Gossip columnist Liz Smith

Liz Smith, the syndicated gossip columnist whose mixture of banter, barbs, and bon mots about the glitterati helped her climb the A-list as high as many of the celebrities she covered, has died aged 94.

Joni Evans, Smith’s literary agent, told the Associated Press she died of natural causes.

For more than a quarter of a century, Smith’s column – called simply “Liz Smith” – was one of the most widely read in the world.

The column’s success was due in part to Smith’s own celebrity status, giving her an insider’s access rather than relying largely on tipsters, press releases and publicists.

With a big smile and her sweet southern manner, the Texas native endeared herself to many celebrities and scored major tabloid scoops: Donald and Ivana Trump’s divorce, Woody Allen and Mia Farrow’s impending parenthood.

One item proved embarrassingly premature: In 2012, she released a column online mourning the death of her friend Nora Ephron.

But Ephron, who was indeed gravely ill, did not die until a few hours later and an impending tragedy that Ephron had tried to keep secret became known to the world.

Smith held a light-hearted opinion of her own legacy. “We mustn’t take ourselves too seriously in this world of gossip,” she told AP in 1987. “When you look at it realistically, what I do is pretty insignificant. Still, I’m having a lot of fun.”

After graduating with a degree in journalism from the University of Texas, Smith recalled buying a one-way ticket to New York in 1949 with a dream of being the next Walter Winchell.

Smith ultimately wrote for nine New York newspapers and dozens of magazines, but it was a stint writing for Cosmopolitan that led to her break.

While establishing herself as an authority on Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Smith attracted the attention of the New York Daily News.

She started her own column at the tabloid in 1976 and a gossip star was born.

She is survived by several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held in the spring.

Liz Smith has died aged 94.