Clare Boothe Luce, Who Commissioned a Portrait of Dorothy Donovan Hale, said She Received the Only Note Left by Dorothy Before Her Alleged Suicide—or Did She? Myth Number Three: The Suicide Note (Part Two)

Clare Boothe Luce

Clare Boothe Luce gave an exclusive interview about Dorothy Hale and the painting entitled ‘The Suicide of Dorothy Hale’ to renowned Frida Kahlo scholar and author, Hayden Herrera. Mrs. Luce said, “The only message she {Dorothy} had left in the apartment was a note addressed to me. She thanked me for my friendship and asked me to see that her mother, who lived in upstate New York was notified so that arrangements could be made to have her buried in the family plot.”

As discussed in “Myth Two: The Suicide Note (Part One),” Dorothy’s mother died when Dorothy was just sixteen years old.

Several Inconsistencies in Clare Boothe Luce’s Account of Dorothy’s Family

In addition to Dorothy’s mother being dead at the time of her daughter’s death, Mrs. Luce said her mother lived in upstate New York. Dorothy’s family never lived in upstate New York. They were from Pennsylvania.

Quotes and Passages from “Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo” by Hayden Herrera

Myra Bairstow
info@dorothyhale.com