Elizabeth Taylor Misses House of Taylor Opening Due To Illness

The flu kept Elizabeth Taylor from attending the opening of a Beverly Hills jewelry boutique which features her House of Taylor jewelry. Taylor was expected to be at the opening of Luxury Jewels of Beverly Hills and the AFP reports that guests waited three hours for her until her spokesman announced she would not be arriving.

It's been a rough few years for both Taylor and her eponymous brand of couture jewelry. Taylor has suffered several health crises and the loss of beloved friends including Michael Jackson. Her jewelry line began in 2005 when Mirabelle Luxury Concepts and Techline Jewelry merged with entities owned by Kathy Ireland and Elizabeth Taylor to form House of Taylor Jewelry. The new company struggled to gain footing and eventually was delisted from the Nasdaq in 2008. In November 2008, House of Taylor Jewelry, Inc. filed a voluntary petition for liquidation under Chapter 7 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, Los Angeles.

The House of Taylor opening was attended by Marilu Henner, Maria Conchita Alonso, Kevin Sorbo and Frances Fisher among others. The jewelry remains on display at the Luxury Jewels of Beverly Hills store.