Elizabeth Taylor funeral to be protested by Westboro Baptist Church
(CBS) - The friends and family at Elizabeth Taylor's funeral will apparently be joined by the serial funeral protesters of the Westboro Baptist Church.
Yes, the Westboro Baptist Church - the Kansas-based organization with a history of holding controversial and politically inflammatory protests - has announced that its members plan to picket the star's funeral, according to reports.
TMZ reports that Margie Phelps, daughter of Westboro leader Fred Phelps, sounded off on Twitter Wednesday about the planned protest:
"RIP Elizabeth Taylor is in hell as sure as you're reading this & getting mad as a wet hen. She should've obeyed God. Too late!"
Taylor was known for using her star power for humanitarian work, in particular, helping victims of AIDS. That has, apparently, made her funeral a target for the media-baiters at Westboro Baptist and their sometimes inexplicable and usually repugnant signage.
The Academy Award-winning actress died yesterday morning
after a long battle with congestive heart failure. She was 79. A statement released by the family says that a private funeral will be held later this week.