and she thought she had found it with the distinguished john warner, who became husband number six and she helped become senator of virginia. i interviewed elizabeth with her new husband in 1977 and this was one time when she wasn't telling me the truth. are you worried about putting on weight? does it matter to you? >> no, it didn't. because i'm so happy and i enjoy eating. i like to cook. and i enjoy eating. >> reporter: you wouldn't care if you got fat? >> i am fat. >> reporter: she later admitted being tormented about being fat. >> i hated all the fat jokes. i probably laughed as loud or louder than anyone but they hurt. they hurt me a lot. and it was a kind of defiance that made me get even fatter. i've worked since i was 9 and so i've been told to do this. and i reached a point in my life where i thought, no, damn it, if i'm going to be fat, i'm bloody well be fat. >> reporter: in 1983, elizabeth taylor check into the bet if i ford clinic, coping with a lifetime of illnesses, she had become addicted to prescription drugs and alcohol. a new elizabeth taylor emerged drug free. how

there was a senator, republican john warner of virginia. there was even a builder, who taylor met when he was doing some home improvements for her. for a lot of her life, taylor battled health problems, near fatal pneumonia, a brain tumor, substance abuse and weight problems. >> either you look forward to waking up or you don't. i do. >> all of her troubles provided comics with a lot of material. she never gave up, and kept her name and famous face out there with product endorsements later in life. >> these have always brought me luck. >> her remaining years were defined by the death of her close friend and former co-star, rock hudson. his revelation that he was dying of aids shocked the country, but she went to work, devoting her life to raising money and research to fight the disease and fight the stigma surrounding it. >> they have so little touching and compassion in their life, that if you reach out to them, you receive so much love in return. >> elizabeth taylor went on to found amfar. in a statement today the organization noted her m

when she was campaigning with john warner, because he wasn't a senator then, she shook a lot of handss on her hand. you can -- she had a tracheotomy. throughout her life, she had just a series of illnesses. one seemed to bring on the other. and they started when she was very young. in some strange way, maybe it was a -- you know, an escape. the only time she could rest. >> could be. could be. but it didn't prevent her from having a heck of a sense of humor. >> a bawdy -- salty. >> you couldn't repeat any of the ones that you're thinking -- >> not on morning television. we'll have lunch. >> i would love to hear those stories. thank you, barbara. and you were, boy, right on top of it yesterday morning with "the view," talking about it. >> she was a great character. a wonderful actress. and i can see why there is all this attention. >> uh-huh. thank you again. give our best to the ladies at "the view." you can watch all of barbara's fascinating, riveting interviews with elizabeth taylor on our website, abcnews.com/gma. so, you can hear the legend in her own words talking about the loves

there were two more marriages, senator john warner for six years, four years with construction worker larry fortensky. the passions of her later years included her work for aids research and a series of perfumes sold in her name. if the failed marriages or health problems ever overwhelmed this child of hollywood, she didn't let on. friends said she never complained about the past and she always hoped to fall in love just one more time. bill whitaker, cbs news, hollywood. >> and fans are already paying tribute to taylor at her star on the hollywood walk of fame. today the hollywood chamber of commerce also taylor with a pink wreath. she was one of the first stars on the walk when it began back in 1960. >>> all right, folks. it has been a rocking morning around the bay area, rainfall showing up and more is on the way. we have scattered showers out there right now. the main cold front moving through early on today. behind that, we have some of these cells that continue to move on by. taking new for a closer look, concord area you're getting hit hard by this system moving through. some of

former senator john warner was married to elizabeth taylor for six years. . >> well, i thank you for that, because i speak these few words with a deep sense of humility and respect for our friendship, which lasted right to the end. >> you were married for six years, as i mentioned, from 1976 to 1982. you know, senator, a lot of people said you were complete opposites. you were a conservative republican, she was anything but. was it a case of opposites attracting? >> well, i'm not sure just how to answer that one, but i will say she worked with me in my early days in politics, helped me lay the foundation for a 30-year career in the united states senate, for which i'm always grateful and we frequently in the years past have joked and laughed about those days together when she was a -- let me tell you, a real trooper. >> i know you did stay in touch. it's not always for couples to remain friendly after divorce. why do you think you two managed to do so? >> well, there was really no bitterness in our divorce. i became a senator and was extremely active in the s

. >> couric: taylor would marry twice more, to virginia senator john warner, and finally in 1991 to construction worker larry fortensky, whom she met during her time at the betty ford center recovering from addiction to precipitation painkillers. her physical ailments were many, by one count more than 70 illnesses or injuries that sent her to the hospital, each one sparking a tabloid frenzy and more grist for the rumor mill. >> i've had addictions, i've had weight problems. i've almost died a couple of times. i've been pronounced dead. i've read my own obituary, they were the best reviews i ever had. >> couric: but perhaps her west work began in 1985 during the aids epidemic. several of her friends had died, including rock hudson. >> and people were so shocked and it was like the town hollywood became aware that one of its own had been hit. and a lot of people came, a lot of people didn't, because of the stigma. >> couric: she helped form the aids research group, amfar and served as its first national chairman. her work for aids charities raised a reported $270 million over two decades. >> presi

one of her husbands, former senator john warner from virginia, had only kind words for her wednesday. saying he would remember her heart and soul were as beautiful as her classic face and majestic eyes. taylor was one of the original stars here on the hollywood walk of fame. but in the latter part of her life, she used her celebrity to shine a spotlight on an issue close to her heart. she was one of the first to bring the hiv/aids epidemic to the mainstream media. she worked with dr. michael got leeb who was one of the first physicians to describe what would eventually be called aids. together they created the american foundation for aids research. >> she was tireless in her effort. i think that her presence as a spokesperson will last for many, many years. >> reporter: an enduring legacy she would be proud of. kendis gibson, cbs news, hollywood. >>> we'll have more on the life and legacy of elizabeth taylor a little bit later in the show. you're watching the "cbs morning news." [ woman ] i had this deep, radiating pain everywhere... and i wondered what it was. i found out that connec

senator john warner. >> her heart and soul were just as beautiful as her classic face and majestic eyes. >> reporter: but it was her romance to richard burton, whom she first married in 1974 and then again in 1985 that created a media frenzy. >> they were trailblazers for the paparazzi. there had never been anything like that. there had never been stars that big, never been a romance that famous and public and scandalous. >> reporter: in 2009, she privately mourned the passing of one of her best friends, michael jackson. in later years, it was her charity work for aids research that she says kept her going. just days after celebrating her 79th birthday in february, taylor was hospitalized with congestive heart failure. she will be remembered her for beauty, generosity and grace. scott budman -- >> "cat on a hoot tin roof," one of the best movies ever made a private family funeral will be held for elizabeth taylor this week. elton john, joan collins, george michael and nancy reagan expressed their great grief over taylor's death. >>> let's bring in our chief meteorologist jeff ranieri. h

there was also senator john warner of virginia and a handyman she met when they were both in rehab. they were married at michael jackson's neverland ranch. they would remain close friends till his death. through much of her life she's had health problems, near-fatal pneumonia, a brain tumor, substance abuse and weight problems. elizabeth taylor was a constant target of the tabloid media. like the time in 2006 when she reportedly was close to death suffering from alzheimer's. >> come on, do i look like i'm dying? >> reporter: taylor devoted much of her life raising money for aids research. >> if you reach out to them, you receive so much love in return. >> reporter: but it is what people notice first about elizabeth taylor that will remain in our memory, it was her eyes. they were violet and extraordinary. especially on the big screen. elizabeth taylor, a true beauty. funeral arrangements are still spending. here in los angeles, i'm chuck henry, nbc bay area news. >>> still ahead, only on nbc bay area, it's the wedding gown the world is waiting to see. and it may already be right her

now and that's what you see in the middle east and the government's answer is to clamp down the john warner fence authorization act of two thousand and seven states that the pentagon is preparing for insurrection in the states and a suppressed state governors and legislators we don't have a real government we have a road government that is basically looting this country and until you get a real government back in place any reform will only be twisted into a scam to further vertically integrate well so wall street its hundreds of billions in bonuses every year either of those parasites go who are waging war on a real economy where there is no end in sight things are only going to get worst on this journey towards our well united next now with alex jones radio host of the alex jones show. and when we talk about the impact of a broken system nowhere is it more apparent were blaring and in the stories of the people so i want to tell you now the story of a young woman in her early twenty's she graduated magna cum laude from the art institute of colorado and is also miss colorado usa griffith and

around and it's like you see in the middle east and the governments answer is to clamp down the john warner fence talk recession act of two thousand and seven states that the pentagon is preparing for insurrection in the states and a syquest eight governors and legislatures we don't have a real government we have a rogue government that is basically looting this country and until you get a real government back in place any reform will only be twisted into a scam to further vertically integrate well so long it's hundreds of billions in bonuses every year either of those parasites go who are waging war on the real economy or there is no end in sight things are only going to get worst on this journey towards our well your nightmare and things like what you're saying al is that all sort of thurles back to the same place every time you were talking about unrest in the middle east we've also seen a little bit of it i hear in this country we certainly thought in wisconsin we just found report kalen said as it were thinking of it here i didn't think this is perhaps the start of something bigger. oh

later on, taylor married john warner, who became a u.s. senator from virginia.y divorced in 1982. her last marriage came in 1991, to larry fortensky-- a truck driver and construction worker. it ended after six years. throughout her life, taylor struggled with medical problems, undergoing at least 20 major operations. she also battled addictions to pain killers and alcohol. >> i consumed inordinate amounts of alcohol, and combined with pills, it was deadly. >> brown: her screen roles became increasingly rare in the 1980s, and her attention turned to philanthropy. taylor became an early advocate of the fight against aids, after the death of her former colleague and close friend rock hudson. >> in the american tradition, we taylor helped raise more than $100 million, and co-founded the american foundation for aids research. when i joined this war nearly 30 years ago, everyone died of aids. today, over 40 million people live healthy, powerful lives with hiv. >> brown: today, fans paid tribute to taylor, laying flowers at her star on the hollywood walk of fame. eliza

senator john warner for six years, four years with construction worker larry fortensky.he passions of her later years included her work for aids research and a series of perfumes sold in her name. it's the failed marriages or the health problems -- if the failed marriages or the health problems ever overwhelmed this child of hollywood she never let on. friends said she never complained about the past and she always hoped to fall in love just one more time. bill whitaker, cbs news, hollywood. >> and again, elizabeth taylor died early this morning at a los angeles hospita according to the her publicist. she was 79. we'll have more on her life and legacy later on this cbs station on "the early show" for the west coast and tonight on the cbs evening news. this is a cbs news special report. i'm erica hill in new york. >> she had been sick for a number of weeks. >> quite a while. did not look good. but you and i just mesmerized watching that report. you know, the greats when they pass away, it's so tough to let go. i didn't realize she was in so many movies because you kind of

taylor's ex-husband, john warner, says he was friends with her until the end.ing you more liz taylor memories. today on "good morning america," how she made an impact on fans not just here in the u.s., but >> i've known elizabeth since i was 17. we were at mgm together and we went to school together, a little schoolyard, a little schoolhouse, so we've known each other all these years. and we're the same age. and it's been a long friendship. of course, we had a bumpy ride there for a little while when she sought company of my husband permanently, which was an unusual occurrence. and we passed through that. we got over that. and then elizabeth went on to find great romance and love with richard burton. and then we -- you know, through the years we remained friends. i spoke with elizabeth about two to three weeks ago. i just called her up to see how she was doing and, you know, if she was keeping her courage up. and she said it was really tough and she was not happy with the way things were going, but that she was doing the best she could. and she said, old age is

senator john warner and then -- there were a series of perfumes sold in her name.ges or the health problems ever overwhelmed this child of hollywood, she never let on. friends said she never complained about the past, and she always hoped to fall in love just one more time. bill whittaker, cbs news, hollywood. >> her publicist says all four of her children were with her when she died peacefully. she was 79. there's a preview of tonight's cbs evening news. >> she preyed on couples desperate for a child of their own. we track down a con artist making thousands of dollars off an adoption scam. a special hidden camera investigation tonight only on the cbs evening news. now back to "the early show". >> and now back over to chris, erica, and marysol. guys, good morning. >> good morning again. >> mary, here, of course -- >> it's like the sofa, and i get the cold shoulder. >> where to begin? >> not true. very happy to see you for a check of the weather today. mainly because i'm hoping you can tell me when spring will start because it ain't outside. >> winter has a grip --

senator, john warner and larry fortensky, a construction worker she met in rehab at the betty ford clinic. her own story from story book beginning, to tragedy. poor health. later, using her fame to sell perfume. she also used her influence to raise millions of dollars to fight against aids. >> i call on the u.s. government to lead the charge, with the sole intent of finding an hiv vaccine. >> reporter: she was given the oscar a third time for her humanitarian work. but for all of her accomplishments, elizabeth taylor will be remembered like this. ♪ film preserves an image. and it preserves elizabeth taylor as one of the last great movie stars. sharyn alfonsi, abc news. >>> oh those great black and white pictures. someone who knew elizabeth taylor well is our friend barbara walters. she joins us live from the set of "the view." thank you for sharing time with us, barbara. we knew she was in poor health. but the news takes everyone back so sad. barbara. >> the man that was close to her and helping to take care of her, was very devoted. expected her to become better. she was in the hospital