Personal Life
At a time when being openly gay was not socially acceptable, Kelly was open about her sexuality. On occasion she would frankly disclose, in public and with typical candor, to being a "dyke". During the 1930s, she disclosed to Motion Picture magazine that she had been living with actress Wilma Cox for several years and had no intention of getting married. She later claimed she had an affair with Tallulah Bankhead when she worked as Bankhead's personal assistant.
In January 1980, Kelly suffered a stroke while in San Francisco which caused her to lose the ability to speak. She was admitted to Englemore Nursing Home in Englemore, New Jersey, on the advice of her old friend Ruby Keeler where she underwent therapy.
Read more about this topic: Patsy Kelly
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