[10] Throughout the fall of 1971 and into 1972, their living conditions—their house was infested by fleas, inhabited by numerous cats and raccoons, deprived of running water, and filled with garbage and decay—were exposed as the result of an article in the National Enquirer and a cover story in New York Magazine[11] after a series of inspections (which the Beales called "raids") by the Suffolk County Health Department.

[12] Albert and David Maysles became interested in their story and received permission to film a documentary about the women, which was released in 1976 to wide critical acclaim.

[13] Albert and David Maysles came into contact with the Beales in 1972 after Lee Radziwill suggested they make a documentary on her childhood in East Hampton and took them with her on a trip to Grey Gardens.

[16] Jerry Torre, the teenage handyman shown in the documentary (nicknamed "The Marble Faun" by "Little Edie"), was sought by the filmmakers for years afterward, and was found by chance in 2005 driving a New York City taxicab.

[17] A 2011 documentary, The Marble Faun of Grey Gardens, by Jason Hay and Steve Pelizza, showed that he was then a sculptor at the Art Students League of New York.

[18] Lois Wright, one of the two birthday party guests in the film, hosted a public television show for 30 years in East Hampton from the early 1980s to December 2018.

Prior to the sale, Quinn was forced to sell the remaining furniture originally belonging to the Beales, citing a lack of space.

In 1976, Walter Goodman wrote in The New York Times that "the film presents [the Beales] as a pair of grotesques," and asked "why were they put on exhibition this way?

"[23] In 2014, in conversation with Alex Simon for The Hollywood Interview, Albert Maysles was asked specifically about the issue of exploitation: "Grey Gardens was very controversial when it was initially released, with some circles feeling you and David were exploiting these two women who seemed to be mentally ill." Maysles replied that "as someone with a background in psychology, I knew better than to claim [the Beales] were mentally ill. Their behavior was just their way of asserting themselves.

[27] In his article, Goodman also pointed out that the Beales were represented in negotiations with the Maysles by their family lawyer and that they were "paid for their cooperation and are due to participate in any profits.

"[28] In the context of documentary making, paying one's subjects has long been a source of ethical debate in terms of how it impacts the final work.

Starring Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson, the show premiered at Playwrights Horizons in New York City in February 2006.

[34] Grey Gardens, an HBO film, stars Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore as the Edies, with Jeanne Tripplehorn as Jacqueline Kennedy, and Daniel Baldwin as Julius Krug.

[45] In the opening scene of "A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving", a season 3 episode of Gilmore Girls, Lorelai and Rory are watching the documentary.