48. She Stayed Relevant
Despite her age, MacLaine has remained in the public eye. Her fame has undoubtedly stood the test of time, and newer generations recognize her from her appearance on contemporary television shows such as Downton Abbey and Glee. However, she has another theory: “If I’m click-worthy, that’s because I’m still walking upright.”
Of course, there’s another reason Shirley MacLaine keeps making the news: Her extraordinary beliefs.
49. She Sparked Controversy
MacLaine is no stranger to controversy; indeed, she doesn’t really care what people think of her. However, she made some very disturbing comments in one of her books that made some people extremely unhappy. She hypothesized that Karma caused the persecution suffered by Holocaust victims. Yikes. Talk about putting your foot in your mouth.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only shocking statement she made.
50. She Had A Strange Theory
The Jews weren’t the only subject of MacLaine’s strange ideas. She also suggested that Stephen Hawking may have willed his ALS on himself so that he could depend on caregivers to deal with his physical needs. That way, his mind could freely focus on the “pursuit of knowledge.” Naturally, the world did not find this amusing. Still, MacLaine's eccentric reputation continues to let her get away with making terribly offensive comments.
51. She Has Her Own Style
Despite all her quirks, MacLaine isn’t one to spend exorbitant amounts of money on clothes or her appearance. She’s very matter-of-fact about her brother being the beautiful one in the family. And though she’s tried botox once, she has no issues with looking her age. In fact, she lives life by the simple mantra that “if you’re comfortable with yourself...that’s when you start getting into who is your real self.”
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26
