Steffans, who co-starred in a series of scenes with Mr. Marcus six years ago when she claims to have been under the influence of drugs and financial hardship, filed the TRO in April to stop the release of “Superhead” that features many of those scenes, including an added sex scene with Mr. Marcus.
The original VHS movie has been out of print for several years, but was reissued by Vivid on DVD because of Steffans’ recent celebrity status as a rap star groupie and her romantic relationship with talk show host and political commentator Bill Maher. She also is the author of a tell-all New York Times Bestseller titled “Confessions of a Video Vixen” that recounts her years as a groupie and her brief interlude with the porn industry.
While Steffans admits to having signed a release before appearing on camera with Mr. Marcus, she has objected to Vivid’s repackaging of the tape, including the addition of what she alleges is a recent photo of her on the box cover.
“Vivid makes it look like it's a new tape,” Steffans told the New York Daily News. “They're using my current picture and a book title without my permission.”
The judge, however, denied Steffan’s TRO application, stating that among other reasons, there was no indication that the complaint was properly served on Vivid and because of Steffan’s “insufficient showing that she is likely to prevail on the merits or that the balance of hardships tip in her favor.”
Fanning the marketing flames of both the release of “Superhead” and her own celebrity status, Steffans appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show just days after the release to warn parents about steering their kids clear of the groupie lifestyle, drug use, sexual promiscuity and sexual exploitation.
Steffans admits to having sexual relationships with rap stars such as Usher, P. Diddy, Jay-Z and Ja Rule.
After Steffans stopped hanging out with rap stars, she found herself broke and alone, which spurred her interest in writing a tell-all book and getting on the talk show circuit.
Vivid released “Superhead” on April 21.
