E! True Hollywood Story Season 2 Episode 32 Elizabeth Glaser

Elizabeth Glaser was a Hollywood publicist turned AIDS activist whose life and legacy continue to inspire today. This episode of E! True Hollywood Story explores her journey from indomitable entertainment industry figure to unstoppable health advocate and philanthropist.

We begin in the Hollywood of the 1980s, where Glaser was a rising star in the world of public relations. She had married actor and director Paul Michael Glaser (best known for his role as Starsky in the television show Starsky & Hutch) and the two of them seemed to have it all: a successful career, a loving marriage, and three beautiful children.

But in 1981, everything changed. Elizabeth became pregnant with their third child, Ariel, and during a routine blood transfusion, she contracted HIV. At the time, very little was known about the virus, and there were no effective treatments available. Elizabeth was told she had only months to live.

The Glaser family's world was turned upside down. They were shocked not only by Elizabeth's diagnosis, but also by the lack of support and understanding they found from the medical community. Paul began to research the disease and discovered that it was especially devastating to children, causing a deadly condition called pediatric AIDS.

In 1985, Ariel was diagnosed with HIV and passed away just a few years later. Elizabeth and Paul were determined to make a difference in their daughter's memory. In 1987, Elizabeth founded the Pediatric AIDS Foundation (now known as the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation) with colleagues Susie Zeegen and Susan DeLaurentis. Their goal was to raise awareness and funds for pediatric AIDS research and to help children and families affected by the disease.

Through sheer determination and tireless work, Elizabeth built the Foundation into a global force, raising millions of dollars and bringing together scientists, doctors, and community health workers to combat the epidemic. Her advocacy work helped to pave the way for new treatments for HIV and AIDS, and she lived long enough to see the number of AIDS-related deaths decline dramatically.

Tragically, Elizabeth Glaser lost her battle with AIDS in 1994, but her legacy lives on through the Foundation and the countless lives it has touched. Her family and friends remember her as a devoted mother, a fierce advocate, and a woman of great courage and compassion.

This episode of E! True Hollywood Story is a moving tribute to an extraordinary woman whose legacy transcends the entertainment industry and continues to make an impact on the world. It features interviews with Glaser's family and friends, as well as with colleagues from the Foundation and the wider AIDS advocacy community. The episode also includes archival footage of Glaser and her family from the height of her Hollywood career, as well as personal photos and home movies that provide an intimate glimpse into her life and work.

Overall, this episode of E! True Hollywood Story offers a poignant reminder of the power of one person to make a difference, even in the face of overwhelming odds. Elizabeth Glaser's story is one of tragedy and triumph, of love and loss, and of the enduring legacy of hope that she left behind.