LOS ANGELES — Adult performer Samantha Fox passed on April 22 at 69, reportedly from cardio-vascular illness with COVID-19 complications, according to vintage porn site The Rialto Report, who spoke to her sister.
Fox was a true adult industry A-lister in the 1980s, starring in several adult movies during the shot-on-film era of the industry.
A college-educated New Yorker and accomplished actress, Fox joined the adult industry in 1975 and had a successful career for about nine years, often in collaboration with director Chuck Vincent.
Fox had notable roles both in adult (“Amanda by Night,” “The Devil in Miss Jones 2,” “Tramp”) and mainstream B-movies (Doris Wishman’s “A Night to Dismember”).
She retired from film work in 1984, for personal reasons, and worked in other forms of adult entertainment and non-adult jobs.
A 1985 War on Porn campaign in Utah resulted in federal charges against Fox for her association with a phone sex line. The anti-porn crusaders briefly managed to outlaw phone sex, until their legislation was struck down on constitutional free-speech grounds.
Later in life, Fox retrained as a physical instructor and therapist.
From 1978, Fox was in a relationship with male talent Bobby Astyr, and lived close to him, in nearby apartments, until his death in 2002.
Annie Sprinkle Remembers Samantha Fox
Fellow Golden Age performer Annie Sprinkle shared with XBIZ her thoughts about Samantha Fox's passing:
We were colleagues and friends for about 10 years, from 1978 when she started making adult films, she made some of the greats, and some classic B movies. She made about 100 films, and was usually the star of the film due to her beauty, sweetness and good acting skills where she could play a wide range of characters. After her film career, she had become an aerobics instructor and very religious.
Sam and I worked together in numerous movies: "Jack n' Jill," "Spitfire," and "Centerfold Fever" in which I teach her the Busom Ballet which was such a funny scene.
Samantha was someone I respected enormously. I admired her good energy. I had reconnected with her about a year ago when we talked for well over an hour about our lives, our pasts and hopes for the future. She still missed Bobby, the love of her life, a lot. She desired to reconnect with some friends from her past life in X. Veronica Vera wrote a nice article about her for Adam magazine for which I did the photos of her holding her many golden acting trophies. We had a wonderful talk. For that I'm grateful.
Samantha was only 69 years old when she left her beloved body. She was important in the world, and she will live on through her many good deeds, great works, and through the love and pleasure she gave to so many of us. Enjoy your Bobby reunion, Samantha. I hope you're cuddling in his angel wings now. RIP.
