J. Randy Taraborrelli
American journalist and celebrity biographer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Randall Anthony Taraborrelli is an American journalist and celebrity biographer. Prior to his book-writing career, he was a magazine journalist and editor-in-chief of Soul magazine, the black entertainment title. Taraborrelli is known for biographies of contemporary entertainers and political figures such as Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross,[1] Marilyn Monroe,[2] Michael Jackson,[3] Madonna,[4] the Kennedy family,[5] the Hilton family,[6] and Beyoncé.[7] He also regularly appears on television as an entertainment news reporter on programs such as Entertainment Tonight, Good Morning America, Today and CBS This Morning.[8] Taraborrelli lives in California.[9]
J. Randy Taraborrelli | |
|---|---|
| Born | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Known for | Biographies, news reporting, journalism |
| Notable work | Jackie - Public, Private, Secret, Jackie, Janet & Lee |
| Website | jrandytaraborrelli |
Writing style
In a 2015 interview with Gawker, Taraborrelli described his evolution as a writer:
I think as you get older as a writer, your standards change. When I was a kid, my standard was very simple: If it was true, I put it in my book. That was it. There was no wiggle room to that. I’ve been through enough in my lifetime to realize there has to be more of a standard in biography than just the truth. There has to be an eye toward empathy. There has to be an eye toward understanding interpretation. There’s a lot of nuance that goes into a biography that is bigger than whether or not something is true. When I was a kid, it was a simpler time. Today, I weigh everything on a moral compass. It has to do with: Is it fair? Is it hurtful? Is it going to cause people pain? That’s a big part of my process today that when I was a kid, I never considered.[10]
Taraborrelli's book, Jackie - Public, Private, Secret, debuted at #3 on The New York Times Best Seller list on August 6, 2023.[11] The follow up, JFK: Public, Private, Secret, debuted at #4 on the New York Times Best Seller list on August 10, 2025.[12]
Reviews
Kirkus Reviews found Cher – A Biography to be "a fun read, and even moving".[13] The Observer reviewed Diana Ross – A Biography as "fawning" and while acknowledging the comprehensiveness of the book, regretted that the writer held back unfavorable information about the subject because he was a personal fan.[14] It said The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe was written by "an indefatigable gossip hound" and criticized his vocabulary.[15] The Gay & Lesbian Review said that Michael Jackson – The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story was a "comprehensive and even-handed biography".[16] The New York Times called Jackie, Janet & Lee "deliciously readable".[17]
Bibliography
- Diana: A Celebration of the Life and Career of Diana Ross (1985)
- Cher – A Biography (1986; updated in 1992)
- Motown: Hot Wax, City Cool and Solid Gold (1986; updated in 1988)
- Laughing Till It Hurts – The Complete Life and Career of Carol Burnett (1988)
- Call Her Miss Ross (1989; updated in 2007 as Diana Ross – A Biography)
- Michael Jackson – The Magic and the Madness (1991; updated in 2003 and 2004. In 2009, the book was updated as Michael Jackson – The Magic, the Madness, the Whole Story)
- Sinatra – Behind the Legend (1997; updated in 1998 and 2015)
- Jackie, Ethel and Joan: Women of Camelot (2000)
- Madonna: An Intimate Biography (2001; updated in 2002, 2007 and 2018)
- Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairytale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier (2003)
- Elizabeth (2006)
- The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe (2009)
- Michael Jackson - The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story (2009)
- After Camelot: A Personal History of the Kennedy Family - 1968 to Present (2012)
- The Hiltons: The True Story of an American Dynasty (2014)
- Sinatra - Behind The Legend (rewritten and updated) (2015)
- Becoming Beyoncé - The Untold Story (2015)
- Jackie, Janet & Lee: The Secret Lives of Janet Auchincloss and Her Daughters, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill (2018)
- Madonna: An Intimate Biography of an Icon at Sixty (updated) (2018)
- The Kennedy Heirs: John, Caroline, and the New Generation - A Legacy of Triumph and Tragedy (2019)
- Grace & Steel: Dorothy, Barbara, Laura, and the Women of the Bush Dynasty (2021)
- Jackie: Public, Private, Secret (2023)[18]
- JFK: Public, Private, Secret (2025)[19]