The Ending of 'Feud: Capote vs. the Swans,' Explained
Spoilers ahead for the final episode of Feud: Capote vs. the Swans. If you haven't watched yet, turn back now!
The finale of Feud: Capote vs. the Swans is a strange one. The episode, titled "Phantasm Forgiveness," is something of an imagining of Truman Capote's final novel, Answered Prayers, but ends with a scene where his ashes are auctioned off. Did that really happen? Yes, in fact, it did.
Upon his death, his ashes were kept by Joanne Carson in a carved Japanese wooden box. But after Carson died in 2015, in 2016, they were sold at auction by Julien's Auctions for $43,750—the first time human ashes were ever sold at auction. According to the auction house, "having Capote’s ashes brought [Joanne] great comfort." They were subsequently purchased by an anonymous buyer.
"We had bids from Russia, South America and Asia. There was a lot of interest in such a unique item," Darren Julien, president of Julien's Auctions, said in a statement at the time. "When Truman passed away in Joanne Carson's house, they were best friends. He requested to be cremated and told her: 'Don't put me on a shelf. I want to go on an adventure.' The buyer wants to remain anonymous but he said Truman will continue on with his adventures."
Besides the ashes, at the auction, around fifty of Capote's personal items from Carson's house were sold—including a set of his prescription bottles, ice skates, books, and the shirt he wore the day he died.
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