Bernard and Doris

Doris Duke hired Bernard Lafferty as her majordomo even after suspecting his six-month employment gap was due to alcohol rehabilitation. Though sharp and suspicious by nature, she chose to give him a chance because she needed someone competent to manage her vast household empire. Her wealth allowed her to potentially help him address his addiction while benefiting from his demonstrated organizational skills.

Earlier in the film, Bernard explains the employment gap as "health issues," which Doris clearly doubts.

Bernard Lafferty revealed his homosexuality to Doris Duke during a greenhouse encounter when she attempted to seduce him with belly dancing. The disclosure was prompted by Doris's flirtatious advances and served to clarify the boundaries of their relationship. Rather than pursuing romance, Bernard reframed their connection around devotion and caretaking, establishing a non-physical but deeply intimate bond.

Bernard had previously planted portraits of Elizabeth Taylor and Peggy Lee in his bedroom, hinting at his admiration for women who defied conventional boundaries.

When Doris Duke seduces Bernard Lafferty and he hesitates, she demands to know what he wants from her since he won't pursue a physical relationship. His reply, "I want to take care of you, Miss Duke," establishes that his devotion operates through service rather than romance. This moment marks a shift in their relationship from employer-employee to something closer to surrogate family, where Bernard finds purpose in managing her life and legacy.

Earlier, Bernard proclaimed himself "Miss Duke's eyes and ears" and began taking charge of her households during her absences.

After Doris Duke suffers a stroke, her attorney Waldo Taft suggests hiring a live-in nurse, but she instead chooses to rely on Bernard's care with occasional doctor visits. Despite having vast wealth to afford professional medical staff, Doris preferred Bernard's intimate knowledge of her preferences and the deep personal bond they'd developed over years. This decision gave Bernard exclusive control over her daily care and reinforced his indispensable role in her life.

Taft had tried throughout the film to separate Bernard from Doris, offering him money to leave and calling police to the estate, which Doris resisted.

Bernard Lafferty began drinking again after establishing himself in Doris Duke's household, initially in small discreet ways before becoming more open about it. The pressure of managing her vast estates, the emotional complexity of their relationship, and his underlying battle with alcoholism led to a relapse. Rather than firing him, Doris used her wealth to send him back to rehab while maintaining his role in her life, demonstrating both her control and her dependence on him.

Bernard explained his initial employment gap as being due to "health issues," revealing his history with alcohol addiction before he was even hired.

After Doris Duke's stroke left her incapacitated, Bernard Lafferty assumed control of her life and began presenting himself in her likeness, wearing her makeup, jewelry, and haute couture. This transformation represented a complete role reversal, with Bernard not only becoming her caretaker but also embodying her persona. He took on her public appearance as a way to exert power and fill the void left by her diminished capacity, essentially becoming the new Doris in both function and form.

Earlier, Doris had encouraged Bernard to change his appearance, telling him to wear brighter colors and piercing his ear, suggesting she was shaping him in her image.

The film acknowledges rumors that Bernard Lafferty may have murdered Doris Duke, but no evidence supports these claims. On the night Doris dies, Bernard administers medicine and an injection to her while she is sick, and she passes away afterward. She had previously named him executor of her vast estate, giving him legal control over her fortune. The circumstances remain ambiguous, and the film presents the murder speculation as unresolved, reflecting the uncertainty that surrounded their relationship and his sudden inheritance.

Doris's final smile fades when she says she must be crazy to trust a "fucker like you," hinting at lingering suspicion despite their bond.

Doris Duke named Bernard Lafferty executor of her vast estate, granting him legal control over her fortune and legacy. This decision came despite warnings from her attorney Waldo Taft, who tried to have Bernard removed from her life. Doris's trust in Bernard, developed over years of intimate caretaking and emotional closeness, led her to choose him over more traditional choices. The role represented the ultimate validation of his devotion and gave him power over her considerable wealth.

Bernard had compiled newspaper clippings about Doris throughout their relationship, as if cataloging her living legacy, foreshadowing his role as her official caretaker.

Three years after Doris Duke's death, Bernard Lafferty died from complications related to his alcoholism. In his final public appearance at a board meeting after Doris's cremation, he appeared in control, dressed in a manner reminiscent of Doris's flamboyant style. His death closed the circle of their intertwined lives, ending with the same dependency and control issues that defined their relationship. The film suggests he lived out his remaining years in the shadow of both his alcohol struggles and the suspicions surrounding Doris's death.

The film opens with Bernard's alcoholism being a central issue, and his relapse after Doris's death foreshadows his ultimate fate.

The relationship between Bernard Lafferty and Doris Duke defies simple categorization, it evolved from employer-employee to surrogate family to something with undertones of mutual dependence, control, and emotional intimacy. They were not romantically involved, as Bernard clarified his homosexuality early on. Instead, their bond centered on devotion, caretaking, and an unusual power dynamic where each depended on the other. Doris provided Bernard with purpose and stability, while he gave her loyalty, companionship, and eventually control over her life and legacy.

The stormy night early in their relationship when Doris returned drunk and Bernard stayed with her marked an emotional turning point that established their deep connection.

Waldo Taft, Doris Duke's attorney and financial advisor, grew suspicious of Bernard Lafferty throughout their relationship and attempted multiple times to separate him from Doris. Taft offered Bernard money to leave, called police to the estate, and advocated for hiring a live-in nurse to reduce Bernard's influence. Taft was concerned about Bernard's control over Doris's affairs and potentially suspicious of his motives given the vast fortune at stake. However, Doris consistently defended Bernard as "peacefully devoted" and rejected Taft's efforts to remove him.

Taft's persistent attempts to intervene foreshadow the post-mortem speculation about whether Bernard's access to Doris contributed to her death.