Elizabeth Taylor's 'Secret' Activism Tribute

'Secret' Activism Tribute For Elizabeth Taylor

It was no secret that Elizabeth Taylor's giving nature would live on.

Taylor's son, Christopher, tried to keep Sunday's ”Worldwide Tribute To Elizabeth Taylor” event hush-hush. But, word of the soiree that will honor Taylor's work, and her trust foundation, has gotten out, Deadline.com reports.

The invitation-only party, which is not open to press, will be held at the Steven J. Ross Theatre for friends, colleagues and co-stars, the website reports. Considering that the iconic star has singlehandedly raised millions of dollars for HIV/AIDS research and sufferers, it's not surprising that a tribute to one of Hollywood's earliest AIDS activists couldn't be kept under wraps.

"People were telling me not to get involved, I got death threats, I got angrier and angrier," Taylor said in 2000, according to CNN. "So I put myself out there."

In the 80s, Taylor was one of the first big names to throw her support behind the AIDS Project Los Angeles, according to CNN. After her close friend and co-star, actor Rock Hudson, died from the disease in 1985, Taylor helped form the American Foundation for AIDS Research. In 1991, The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation was born. The nonprofit offers services to people living with AIDS and funding to AIDS organizations, the news outlet reports.

"We will always be inspired by her enduring contribution to our world," Taylor's son, Michael, said in his memorial, according to ABCnews.com. "Her remarkable body of work in film, her ongoing success as a businesswoman, and her brave and relentless advocacy in the fight against HIV/AIDS, all make us all incredibly proud of what she accomplished."

Elizabeth Taylor died on March 23 at age 79.

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