In the latest issue of Closer Weekly, Eartha Kitt’s daughter Kitt McDonald Shapiro shares heartfelt memories about her late mother in an exclusive essay. Dive in to hear Kitt's touching words about Eartha!
Eartha’s Early Life: Lessons from Nature
Even after nine years since her passing, I still yearn for my mother’s voice and laughter. Her presence remains etched in my heart. Eartha’s early years were anything but easy. She never knew her father and was passed from home to home, enduring physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Despite her hardships, she found solace in nature. Eartha was literally named after the earth, and her connection to it was profound. As a child, she spent countless hours observing animals and plants, learning how nature nurtures itself. These lessons deeply influenced her parenting style, teaching me the importance of compassion and understanding.
Eartha’s Lessons on Coexistence
I vividly remember an encounter with a slug when I was just five years old. My immediate reaction was to dismiss it as gross and suggest killing it. But Eartha stopped me, saying, “You don’t have to like it or find it pretty, but that slug has just as much right to exist as you do.” Her words were powerful and shaped my worldview. It’s fascinating how Eartha drew on her early lessons from nature to mold her character and approach to life. She wasn’t just a performer; she was a philosopher in her own right.
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Eartha Kitt and her daughter Kitt Shapiro.
Her Voice, Her Strength
As a teenager, I once told her to let go of the pain from her past, but she wasn’t one to bury her history. She embraced it, saying, “This is who I am. This is what made me.” She used every challenge as fuel to propel her forward. “I’ve taken all the manure thrown at me and used it as fertilizer,” she’d often say. Eartha’s voice was unmistakable, captivating audiences with its richness and diction. She valued being well-read and articulate, traits that set her apart. Her relationship with Orson Welles was intellectually stimulating, though not romantic. She admired his depth and intensity, soaking up his knowledge like a sponge.
Eartha Kitt and
