LOS ANGELES — Retired adult performer Cleopatra of the Nile passed away last week from heart failure.
Cleopatra, whose legal name was Jenny Marcos, had suffered from cystic fibrosis from a young age and her medical condition had worsened in recent weeks, according to her former personal assistant and private security person, Tony Escobar. She was 43.
Escobar told XBIZ he worked for Cleopatra from about 2005-2012.
“I used to go to her house on the weekends and clean her house from top to bottom and run her errands,” Escobar said. “She was very, very hard working. She was constantly working.”
A native of Perth, Australia, who was of Egyptian descent, Cleopatra specialized in fetish modeling and girl/girl performing before stepping away from the business in 2010 due to ongoing health issues, Escobar said. She also owned her own production company, Tiger Eye Productions.
“She started making handmade jewelry that was sent to her from Egypt,” he said, adding that she also worked for an insurance company after retiring from adult.
Escobar said he met Cleopatra at an Adultcon and later followed up with her to ask if she needed help with anything. That led to them becoming friends and him helping her out in other areas for many years.
When they amicably parted ways in 2012, “she told me she loved me and thanked me for everything I ever did for her.”
They kept in touch and Escobar said he had just spoken to her three weeks ago.
“I spoke to her mother on Wednesday and we were both crying. Her mother came in from Australia. She’s trying to raise the money to get her back to Australia," Escobar said.
“I will remember her as an extremely hard-working woman with every meaning of the word and a very kind soul, very giving, very loving to everybody. She was just so sweet. I felt bad that she had to work so hard, but I’d do as much as I could to help her out.”
He said Cleopatra's parents "both were great supporters of her work." She also had a brother, he added.
“If anybody can help her family to get her back home, they can contact me,” Escobar said.
His email is tonyescobar7904@gmail.com.
James Bartholet, owner of Galaxy Publicity, posted a remembrance of his former client on his PR site.
The post read, “I will miss my dear friend and send my deepest condolences to her family. I have so many wonderful, memories of her, not just as a co-host and client, but mostly as a friend. I’ll miss her drive, spirit and love and respect for this industry, and her love for her fans worldwide, whom she said she never would have been where she was if it wasn’t for their support.
"She was a true star and wonderful woman and loving friend. She was a wonderful force of energy and love, and she will always be in our hearts and minds. Rest in peace my friend."
