Originally published on 9/6/25

Everyone knows Truman Capote thanks to his bestselling novels Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1958) and In Cold Blood (1965). But, there is another thing the author made headlines for back in the 1950s and 1960s: his relationship with a group of women he called his “Swans.” We look into who they are and why they stopped speaking to the late writer below! 

Who were Truman Capote’s Swans? 

Capote’s Swans were a group of women who hung out with him and each other. They never dated him—since he was openly gay—but they did make a huge impact on him as a person and an author. 

Babe Paley

Babe Paley, born in 1915, was an American socialite and editor best known for her style, especially her ability to mix costume jewelry with high-end pieces. She was also the first to popularize tying a scarf around a purse for extra flair. She was married twice—first to Stanley G. Mortimer Jr (1940 to 1946) and then William S. Paley (1947 to 1978)—and had three children. She met Capote through a group of mutual friends and was believed to have been the closest to him out of anybody. 

She died in 1978 from lung cancer at age 63, and a lot of people believe that Capote’s betrayal was one of the reasons her health declined so quickly. 

Lee Radziwill

Like Paley, Lee Radziwill was an American socialite, perhaps best known for being Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s younger sister. There is not a lot of information on how she met Capote, but she was one of the few women who defended him after “La Côte Basque”—the Capote article that ruined a lot of the Swans’ lives (more on that below)—in 1965. 

Radziwill was married three times throughout her life and had two kids. She died in 2019 at age 85. 

Slim Keith

Born in 1917, Nancy “Slim” Keith was someone who wasn’t shy about wanting to make her way to the top of the social ladder. To do this, she made sure to dress as trendy as she could, and got married three times, the third of which earned her the title of Lady Keith of Castleacre. 

She and Capote were close, and reportedly bonded over their less-than-fair childhoods, but after he exposed her affair with Paley’s husband in “La Côte Basque”, she cut ties with him. 

Keith died in 1990 at age 72. That was the same year she released her memoir, Slim. 

C. Z. Guest

Lucy Douglas “C.Z.” Guest was an actress, author, fashion designer and socialite born in 1920. She was married once, had three kids and was one of the few people who spoke to Capote after the article. 

“My mother was very disciplined, and so I was very lucky to have that, and she instilled that in me,” C. Z’s daughter Cornelia told Woman’s World in March. “So, I think that to be disciplined and to have passions in life can get you through anything.” 

C. Z, died in 2003 at age 83. 

Ann Woodward

Ann Woodward was a radio actress born in 1915. During the height of her career, she was considered one of the most beautiful girls in radio, and even married Hanover National Bank fortune heir William Woodward Jr. in 1943.

William was then shot and killed in 1955, with several people believing Ann killed him, but this was never proven. Following that, she faced a lot of depression spells, and eventually ended her own life in 1975, a month before “La Côte Basque” was published. 

Gloria Guinness

Originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, Gloria Guinness was a socialite, wife and mother who became a household name as a contributing editor to Harper’s Bazaar from 1963 to 1971. Like a lot of the other Swans, she was very fashionable and was often photographed on the street. 

Guinness died from a heart attack in 1980. She was 68. 

Marella Agnelli

Born in Italy in 1927, Marella Agnelli was an art collector, socialite and fashionista. She was also heavily featured in Vogue magazine and was put on the International Best Dressed Hall of Fame List in 1963. 

Agnelli was married once to Gianni Agnelli from 1952 until he died in 2003. They had two children together. She died in 2019 at age 91. 

Pamela Harriman

Born in 1920, Pamela Harriman was a socialite and a United States Ambassador to France before her death in 1997. She was married three times, had one child and is one of the least talked about Swans. 

Harriman died in 1997 at age 76 from a cerebral hemorrhage. 

Why did Truman Capote’s Swans turn against him? 

In November 1975, Capote published a 47-page article, “La Cote Basque, 1965” in Esquire magazine. It was supposed to be the introduction to his newest book, Answered Prayers, but after all the backlash it received, the novel was scrapped. 

This all happened because Capote had based all of the characters in the story on his Swans. Sure, he changed the names, but inside, several notable callouts were to the ladies listed above. The author also revealed several secrets about his Swans—like Keith’s affair with Paley’s husband—causing them all to freak out and cut him off. 

Capote died in 1984 from liver failure. He was 59. 

Wanting to learn more about Truman Capote’s Swans? We recommend watching Season 2 of Ryan Murphy’s Feud, which is available to stream on Hulu.

Link to original: https://www.womansworld.com/entertainment/celebrities/truman-capotes-swans-a-look-at-the-authors-friends-and-feuds