Arts & Entertainment
Gloria Vanderbilt dies at 95
The socialite was known for tabloid scandal and fashion empire

Gloria Vanderbilt. (Photo via Wikimedia Commons)
Actress, fashion designer and socialite Gloria Vanderbilt died at her home on Monday after a battle with stomach cancer. She was 95.
Her son, CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper, confirmed the news to CNN.
“Gloria Vanderbilt was an extraordinary woman, who loved life, and lived it on her own terms,” Cooper said in a statement to CNN. “She was a painter, a writer, and designer but also a remarkable mother, wife, and friend. She was 95 years old, but ask anyone close to her, and they’d tell you, she was the youngest person they knew, the coolest, and most modern. She died this morning, the way she wanted to – at home, surrounded by family and friends.”
Vanderbilt was born on Feb. 20, 1924 as the only child to Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt, the grandson of railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt. When he was 45, Reginald died of cirrhosis of the liver leaving his 18-month-old daughter to be raised by her mother. Vanderbilt and her half-sister Cathleen Vanderbilt each inherited half of a $5 million inheritance.
Gloria Morgan was known to frivolously spend her daughter’s inheritance partying with her identical twin sister Thelma Morgan by her side. When Vanderbilt was 10 years old, her paternal aunt Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney stepped in to fight for custody of her niece. What followed was dubbed “the Trial of the Century” and Vanderbilt became the country’s “poor little rich girl.” The custody battle was tabloid fodder for months in 1934.
Whitney won the court case and Vanderbilt was sent to live on her aunt’s Long Island, N.Y. estate. Gloria Morgan received limited visitation rights.
In 1982, an NBC mini-series, titled “Little Gloria… Happy at Last,” aired based on the famous trial. It was nominated for six Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.
At age 17, Vanderbilt moved to Hollywood to pursue acting. She married agent and alleged mobster Pat DiCicco in 1941. The couple divorced in 1945.
The same year she married conductor Leopold Stokowski. The couple had two children, Leopold Stanislaus “Stan” Stokowski, 68, and Christopher Stokowski, 66. Vanderbilt and Stokowski divorced in 1955.
In 1956, she married director Sidney Lumet but the couple divorced in 1963.
Vanderbilt married author Wyatt Emory Cooper in 1963. They had two children, Anderson, 52, and Carter. The couple remained married until Cooper’s death in 1978 from open heart surgery. Tragedy struck again when Carter committed suicide at the age of 23.
In between marriages she also had relationships with author Roald Dahl, filmmakers Howard Hughs and Gordon Parks, singer Frank Sinatra and actor Marlon Brando.
Vanderbilt spearheaded the movement of turning tight jeans into a women’s fashion staple in the 1970s. She partnered with Indian designer Mohan Murjani’s Murjani Corporation to create jeans known for having her signature and swan logo embroidered on the back. She would go on to release a line of perfume and home goods with her name.
In 2001 she opened up her first art exhibit which was considered a critical success.
Vanderbilt was also a bestselling author for her 2016 book “The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Loss and Love,” which she co-wrote with Anderson. She and Anderson also appeared together in the 2016 HBO documentary, “Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt and Anderson Cooper.”
Anderson paid tribute to his mother with a special obituary that aired on CNN.
Watch @AndersonCooper‘s obituary for his mother Gloria Vanderbilt. “What an extraordinary life. What an extraordinary mom. And what an incredible woman.” pic.twitter.com/YXz66LOr7W
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 17, 2019
Friday, March 27
Center Aging Monthly Luncheon With Yoga will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Dupont Italian Kitchen. This is a chance to relax, make new friends, and enjoy happy hour specials at this classic retro venue. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Trans and Genderqueer Game Night will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a relaxing, laid-back evening of games and fun. All are welcome and there’ll be card and board games on hand. Feel free to bring your own games to share. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email [email protected].
Saturday, March 28
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Sunday Supper on Saturday” at 2 p.m. It’s more than just an event; it’s an opportunity to step away from the busyness of life and invest in something meaningful, and enjoy delicious food, genuine laughter, and conversations that spark connection and inspiration. For more details, visit the Center’s website.
Black Lesbian Support Group will be at 1 p.m. on Zoom. This is a peer-led support group devoted to the joys and challenges of being a Black Lesbian. For more details, email [email protected].
Monday, March 30
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
“Tea Time! A Local DC Drag Comedy Show” will be at 3 p.m. at Spark Social. This is a live drag comedy show where drag legends TrevHER & Tiara Missou Sidora host spill all the tea in the DMV. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Tuesday, March 31
Visibili-TEA Party will be at 6 p.m. at Restoration Station. Guests are encouraged to come sip, celebrate, and shine together. This event is a Trans Day of Visibility celebration and a special collaboration between Auntie’s Home and Damien Ministries. This is a boozy tea party with intention and the dress code reflects the vibe. More details are available on Eventbrite.
Wednesday, March 1
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Thursday, April 2
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Unconventional Diner will host “Cherry Blossom Drag Bingo Party” on Friday, April 3, at 6:30 p.m.
Guests will be treated to an unforgettable night of drag performances, bingo, food and drink and prizes. Highlights of the evening include themed cocktails, drag performances and bingo prizes.
Tickets can be secured via Resy.
Sports
New IOC policy bans trans women from Olympics
New regulation to be in effect at 2028 summer games in Los Angeles
The International Olympic Committee on Thursday announced it will not allow transgender women from competing in female events at the Olympics.
“For all disciplines on the Sports Program of an IOC event, including individual and team sports, eligibility for any Female Category is limited to biological females,” reads the new policy.
The policy states “eligibility for the Female Category is to be determined in the first instance by SRY Gene screening to detect the absence or presence of the SRY Gene.”
“On the basis of the scientific evidence, the IOC considers that the SRY (sex-determining Region Y) Gene is fixed throughout life and represents highly accurate evidence that an athlete has experienced or will experience male sex development,” it reads. “Furthermore, the IOC considers that SRY Gene screening via saliva, cheek swab or blood sample is unintrusive compared to other possible methods. Athletes who screen negative for the SRY gene permanently satisfy this policy’s eligibility criteria for competition in the Female Category.”
The policy states the test “will be a once-in-a-lifetime test” unless “there is reason to believe a negative reading is in error.”
The new regulation will be in place for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I understand that this a very sensitive topic,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry on Thursday in a video. “As a former athlete, I passionately believe in the rights of all Olympians to take part in fair competition.”
“The policy that we have announced is based on science and it has been led by medical experts with the best interests of athletes at its heart. The scientific evidence is very clear: male chromosomes give performance advances in sport that rely on strength, power, or endurance,” she added. “At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat. So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category. In addition, in some sports it would simply not be safe.”
(Video courtesy of the IOC)
Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand, in 2021 became the first trans woman to compete at the Olympics.
Imane Khelif, an Algerian boxer, won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Khelif later sued JK Rowling and Elon Musk for cyberstalking after they questioned her gender identity.
Ellis Lundholm, a mogul skier from Sweden, this year became the first openly trans athlete to compete in any Winter Olympics when he participated in Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy.
President Donald Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order that bans trans women and girls from female sports teams in the U.S.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee last July banned trans women from competing in female sporting events. Republican lawmakers have demanded the IOC ban trans athletes from women’s athletic competitions.
“I’m grateful the Olympics finally embraced the common sense policy that women’s sports are for women, not for men,” said U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on X.
An IOC spokesperson on Thursday referred the Washington Blade to the press release that announced the new policy.
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