Born in Texas in 1934, this popular American television and film comedienne and singer became, in 1981, the first person to win a libel suit against the sleazy tabloid National Enquirer?

The legendary comedienne and variety show host, born in San Antonio in 1934, made legal history in addition to her celebrated entertainment career. In 1976, the National Enquirer printed a false and malicious gossip item claiming she had been loud and drunk in a Washington, D.C. restaurant, where she supposedly got into a boisterous argument with Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. The story was a complete fabrication.

The false report was deeply personal and hurtful to the star, as both of her parents had struggled with and ultimately died from alcoholism. She felt the tabloid's lie was a reckless attack on her integrity and disrespected her family's painful past. Refusing to let the story stand, she sued the publication for libel. In 1981, a California jury sided with her, finding that the Enquirer had acted with "reckless disregard for the truth."

The victory was a landmark event, marking the first time a celebrity had successfully won a libel judgment against the National Enquirer. While the initial $1.6 million award was later reduced on appeal, the verdict sent a powerful shockwave through the world of tabloid journalism. It established a significant precedent that publications could be held accountable for printing knowingly false and defamatory stories, proving that even Goliaths of the gossip industry were not above the law.