FX's Feud: Capote vs. The Swans continues to release its episodes. In the third episode, we follow the events of the Swans preparing for Capote's Black and White Ball, as well as CZ Guest and her IRS trouble. Was she really audited by the IRS? Here's what we know.
Who Was CZ Guest?
Before finding out whether or not she was audited by the IRS, let's talk about who CZ Guest was.
Lucy Douglas Cochrane (played by Chloë Sevigny) was a Boston native who went by the name CZ Guest. Her nickname, CZ, was a play on the nickname her siblings called her "Sissy."
She was described as one of the most high-profile socialites from Boston. After her 1937 debut, Guest pursued acting. This led her to star in the revival of Ziegfeld Follies.
Unfortunately, her acting career was short-lived.
She married Winston Churchill's second cousin, Winston Frederick Churchill Guest, in 1947. Ernest Hemingway was the best man at their wedding.
Guest graced the cover of Time magazine in 1962 with the headline "What It's Like Today in Society." The magazine revealed that Grace lived on a 150-acre property in Long Island. She also had a Manhattan apartment on Sutton Place.
She was even painted by Diego Rivera and Salvador Dali.
Although she loved riding, an accident left her injured. This led her to venture into gardening and even start writing a column on this topic. Her advice was followed by her loyal readers.
This led her to publish a book in 1976 called First Garden, in which the introduction was written by Truman Capote. Guest was one of the swans that continued to speak to Capote after his exposé.
Was CZ Guest Really Audited by the IRS?
In the third episode of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, we see CZ Guest disheveled when the IRS suddenly appears at her front door. It turns out that they were ready to audit her.
When this happened, Guest called Capote for emotional support. He comes over with his calming words and a malt whiskey to ease her.
This leads her to do an interview with the Maysles, where she shares that Capote chose her to be the Guest of Honor at his Black and White Ball as a way of making it up to her.
What Guest doesn't realize, however, is that Capote had also promised this to two other Swans.
Did Capote Keep His Promise to CZ?
On November 28, 1966, Capote's Black and White Ball was celebrated. The "little masked ball" had a total number of 540 guests who attended the private event.
Although the party was attended by Capote's closest friends, it was considered the largest private party ever. The event was held at New York City's Plaza Hotel.
Prior to the big event, the Swans were anxiously preparing for the party as several of them were under the guise that Capote chose them as his Guest of Honor.
So when Capote announced that his Guest of Honor was Katharine Graham, the newly appointed publisher of the Washington Post, it came as a huge shock to the Swans.
To mask her defeat, the Swans come up with some excuse for the announcement. Guest says that she knew Graham would be the Guest of Honor all along.
Meanwhile, Slim Keith (played by Diane Lane) said that she didn't want the recognition. Babe Paley (played by Naomi Watts) said she was never being considered for the title.
As for Graham, she explained that she "felt a little bit that Truman was going to give the ball anyway and that I was part of the props. Perhaps “prop” is unfair, but I felt that he needed a Guest of Honor and with a lot of imagination he figured out me."
Graham held the position as the publisher of The Washington Post until 1991. She was the first woman elected to the board of the Associated Press and also the first 20th-century female publisher of a major newspaper.
While we may never know what truly happened at the party and whether Capote promised the Guest of Honor title to the Swans, we can confirm that they attended the momentous event.
Follow our Facebook page for more news coverage and other explainer articles.
RELATED: When Does Feud: Capote vs the Swans Episode 3 Come Out?
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!