mix of affection and self-serving secrecy—put him up in a quiet location. This is where the story intersects with Donald Trump. According to reports and as depicted in the new biopic, Cohn allegedly asked his protégé, Donald Trump, to house the ailing Eldridge in one of his hotels, a request Trump reportedly fulfilled, providing a place for Eldridge to spend his final days.

Russell Eldridge passed away on January 26, 1985. Cohn was reportedly "heartbroken" by the loss, a rare display of genuine emotion from the man who typically viewed human relationships as transactional. However, this personal tragedy did not break Cohn’s wall of denial. When Cohn himself was later diagnosed with AIDS, he famously insisted he was suffering from liver cancer, maintaining the lie until his death in 1986.

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Eldridge's death served as a precursor to Cohn's own demise, highlighting the devastating irony: the man who persecuted others for their sexuality was ultimately brought down by a disease that disproportionately affected the very community he helped marginalize.

The Apprentice Biopic: How Ben Sullivan’s Portrayal Brings the Story Back to Life

The latest and most significant update to the narrative of Roy Cohn and Russell Eldridge is the 2024 film *The Apprentice*, a controversial biopic focusing on the mentor-protégé relationship between Cohn and Donald Trump. The film, which premiered to significant attention, features actor Ben Sullivan in the role of Russell Eldridge.

The movie does not shy away from depicting Eldridge as Cohn’s lover, directly challenging the historical cover-up. By making Eldridge a prominent character, the film forces a re-evaluation of Cohn’s entire legacy, anchoring his political ruthlessness in his profound personal hypocrisy. The portrayal of Eldridge’s illness and death, and Cohn's complicated reaction, serves as a moral compass for the film's exploration of power, corruption, and the cost of denial.

The controversy surrounding the film—including attempts by Donald Trump’s legal team to block its release—has only amplified the public’s curiosity about the real-life figures, pushing Russell Eldridge's tragic story out of the archives and into the contemporary cultural conversation. For a new generation, Eldridge is no longer just a name; he is the face of the personal toll exacted by Cohn's closeted, manipulative life.

Russell Eldridge’s story is a powerful, enduring reminder of the human cost of the political and social climate of fear that Roy Cohn helped create. His life and death, now dramatically retold in a major motion picture, ensure that the full, unvarnished truth of Roy Cohn’s inner world—a world of secret love, deep denial, and ultimate tragedy—will not be forgotten.