What Happened To CZ Guest & The Other “Swans” In Real Life After Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans

FX’s Feud: Capote vs. The Swans features the “Swans,” an exclusive socialite group of high society women living in New York City who had grievances against Truman Capote, and following the show’s conclusion, only three “Swans” remained in real life. The anthology series’ second season, created by Ryan Murphy, Jaffe Cohen, and Michael Zam, chronicles the infamous rivalry between Capote and the “Swans.” Capote was an acclaimed writer who penned novels such as Other Voices, Other Rooms and In Cold Blood, but “La Côte Basque 1965,” published in Esquire in 1975, is what drove the wedge between Capote and the “Swans.”

The “Swans” featured in the Feud: Capote vs. The Swans cast are Naomi Watts as Babe Paley, Diane Lane as Slim Keith, Chloë Sevigny as C. Z. Guest, Calista Flockhart as Lee Radziwill, and Demi Moore as Ann Woodward. “La Côte Basque 1965,” an excerpt from Capote’s unfinished book Answered Prayers, depicts scandals involving the “Swans.” While Capote used pseudonyms for the socialites, many of whom he considered friends, it was clear who the writer was referring to (especially since the “Swans” often frequented the restaurant La Côte Basque 1965). Consequently, the women were angry and vowed to get revenge.

3 C.Z. Guest

Lucy Douglas “C.Z.” Guest, played by Chloë Sevigny in Feud: Capote vs. The Swans on FX, was a socialite and fashion icon who married Winston Frederick Churchill Guest, a polo champion and member of the well-known British family, the Guests. However, before she rose to prominence as a high-society woman in New York City, Guest was the daughter of an investment banker who grew up as a debutante in Boston, Massachusetts. According to Town & Country, one of Guest’s siblings called her “Sissy” as a nickname, and that somehow became “C.Z.,” which was what she went by all her life.

Guest dabbled a bit in acting, but she ultimately wasn’t very successful in pursuing stardom as a full-time career. When she met Winston Frederick Churchill Guest, everything changed for the former debutante. The couple married at Ernest Hemmingway’s (who was also the best man) home in Havana, Cuba, and they had two children together. Guest became an established socialite in New York City and was known for being one of the best-dressed women in the city. She also started writing about gardening, one of her many passions.

Guest was a dear friend of Truman Capote’s, and even after the writer published “La Côte Basque 1965” in Esquire, she remained a loyal confidant. The New York socialite was rarely mentioned in the excerpt, which certainly helped Guest and Capote maintain their friendship. Capote even wrote the foreword of Guest’s first book, First Garden, in 1976. Following Capote’s death, as depicted in Feud: Capote vs. The Swans episode 7, Guest continued pursuing her passions, including fashion and gardening, and on November 8, 2003, the socialite died at the age of 83.

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2 Slim Keith

While C.Z. Guest found it easy to forgive Truman Capote following the publication of “La Côte Basque 1965,” the same could not be said for Slim Keith, played by Diane Lane in Feud: Capote vs. The Swans. Like many other “Swans,” Nancy “Slim” Keith was a socialite and fashion icon. Per TODAY, Keith had a troubled upbringing due to her parents’ constant fights and her eight-year-old brother’s tragic death. After her father left the family, Keith made a name for herself, and by the time she was 22, she had earned a spot on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar.

Keith was married three times throughout her life — to Howard Hawks from 1941 to 1949; Leland Hayward from 1949 to 1960; and to Kenneth Keith, Baron Keith of Castleacre, from 1962 to 1972. However, Keith had earned the socialite title in Hollywood before any of her marriages and was pursued by numerous notorious men. During her marriage to Hayward, Keith’s friend Babe Paley introduced her to Truman Capote, and the rest is history.

Keith and Capote grew close as they bonded over their similar traumatic childhoods. However, Keith was one of the “swans” Capote referenced and betrayed in “La Côte Basque 1965,” leading to the end of their friendship. Keith’s pseudonym in the chapter was Lady Ina Coolbirth, who served as the vehicle to reveal all the other high society women’s secrets. Sadly, Keith never forgave Capote, although he imagined her doing so during Feud: Capote vs. The Swans‘ ending. She lived a quiet life filled with traveling following his death on August 25, 1984. Ultimately, Keith died of lung cancer in 1990 at the age of 72.

1 Lee Radziwill

Lee Radziwill, played by Calista Flockhart in Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, lived the longest of all the “Swans” in real life. Caroline Lee Radziwill was born into high society in New York City, as her father was a stockbroker and her mother was a socialite. According to Town & Country, Radziwill was also the younger sister of Jackie Kennedy and sister-in-law of President John F. Kennedy. Growing up, Radziwill was thrust into the socialite life as a leading debutante, and she even tried to pursue an acting career to no avail.

Like Slim Keith, Radziwill was married three times over the course of her life — to Michael Temple Canfield from 1953 to 1958; Prince Stanisław Albrecht Radziwill from 1959 to 1974, with whom she had two children; and to Herbert Ross from 1988 to 2001. Radziwill met Truman Capote in 1962 while she was with her second husband, and the two became quick friends. However, like many of the other “Swans,” Radziwill and Capote had a falling out after Esquire published “La Côte Basque 1965” in 1975.

Capote referenced Radziwill and her sister in the standalone chapter, but she stuck by her friend’s side (at first). However, that quickly changed and she joined her fellow “Swans” in disapproval of Capote. Radziwill had often confided in Capote and spoke about her feelings of jealousy towards Jackie, and the writer betrayed the trust that Radziwill thought existed between them. She never forgave him, and Radziwill died on February 15, 2019, at the age of 85. Feud: Capote vs. The Swans changes the true story slightly by moving Radziwill’s death up by three years.

Feud

Feud is a documentary drama anthology series created for FX based on famous feuds throughout celebrity history. Packed with an ensemble cast, each season of Feud follows a new celebrity, with season one covering Bette Davis and Joan Crawford and the second season centering on Truman Capote.

Cast

Jessica Lange , Susan Sarandon , Judy Davis , Jackie Hoffman , Alfred Molina , Stanley Tucci , alison wright , Naomi Watts , Diane Lane , Chloe Sevigny , Calista Flockhart , Demi Moore , Molly Ringwald , Treat Williams , Joe Mantello , Russell Tovey , Tom Hollander

Release Date

March 5, 2017

Seasons

2

Creator(s)

Ryan Murphy , Jaffe Cohen , Michael Zam , Jon Robin Baitz

Sources: Town & Country, TODAY