The National Velvet Scandal: 5 Shocking Claims About Elizabeth Taylor And Mickey Rooney's Secret Relationship

The enduring image of Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney is one of wholesome, classic Hollywood charm, forever linked by their iconic 1944 film, National Velvet. However, decades after the film’s release, a sensational claim emerged from a deep-dive biography, painting a starkly different picture of their relationship on the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) set, one that has shocked fans and historians as recently as .

This explosive new narrative, detailed in a definitive biography of the veteran actor, suggests their professional collaboration masked a highly controversial and illicit personal dynamic. The allegations—which involve a married, mid-twenties Rooney and a teenage Taylor—force a difficult re-examination of one of cinema's most beloved on-screen pairings and the dark undercurrents of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

The Complete Biographies of the Hollywood Icons

To fully understand the context of the claims, it is essential to first establish the respective lives and careers of the two stars at the center of the controversy. Both Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney were colossal figures, but their paths to fame and personal lives were dramatically different.

• 5 Shocking Facts About Anna Congdon Penn State Sweetheart To Nfl Fiances Social Media Firestorm Cc90e

Elizabeth Taylor: The Last Hollywood Goddess

• Full Name: Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor
• Born: February 27, 1932, in London, England
• Died: March 23, 2011, in Los Angeles, California, U.S.
• Key Early Role: Velvet Brown in National Velvet (1944)
• Major Films: A Place in the Sun, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Cleopatra, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
• Key Awards: Two Academy Awards for Best Actress (*BUtterfield 8*, *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?*), BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award.
• Marriages: Eight marriages to seven men, most famously to Richard Burton (twice).
• Career Context: Began as a child star, transitioning into one of the most glamorous and powerful leading ladies in cinema history.

Mickey Rooney: Hollywood’s First Teen Star

• Birth Name: Ninnian Joseph Yule Jr.
• Born: September 23, 1920, in Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
• Died: April 6, 2014, in North Hollywood, California, U.S.
• Key Early Role: Mi Taylor in National Velvet (1944)
• Major Films/Series: The *Andy Hardy* series, Babes in Arms (with Judy Garland), The Black Stallion, Breakfast at Tiffany's.
• Key Awards: Juvenile Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, two Honorary Academy Awards.
• Marriages: Eight marriages, rivaling Taylor’s number. At the time of *National Velvet*'s filming, he was married to his second wife, Betty Jane Rase.
• Career Context: A legendary child star and box-office champion who maintained a nearly 90-year career across vaudeville, film, and television.

The National Velvet Set: A Precocious Star and the Veteran Actor

The 1944 production of National Velvet was a pivotal moment for both actors. For Elizabeth Taylor, it was her breakout role at the age of twelve, cementing her transition from a minor player to a major child star under the watchful eye of MGM and director Clarence Brown. For Mickey Rooney, already a veteran and one of the world's biggest box-office draws due to his *Andy Hardy* films, he played Mi Taylor, the older, world-weary mentor to Taylor's character, Velvet Brown.

The film’s setting—a heartwarming tale of a girl and her horse, The Pie—stood in sharp contrast to the alleged off-screen reality. Rooney, 24 years old and a married man, was a seasoned professional, while Taylor, just 14 years old during the latter part of the production and press tour, was still a minor navigating the pressures of the studio system.

5 Shocking Claims from the Recent Mickey Rooney Biography

The most sensational details of the alleged affair came to light with the 2015 publication of the biography, The Life and Times of Mickey Rooney, authored by Richard A. Lertzman and William J. Birnes. The book, published a year after Rooney's death, claimed to offer an unvarnished look at the actor's life, including this dark episode from his time at MGM.

• The Untouchable Privacy 7 Secrets Of Rachel Mcadams And Jamie Lindens Life Beyond The Red Carpet E820e

1. The Age Discrepancy and Marital Status

The core of the scandal rests on the ages and marital status of the individuals. The biography alleges that Rooney, who was in his mid-twenties, engaged in an affair with Elizabeth Taylor when she was just 14 years old. Furthermore, Rooney was married at the time to his second wife, singer Betty Jane Rase (later known as B.J. Baker), whom he had married in 1944.

2. The Alleged Discovery by Rooney’s Wife

Perhaps the most dramatic claim in the book is the method by which the alleged affair was exposed. The authors claim that Rooney’s wife, Betty Jane, walked in on the two actors engaging in a sexual act. This moment of discovery is cited as a significant factor in the rapid deterioration of Rooney’s marriage to Rase, which ended in divorce in 1949.

3. The Studio's Response and Cover-Up

In the highly controlled environment of the MGM studio system, any scandal involving their biggest stars, especially a child star like Taylor, would be swiftly managed. While the details of a formal cover-up are scarce, the biography implies that the studio successfully suppressed the story to protect the image of both the film and their valuable assets. The powerful studio heads were notorious for controlling the narratives of their stars' personal lives.

• The Enduring Legacy Of Haylor 5 Shocking Facts About Harry Styles And Taylor Swifts Relationship 10 Years Later Sf662

4. A Pattern of Behavior for Rooney

The biography suggests that this incident was part of a larger pattern of reckless behavior for Mickey Rooney, who was known for his tumultuous personal life, including his eight marriages and financial struggles. The claim places the alleged affair within the context of a life marked by excess and controversy, contrasting sharply with his wholesome *Andy Hardy* persona.

5. Taylor’s Silence on the Matter

Elizabeth Taylor, throughout her life, was famously open about her many relationships, marriages, and personal struggles. However, there is no public record of her ever confirming or discussing the alleged liaison with Mickey Rooney. This silence has left the claim solely reliant on the account presented in Rooney’s post-mortem biography, maintaining a cloud of speculation over the incident.

The Lasting Impact on Hollywood History

The claims regarding the relationship between Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney serve as a potent reminder of the complexities and often exploitative nature of the classic Hollywood studio system. While National Velvet remains a cinematic masterpiece, the alleged events on its set underscore the vulnerability of young stars like Taylor.

This story, brought to light by the authors Lertzman and Birnes, forces a modern audience to look beyond the glittering facade of Golden Age cinema. It adds a layer of dark context to the careers of Taylor, who later became an advocate for various causes, and Rooney, whose long career was shadowed by personal tumult and eight marriages. The alleged scandal is a powerful, though unverified, footnote to the history of two of the most iconic figures ever to grace the silver screen.