‘Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans’: What’s Fact & What’s Fiction in the FX Series?
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans, Episodes 1 -7.]
When it comes to Ryan Murphy‘s TV world, not everything stays strict to the script of reality, but can that be said of the latest chapter of Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans?
The series tracks Truman Capote’s (Tom Hollander) friendship, and ultimate falling-out, with his “Swans,” the women of New York City’s high society, which included Baby Paley (Naomi Watts), Slim Keith (Diane Lane), C.Z. Guest (Chloë Sevigny), and Lee Radziwill (Calista Flockhart). After using their most salacious secrets in his own writing, it draws a metaphorical line in the sand between the iconic American writer and his former confidantes.
Below, we’re breaking down the story beats you may have questions about and exploring how close to reality they are. Scroll down for a closer look and share your thoughts and questions in the comments section.
Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans, Wednesdays, 10/9c, FX (Next day on Hulu)
Did That Bloody Affair Happen?
In the premiere episode, Bill Paley (Treat Williams) has a fling with a woman named “Happy” Rockefeller (Rebecca Creskoff), but instead of being able to hide the infidelity, he’s left to explain his actions as Happy left menstrual blood stains all over the place. Unaware of what happened until the lights come up, it’s quite a scene to behold, but it’s uncertain if it’s entirely true. A known womanizer, William S. Paley was known to have affairs in real life, but this particular story is plucked from the excerpts of Capote’s Answered Prayers, which could have a storyteller embellishment. Still, it’s an anecdote that existed in Capote’s portfolio. So for now, we’ll accept this aspect of the show as partly, if not mostly, true.
Was Babe's Face Reconstructed After an Accident?
Capote calls Babe perfect and reflects on that also being her biggest flaw. Despite her “perfection,” Babe supposedly had her face reconstructed after a bad accident. This is, in fact, true: In 1934, a car wreck left her face mostly damaged, forcing the socialite to undergo cosmetic surgery to fix it.
Did Ann Woodward Kill Her Husband?
As viewers see in the first episode of the season, Truman attends a party with the Paleys where he tells the story of Ann Woodward’s (Demi Moore) husband and suggests that she murdered him in cold blood. In reality, William Woodward was shot to death by his wife, who mistook him for a burglar. While many of the story beats Truman hits in the dinner sequence are fairly similar to reality, it’s all presumptuous to suggest Ann wanted to kill her husband. She faced no indictment for the shooting, and although this could be the result of money metaphorically talking, a man named Paul Wirths later came forward to say he’d attempted to break into the Woodwards’ house on the night of the shooting, essentially corroborating Ann’s version of events. Still, Capote’s coverage of the scandalous death in his Answered Prayers excerpts piled onto the crushing weight Woodward felt as a result, leading her to commit suicide by ingesting cyanide.
Did Babe Paley Have Cancer?
In the show, following Capote’s betrayal, viewers are clued into the fact that Babe Paley is sick. In real life, she was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1974, due to her penchant for smoking. That element is brought into the show as Babe is rarely seen without a cigarette nearby.
What Kind of Relationship Did Truman Have With John O'Shea?
John O’Shea (played by Russell Tovey) meets Capote in a bathhouse in the premiere episode, and he invites him into his world. But what was the nature of their relationship? According to Wikipedia’s page on the writer, O’Shea was a banker from Long Island who met Capote in a bathhouse. While he didn’t identify as gay or bisexual, they did have a sexual relationship. Ultimately, O’Shea was employed as Capote’s manager. But as The Washington Post describes it, Capote and O’Shea’s relationship was “long and punishing,” hinting at the abusive nature of their connection, which seems fairly accurate to the volatile nature of their bond onscreen.
Was Truman Capote's Black-and-White Ball Real?
Truman Capote’s big soiree depicted in Episode 3 did happen in real life. While every detail shown or dramatized onscreen isn’t necessarily accurate, the overall theatrics of it were. Taking place November 28, 1966, in the Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel, Truman’s Ball was attended by the upper echelon of New York City’s high society, including Princess Lee Radziwill who is played by Calista Flockhart in the series.
Did Slim Keith Have an Affair With Bill Paley?
In Episode 4, it’s implied that Slim Keith and Bill Paley have been having an affair for some time and that Babe is even aware of it. This narrative choice wasn’t exactly based on fact though as there’s no proven record of Slim and Bill ever being romantically linked.
Were James Baldwin & Truman Capote Friends?
In the fifth episode, Truman spends the day with fellow writer James Baldwin (Chris Chalk) and there’s even a romantic tinge to their meeting as the pair even share a kiss, but were they really friends? Not exactly. The writers knew of each other, but as the episode reveals, their interactions are born from a dream.
Was Kerry O'Shea Close With Capote?
Capote takes John’s daughter Kerry O’Shea (Ella Beatty) under his wing in the sixth episode, helping open the door to various career opportunities, but were they really that close in real life? It turns out they were as the writer served as a stepfather figure in her life. Changing her name to Kate Harrington, she went on to become a designer working on films like The Thomas Crown Affair. She was previously married to filmmaker John McTiernan.
Did Truman Make a Drunken Talk Show Appearance?
The talk show segment from Episode 7 is almost an exact replication of Truman’s appearance on The Stanley Siegel Show in 1978 where he drunkenly discussed his alcoholism and other struggles along with his famous friends and Answered Prayers. You can see some snippets from the real-life interview here.
Were Capote's Ashes Really Sold at Auction?
At the end of the season, following Truman’s death, his ashes are seen being sold at an auction in 2016. In reality, this did happen, but at the time of his death, Truman’s cremated remains were split between Jack Dunphy (Joe Mantello) and Joanne Carson (Molly Ringwald). The portion that went up for auction in 2016 previously belonged to Joanne.
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