Tim Mendelson who was the longtime executive assistant to legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor and is currently a trustee and officer of The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ about Taylor's legacy. Tim worked fulltime for Taylor from the early 1990s until her death in 2011 beginning as a freelance production assistant in 1984 but after assisting with Taylor's "White Diamonds" perfume tour in 1991 she hired him as her secretary. He eventually became her executive assistant and worked with her closely on her charitable endeavors including her fight against AIDS. Mendelson and Taylor developed a close and trusting relationship over their decades together. As a trustee of her estate and The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation he continues Taylor's humanitarian work. Tim personally witnessed Elizabeth’s passionate drive to help people affected by HIV/AIDS with an immediacy that she felt was crucial for this fight. Currently Tim remains dedicated to keeping Elizabeth’s voice and spirit pre-eminent in HIV/AIDS activism for the purpose of ensuring it is at the forefront of current actions concerning this global pandemic. Mendelson has appeared in documentaries related to Elizabeth Taylor including the fabulous film “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes” (2024) on MAX. Now with thousands of Gen Z and Gen Alpha fans newly discovering Elizabeth through Taylor Swift’s new album it’s a perfect time to highlight what this fierce ally brought to our LGBTQ community through her lifetime. We talked to Tim about what he would like to accomplish with Elizabeth Taylor’s legacy and his spin on our LGBTQ issues.
Elizabeth Taylor co-founded The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) in 1985 and regularly lobbied President Ronald Reagan and Congress to address the epidemic. She established The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) in 1991 to provide direct care along with love and moral support to the most vulnerable patients. Today ETAF carries forward Elizabeth’s mission with heart and hope until the end of HIV/AIDS. Tim Mendelson worked as Elizabeth’s executive assistant for over 20 years and currently serves as Co-Trustee of her estate per her request. He personally witnessed Elizabeth’s passionate drive to help people affected by HIV/AIDS and remains dedicated to keeping Elizabeth’s voice and spirit pre-eminent in HIV/AIDS activism.
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