Candy Spelling - Candy at Last

Candy at last

CANDY SPELLING

CANDY SPELLING

WILEY

Turner Publishing Company / Wiley General Trade

424 Church Street Suite 2240 Nashville, Tennessee 37219

445 Park Avenue 9th Floor New York, New York 10022

www.turnerpublishing.com

Candy at Last

Copyright 2014 Candy Spelling. All rights reserved. This book or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Cover design: Maxwell Roth

Book design: Lissa Auciello-Brogan

Cover photo: John Russo

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Spelling, Candy.

Candy at last : a memoir / Candy Spelling.

pages cm

ISBN 978-1-118-40950-3 (hardcover) -- ISBN 978-1-63026-072-9 (ebook)

1. Spelling, Candy. 2. Spelling, Candy--Marriage. 3. Spelling, Aaron. 4. Spelling, Candy--Family. 5. Mothers and daughters--United States. 6. Television producers and directors spouses--United States--Biography. 7. Businesswomen--United States--Biography. 8. Women television personalities--United States--Biography. 9. Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.)--Social life and customs. 10. Los Angeles (Calif.)--Social life and customs. I. Spelling, Candy. Stories from Candyland. II. Title.

PN1992.4.S645A3 2014

791.430232092--dc23

[B]

2014008604ISBN

(hardcover) 978-1-11840-950-3, ISBN (e-book) 978-1-63026-072-9

Printed in the United States of America

14 15 16 17 18 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

FOREVER AARON

who is the heart and soul of who I am today

We were sitting in the living room of Candy Spellings famous (actually, legendary) home in Beverly Hills. We had always wanted to get a tour of the house ever since we met Aaron and Candy at a dinner party at the home of Marvin and Barbara Davis while we were on the Oscar circuit of dinners in 2002 for our movie Chicago. But time passed; Aaron was no longer with us. But one day we got a call from Candyout of the blueasking if wed come over one afternoon for coffee.

We knew quite a bit about Candy from all the many stories of her philanthropy, her generosity of spirit, and her beloved, sparkling wit and charm. But nothing prepared us for that wonderful afternoon at the Manor (second to no place on earth other than the Dynasty Mansion or Downton Abbey).

We arrived and we were excited to be guided through the long-awaited tour. Afterward (back in the living room) we reminisced about Aaron and his staggering accomplishments, and we, first and foremost, witnessed a vital and energetic woman who was ready to begin the next chapter of her life. But what could that possibly be?

We perceived that Candy had learned much from Aarons business smarts, but she also knew a lot about the life and world of a producer.

Although we arrived with no agenda, we suddenly blurted out: Have you ever thought of becoming a Broadway producer?

She seemed surprised. Kind of shocked. But instantly intrigued.

Not long afterward, after many other meetings and phone calls, Candy found herself listed up there with the other co-producers of our two upcoming productions: Promises, Promises starring Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying starring Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette, two Tony-winning hits. (She subsequently continued her Broadway producing without us, helping mount Nice Work If You Can Get It and After Midnight.)

We learned a lot about Candy during our New York adventures. She was a born producer. Great instincts. A sense of fearlessness. Amazing taste. And a keen understanding of marketing, publicity, and merchandising. She was savvy and had a laser-beam ability to find problems and solve them. We were so grateful to have her on our team.

But we also got to know Candy the person. Warm, kind, and damn funny. Her wit kept us laughingand on our toes. You couldnt hope for a greater friend. Or partner.

We got to know Candy Spelling 2.0. And we feel so fortunate to have her in our lives.

And whether it was from keen observation or pure osmosis from her earlier years, we launched a new producer. Aaron would have been so proud.

As proud of her as we are today.

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron

Ive lived my life in three different stages. There were my formative years, growing up with my family. Then I was an ingnue who dated and later married the hardest-working television writer in Hollywood. Aarons world of famous faces and sophistication was an intimidating milieu, especially for a shy young woman who was raised to speak only when spoken to. Fortunately for me, my new husbands talents at the typewriter were matched by his kindness and generous spirit. With his loving support, I was able to overcome these emotional obstacles and fill the shoes his immense success laid out for me.

Despite having a very public profile, our family life was very private. Aaron and I didnt go out at night. We werent seen anywhere cool. We did things like take the kids to Swensons Ice Cream Parlor. We also liked to have our closest friends over for movie night in our home. In fact, it was only about seven years ago that I went to my first concert to see Madonna.

Until recently, I never spoke publicly or gave any interviews. I suppose this is why it has been so easy for me to be characterized as the cunning Alexis Carrington. The truth is, I am more like Blakes dutiful wife, Krystle Carrington, but lets face itshe wasnt very exciting.

For almost four decades, my job was to create the stable home life Aaron needed so he could be out there in the Hollywood trenches. When he became ill, we had a complete role reversal. I had to step up and take over. Protecting Aaron from scrutiny and preserving his reputation became my number-one priority.

When Aaron died, I not only lost my partner in life. I was also suddenly missing the force of nature who had defined me and our family. For the first time in thirty-eight years, I had to learn to function in the big, scary world on my own. There were new challenges every day and I was definitely out of my comfort zone.

When I sat down to share my story, my intention was to share the beginning of my life with Aaron Spelling. Then I thought about the absolutely amazing letters I receive from women who have been recently widowed or who have terminally ill husbands. They share their grief and fears with me, or tell me that something I said gave them strength. I had never thought about how my personal experiences might help other women. Once I realized I could have a positive impact, I decided it was time to talk about the end of Aarons life as well.

With age has also come the loss of my filters. So before I knew it, I was writing about my misadventures of dating and sex. After forty years of being with the same partner, it was a whole new world. This is uncharted territory for a woman of my age, and I am certain the media will have at it. But honestly, I dont think they could possibly say anything worse about me than they already have.

Over the years, I have learned the difference between things that I can change and things that will always be the same. With the help of some very good therapy, I have resolved my own internal feelings about my complex relationship with my daughter, and here, for the first time, I am able to write honestly about it.

Its been a few months now since I turned my completed manuscript into my publisher. Reading over the chapters, I am very proud of my work and the insights I impart. Despite all of my ups and downs, there is very little I would go back and change in my life. Even during the toughest times when there was a giant elephant in the room, there was a life lesson to be learned.