Why did Truman Capote want to be cremated? Considering that Feud: Capote vs the Swans' finale highlighted the renowned writer's ashes getting auctioned off, why did he prefer to be cremated? Here's what we know.
Why Truman Was Cremated Explained
Before we get into why his ashes were sold at auction after he died, here's why he preferred to be cremated. The word came when Joanne Carson, aka one of Truman's longtime close friends, decided to have her friend's ashes sold.
"I met Joanne Carson in her home when she was alive," Julien's Auctions' executive director and co-founder Martin Nolan previously shared on Variety.
Nolan added: "When she passed away, she chose Julien's to handle her estate auction, which included her portion of Truman Capote's ashes in a Japanese wooden, hand-carved container in 2016."
Carson "made sure his ashes would go to a new home" rather than be thrown out or discarded. That is until she died in 2015.
She used to carry Truman's ashes around, which seemingly brought Carson great comfort, as Nolan described.
According to Nolan, one of Truman's last requests to Carson was: "Don't put me on a shelf. I want to go on an adventure," which explains why being put in a box to be commemorated would bring his remains to various other places, still.
Now, for that matter, what happened to Truman Capote's ashes? Where are they now?
READ MORE: Did Jack Dunphy Forgive Truman Capote in Feud: Capote vs the Swans Finale?
Where Truman Capote's Ashes Are Now
In 2016, Truman Capote's ashes were auctioned off at Julien's Auctions and sold to an anonymous bidder for $44,000, making him the first human ashes to be auctioned.
"We've sold unusual things," Nolan shared on Variety, "Like William Shatner's kidney stone because at Julien's we leave no stone unturned."
Apart from Truman's ashes, most of his items and house were also sold on the day he died.
"With some celebrities, this wouldn't be tasteful, but I know 100% [Truman Capote] would love it," Darren Julien, president of Julien's Auctions, previously told the Guardian.
In the same interview, Julien added that they believe Truman would have "loved to read his name in the paper" and that "he's still grabbing headlines today."
All episodes of Feud: Capote vs the Swans are available to stream on Hulu.
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