Dominick Dunne Biography

Birth Place: Connecticut, USA

Dominick Dunne Biography

Born in 1926 and raised in a close-knit Irish-Catholic family, Dunne is the second of six children, one of whom is also a noted author. His brother, novelist and screenwriter John Gregory Dunne, is himself married to another writer, novelist and essayist Joan Didion.

At 18, he was drafted for the Second World War and later received the Bronze Star for saving another soldier’s life.

He worked as a Hollywood producer until leaving his family to live in a small cabin in 1979. But in 1982, his only daughter was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, who served only three years in prison for the crime. Dunne wrote an article about the trial for Vanity Fair, which led to an exclusive contract with the magazine.

Dunne went on to cover some of the country’s most high-profile trials, but his depictions of the twists in the judicial system, coupled with his insider’s knowledge of High Society, extend beyond reporting and include the best-selling novels 'The Two Mrs Grenvilles', 'People Like Us', and 'An Inconvenient Woman'.

Dunne has also worked as an investigative journalist, covering events such as the curious death of Edmund Safra, a Lebanese billionaire. His Safra story relied heavily on unnamed sources and drew criticism, his writing has also sometimes been dismissed as breezy or ghoulish.

He was also reputedly the first journalist to interview Imelda Marcos, after her fall as the First Lady of the Philippines.

Dunne, now in his seventies and never remarried, lives between his midtown Manhattan penthouse and his house in north-eastern Connecticut.