J. Randy Taraborrelli is the bestselling author of more than 20 books, most of which have become New York Times bestsellers that have captivated readers around the world. Known for his deep reporting, fresh insight, and storytelling flair, Taraborrelli has chronicled some of the most iconic figures of our time —from the Kennedys to Michael Jackson, from Diana Ross to Madonna.
His recent books, Jackie, Janet & Lee: The Secret History of Janet Auchincloss and Her Daughters, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Princess Lee Radziwill, and Jackie: Public, Private, Secret both became instant bestsellers in 2018 and 2023, praised for their intimate and revelatory portrayal of the formidable women behind America’s most storied family.
Among his other widely acclaimed works are Call Her Miss Ross; Elizabeth (his definitive biography of Elizabeth Taylor); Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story (a global phenomenon translated into more than 30 languages; and After Camelot: A Personal History of the Kennedy Family, 1968 to the Present.
Taraborrelli’s Madonna : An Intimate Biography became a worldwide bestseller, remaining on the London Times bestseller list for six months.
He’s also the author of deeply researched and critically praised biographies of Frank Sinatra, Carol Burnett, Cher, and a lush visual chronicle of Motown Records.
A lifelong journalist and storyteller, J. Randy Taraborrelli brings readers behind the headlines with empathy, precision, and a gift for revealing the people behind the personas.
Taraborrelli’s The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe appeared on the New York Times list both in 2009 and then again in 2012 when it became the number two e-books bestseller.
J. Randy Taraborrelli’s After Camelot was developed as a successful 2016 miniseries for ReelzChannel, starring Katie Holmes as Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Matthew Perry as Ted Kennedy. Taraborrelli’s The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe was the source material for a miniseries which aired on Lifetime in 2014 and starred Susan Sarandon, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kelli Garner. Additionally, Taraborrelli is the author of Jackie Ethel Joan – Women of Camelot – a New York Times bestseller in both hard cover and paperback – which was adapted as a highly-rated miniseries for NBC-TV starring Jill Hennesey as Jackie Kennedy and Lauren Holly as Ethel Kennedy.
Not only is J. Randy Taraborrelli a respected journalist, he is a recognizable entertainment personality and in-demand guest on many television programs, including Today, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Entertainment Tonight and CNN – Headline News.
Additionally, he is a news analyst for CBS News; his six-months-plus coverage of the Michael Jackson molestation trial in Santa Maria for that network was widely praised. (He was the only CBS News TV reporter in the court room for the verdict). Taraborrelli co-anchored coverage of Jackson’s funeral with Katie Couric for CBS.
In his free time, J. Randy Taraborrelli trains in the martial arts. He holds a black belt in American Tang Soo Do and a blue belt in Gracie Jiu Jitsu.
