Top 10 Things Feud: Capote vs The Swans Got Factually Right & Wrong

The first episode of “Feud” finds Truman Capote in a bathhouse, where he meets a hunky stranger and strikes an immediate connection. That stranger was John O’Shea, Capote’s on-again-off-again boyfriend for nearly a decade. The series depicts O’Shea as the catalyst behind Capote’s decision to reveal the secrets of his beloved swans. While that may not necessarily be true, their encounter at the bathhouse was. Although it occurred in 1973, two years before the show’s timeline. “Feud” also accurately portrays O’Shea as a father of four who abandons his family to live with Capote, resulting in an increasingly violent relationship. In the series, Capote later mentors and effectively adopts O’Shea’s teenage daughter, a plotline also rooted in reality.

In “Feud,” Truman Capote’s friendship with Babe Paley begins in 1955, after the writer accompanies the Paleys on a trip to Jamaica. This encounter was facilitated by movie producer David O. Selznick, who informs Bill Paley that “Truman” will be joining them. Initially, Paley is convinced Selznick is referring to former President Harry S. Truman, until Capote surprises them. Although funny, the likelihood of such a mix-up is slim. By this time, Capote was a renowned novelist and had begun mingling in New York’s elite circles, so the Paleys most likely already knew him. Moreover, by 1955, Harry S. Truman had retreated to a quiet life in Missouri, far away from the glitz and glamor of high society.

In the season’s premiere, viewers are greeted with a startling scene: Babe Paley returns home to find her husband, Bill, scrubbing bloodstains from their bed and rug. These stains were left behind by one of Bill’s mistresses - portrayed as then New York First Lady, Happy Rockefeller - after one of their trysts. This incident is very likely rooted in fact. Bill Paley, President of CBS at the time, was notorious for his numerous extramarital affairs, some of which involved prominent New York women. While it’s uncertain whether this particular lady was Happy Rockefeller, the incident was lifted directly from Capote’s unfinished book “Answered Prayers.” It was the published excerpts from this book that ultimately led to Capote’s fallout with his swans.

The release of ‘La Côte Basque 1965,’ one of the chapters from Capote’s unfinished novel “Answered Prayers” aired the dirty laundry of his swans through thinly veiled characters. This included Bill Paley’s aforementioned tryst with “the governor’s wife,” a detail which humiliated Babe Paley, who was dealing with lung cancer at the time. In the series, Babe and Capote have one final bittersweet interaction after the article is published. While this gives the fictional Babe a chance to come to terms with Capote’s betrayal, her real-life counterpart never needed such closure. Following the publication of ‘La Côte Basque 1965,’ Babe Paley reportedly cut off all contact with Truman Capote, never speaking to him again until her death in 1978.

While technically one of his swans, Truman Capote never quite got along with Ann Woodward, as is portrayed in “Feud.” Their discord reportedly began in 1956 when Woodward called Capote a homophobic slur and he referred to her as “Mrs. Bang Bang,” a nickname that stuck. This moniker stemmed from a tragic incident the previous year when Woodward fatally shot her husband, claiming she mistook him for a burglar. Despite avoiding criminal charges, rumors swirled that Woodward may have intentionally murdered her husband after he threatened divorce. Capote played a significant role in perpetuating these rumors, as depicted in the show. His publication of the same tales in ‘La Côte Basque 1965’ is believed to have driven Woodward to take her own life.

“Feud” gets a lot of things right about Ann Woodward, including her husband’s shooting, her subsequent ostracism and eventual death. However, there’s still one glaring fabrication. It pertains to Woodward’s supposed appearance at Capote’s 1966 Black and White Ball. In the series, Woodward is the lone swan whose name was omitted from the exclusive guest list. Despite this, she boldly crashes the event with her son, Jimmy. This leads to a heated confrontation with Capote, in which the writer orders his guards to forcibly remove them from the ball. While the scene adds tension and complexity to the conflict between Capote and Woodward, there simply exists no evidence that the socialite actually showed up at the event.

The third episode of the season stands out in several ways. Not only is it presented mostly in black and white, it also adopts a documentary style, mimicking the unique visual approach of the real-life documentarians, the Maysles Brothers. The episode centers around an exclusive black and white ball hosted by Truman Capote for the who’s who of high society. While certain creative liberties are taken in depicting the event, its existence is completely factual. In 1966, Capote, fresh off the acclaim of his masterpiece “In Cold Blood,” organized the lavish party, meticulously curating a diverse array of stars to attend. Notable guests included Frank Sinatra, Mia Farrow, Johnny Carson, Lady Bird Johnson, as well as most of Capote’s swans.

Watching the third episode, one might conclude that Capote’s ball was marred by numerous mishaps. What became of that meticulous planning? And where are all the high-profile guests? “Feud” portrays the ball as a lackluster affair, with outdated music and unappetizing food that repulsed guests. This depiction is very likely inaccurate. Capote’s ball was renowned for its opulence and exclusivity, resulting in the New York Times later referring to it as “the best party ever.” Media coverage generated significant buzz, and the event remained a topic of discussion for decades. While the real-life Capote did opt for a simple menu, this aligned with the cultural norms of that time, and is unlikely to have surprised the guests.

For his black and white ball, Truman Capote knew that making himself the guest of honor would be a tasteless move. So he had to find a suitable figure for the role. Capote had already decided to bestow that privilege on Katharine Graham, the publisher of The Washington Post. However, he continued to dangle the prize before his swans, leaving them to vie for his attention and the prestigious title. At some point, each of them was convinced that they would be the guest of honor, only to find themselves disappointed when Capote publicly announced Graham. By all accounts, this also occurred in real life, and seemingly foreshadowed Capote’s ultimate betrayal of his swans, years later.

As mentioned earlier, the third episode of the season is presented as a documentary. That is because in the series, Truman Capote hires documentary filmmakers Albert and David Maysles to make a film about the event. Despite the considerable conflict and tension caused by the intrusive camera crew, no such documentary was ever commissioned. The Maysles brothers, renowned for their 1975 documentary “Grey Gardens,” were acquainted with Capote, and Albert reportedly attended the actual ball, just without any recording equipment. This plotline was likely inspired by another short documentary the Maysles brothers made about Capote in 1966, titled “With Love from Truman.” However, that film was unrelated to his black and white ball.

Which of the fabricated storylines did you initially believe was true? Let us know in the comments below.