Cindy Adams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cindy Adams
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Adams in 2011
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Cynthia I. First
December 25, 1930 Queens, New York, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
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| Spouse(s) |
Joey Adams
(m. 1952; died 1999) |
Cynthia Heller Adams (born Cynthia I. First on December 25, 1930), known as Cindy Adams, is a famous American writer and gossip columnist. A gossip columnist writes about the personal lives of famous people.
For many years, Adams has written for the New York Post newspaper. She is known for her stories about celebrities and politicians. She has lived in New York City her whole life and was married to the comedian Joey Adams.
Contents
Early Life and School
Cindy Adams was born in Manhattan, a part of New York City, on April 24, 1930. She grew up in the borough of Queens and went to Andrew Jackson High School.
She was supposed to graduate in 1946 but didn't finish a sewing project for her home economics class. Because of this, she didn't get her diploma at the time. Many years later, in 2024, the school gave her an honorary diploma to recognize her life's achievements.
A Career in Writing
Newspaper Columnist
Since 1979, Cindy Adams has written a popular gossip column for the New York Post. Her stories have been on the front page about 500 times. In 1981, her column became syndicated, which means it was published in many other newspapers too.
Adams is known for knowing many famous people. She ends her columns with her famous catch phrase: "Only in New York, kids, only in New York."
Writing Books
Cindy and her husband, Joey, traveled through Asia in 1961 to represent the United States. During this time, she met many world leaders. In 1965, she helped the president of Indonesia, Sukarno, write his life story, called an autobiography.
She also became friends with other famous figures, like Imelda Marcos, the wife of a former president of the Philippines. Adams wrote biographies (life stories) for other well-known people, including:
- Jolie Gabor, the mother of the famous Gabor sisters (1975)
- Actor Lee Strasberg (1980)
- Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, the mother of President John F. Kennedy (1995)
In 2003, Adams wrote a book called The Gift of Jazzy. It was a loving memoir about her pet dog. She wrote a second book about her dogs in 2006.
Television Appearances
Besides writing, Adams has also appeared on television. In the 1980s, she was part of a news show called A Current Affair. In the 1990s, she was a panelist on the game show To Tell the Truth and appeared on Good Morning America.
Her life was featured in a 2021 TV documentary series called Gossip.
A Champion for Animals
After her husband Joey died in 1999, a friend gave Cindy a Yorkshire Terrier named Jazzy. Jazzy became her close companion and a celebrity in his own right. Adams loved her dogs so much that she dressed them in designer clothes and jewelry.
In 2003, Adams left Jazzy at a kennel, a place that boards pets, while she was away. Sadly, Jazzy died while he was there. A medical exam showed that he had harmful bacteria in his system. Adams was heartbroken and wanted to make sure other pets would be safe.
She worked to pass a new law in New York City called the Boarding Kennel and Regulation Act, also known as "Jazzy's Law." This law helps protect pets by:
- Requiring kennels to have a license.
- Checking on kennels to make sure they are clean and safe.
- Making sure pets have their shots before they are boarded.
Personal Life
Marriage to Joey Adams
Cindy met her husband, comedian Joey Adams, when they were both guests on a radio show. She was working as a model at the time. They got married on Valentine's Day in 1952.
They were married for almost 47 years until Joey's death in 1999. Cindy has said that her husband helped her start her career and introduced her to many important people.
Famous Apartment
Adams lives in a large penthouse apartment on Park Avenue in Manhattan. She and her husband bought it in 1997. Before they lived there, the apartment belonged to Doris Duke, a very wealthy woman.
Health Scare
In 2010, Adams became very sick and had to stop writing her column for a few months. She had a serious condition and needed to be in the hospital. Her friends, including TV host Barbara Walters and TV judge Judith Sheindlin, made sure she got medical care.
She recovered and returned to writing her column in September 2010. She joked about her near-death experience, saying she almost ended up interviewing the famous news reporter Walter Cronkite, who had recently passed away.
Books Published
- Sukarno: An Autobiography (1965)
- My Friend the Dictator (1967)
- Jolie Gabor (1975)
- Lee Strasberg: The Imperfect Genius of the Actors Studio (1980)
- Iron Rose: The Story of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy and Her Dynasty (1995)
- The Gift of Jazzy (2003)
- Living a Dog's Life: Jazzy, Juicy, and Me (2006)
See also
In Spanish: Cindy Adams para niños
- List of animal rights advocates
- List of biographers
- List of people from New York City
