Rock Hudson is seen here with Marilyn Monroe. (Getty Images)
For the book, Westphal was given access to Otash’s archives with the blessing of his daughter, Colleen. Westphal, who first met Colleen at Otash’s funeral, developed a close friendship with her over the years.
Fred Otash, a private investigator, was known as "The Fixer" in Hollywood. (© the Otash/Houck Archives)
"Fred Otash fought to get Phyllis Gates what she deserved in their divorce settlement when Rock was kicking her to the curb and refusing to support her," Young explained. "It was surprising to learn what an advocate he was for women and how interesting those cases were."
According to the authors, Otash was the son of Lebanese rug merchants whose life was marked by tragedy.
Fred Otash was a member of the LAPD. (© the Otash/Houck Archives)
He lost his father and only brother during the Great Depression, prompting him to drop out of high school at age 16 to join the Civil Conservation Corps to support his mother and sisters. He went on to volunteer for the Marine Corps and, at the outset of World War II, fought in the South Pacific.
Phyllis Gates would later say she really did love Rock Hudson. (Johnson/Graphic House/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
"There were a lot of tabloid rumors about Rock Hudson at the time," said Young. "Fred was a fact-checker for Confidential, which was the nastier version of the Enquirer, the precursor to that. It was a magazine that didn’t play ball with the Hollywood studios and would run whatever story they could get their hands on."
