Astor's Much Scrutinized Daughter-In-Law Cries!

Charlene Marshall, married to Brooke Astor's son Anthony Marshall, broke down on her way to her husband's trial this morning. The Post reports, "The tears began as photographers descended on Charlene Marshall as she walked into Manhattan Supreme Court with her husband Anthony, 84." The Daily News' version: "The waterworks started when photographers descended on Charlene Marshall as she walked into the Manhattan courthouse on the arm of her husband, Anthony." Both tabloids say she told photographers, "Oh, please don't," when they took pictures of her (the News has one of her looking red-eyed and looking rather miserable).

It so happens that today is the Marshalls' 17th wedding anniversary—and the day the NY Times put a feature about Charlene Marshall on the front page. The Times article started off with "As she has sat in the second row of the courtroom gallery day after day, Charlene Marshall has heard herself referred to as Miss Piggy; as a social climber who left her first husband, a minister, and their three children; and as the daughter-in-law Brooke Astor never wanted," and includes mention of she met Marshall while married to a minister.

Anthony Marshall and a lawyer, Francis X. Morrissey, are on trial, accused of forging Astor's signature on a codicil to a will (giving Marshall $60 million outright). And undercurrent of the trial is the suggestions that Charlene Marshall wanted the glittering things that came from the Astor name. Astor reportedly told friends she despised Charlene, even giving her friend Annette de la Renta gold-and-diamond necklace and earrings, explaining to another friend, Nancy Kissinger, "I don’t want Charlene to get them." But the defense has said that Astor eventually came around to appreciating Charlene, given her devotion and love with Anthony Marshall.