Celeste Gold Broughton

Celeste Gold Broughton (September 5, 1925 – March 6, 2022) was an American writer and socialite. She was the daughter of the writer Daisy Hendley Gold and of the newspaper publisher John Daniel Gold Sr. Her father was the founder of the Wilson Times and her grandfather, Pleasant Daniel Gold, was the founder of the P.D. Gold Publishing Company. A debutante from one of the wealthiest families in Wilson, she attended Vassar College and followed in her family's footsteps pursuing journalism and writing. After graduating, she married Robert Bain Broughton, the son of Governor J. Melville Broughton. She and her husband went through a highly publicized divorce, which left her in financial ruin. She maintained ownership of the family's Raleigh mansion, Broughton House, but the house fell into ruin and was eventually sold off to pay debts. Broughton filed for bankruptcy and was involved in various court cases regarding her debt. She filed multiple lawsuits against the estate of her ex-husband.

Early life and family West Nash Street Historic District, the neighborhood where Broughton grew up. Celeste Gold Broughton was born in Wilson, North Carolina to John Daniel Gold, a newspaper publisher, and Daisy Hendley Gold, a writer and journalist. She was named after her maternal grandmother, Celeste Rimmer Norris Hendley.

Education and writing Celeste Gold attended Vassar College, where she was a journalist for the Vassar Chronicle. She reported on student life, college events, and local news including a 1944 Democratic youth rally for Franklin D. Roosevelt at Carnegie Hall. Broughton was also a short story writer and published some of her stories through the college's literary magazine, Vassar Brew, including Diamond City. She graduated from Vassar in 1946. The wedding was officiated by Rev. Lawrence W. Avent. They had two sons, Robert and Justin.

The Broughtons later had a bitter divorce, with various lawsuits against each other lasting decades.

Death Celeste Gold Broughton died in Raleigh, North Carolina on March 6, 2022, at the age of 96.