Gloria Leonard, ex-porn actress and publisher of High Society, dead at 73
Born Gail Leonardi in the Bronx in 1940, Leonard starred in adult film 'Misty Beethoven' and was the publisher of magazine High Society, which was known for publishing nude photos of actresses. Outspoken about free speech, Leonard regularly brushed off criticisms of simultaneously being a feminist and appearing in pornographic films.
Gloria Leonard, a Bronx-born former porn actress who later became publisher of well-known skin mag High Society and an outspoken proponent of free speech, died Monday in a Hawaii hospital. She was 73.
The groundbreaking businesswoman was born Gail Leonardi in 1940 to a Jewish family. She was a 35-year-old single mother in the 1970s when she first entered the porn industry, taking the name Gloria Leonard for her debut in the porn classic "Misty Beethoven."
Leonard worked for decades in adult publishing, and was an ardent supporter of the National Organization for Women and free speech groups.
She brushed off frequent criticism for identifying as a feminist while also advocating for the porn industry.
"The difference between pornography and erotica is the lighting," she once famously said.
From 1977 to 1991 Leonard ran High Society magazine, famous for publishing naked pictures of famous actresses such as Jodie Foster and Barbra Streisand. She also pioneered the use of 900 phone sex lines for the magazine, although she later claimed she never made a dime from it.
Leonard, who lived in Hawaii at the time of her death, suffered a serious stroke Jan. 30 and passed away Feb. 3. She is survived by her daughter Robin Leonardi, 50, and granddaughter Roxanne Felig, 18.
Born Gail Leonardi in the Bronx in 1940, Leonard starred in adult film 'Misty Beethoven' and was the publisher of magazine High Society, which was known for publishing nude photos of actresses. Outspoken about free speech, Leonard regularly brushed off criticisms of simultaneously being a feminist and appearing in pornographic films.
Gloria Leonard, a Bronx-born former porn actress who later became publisher of well-known skin mag High Society and an outspoken proponent of free speech, died Monday in a Hawaii hospital. She was 73.
The groundbreaking businesswoman was born Gail Leonardi in 1940 to a Jewish family. She was a 35-year-old single mother in the 1970s when she first entered the porn industry, taking the name Gloria Leonard for her debut in the porn classic "Misty Beethoven."
Leonard worked for decades in adult publishing, and was an ardent supporter of the National Organization for Women and free speech groups.
She brushed off frequent criticism for identifying as a feminist while also advocating for the porn industry.
"The difference between pornography and erotica is the lighting," she once famously said.
From 1977 to 1991 Leonard ran High Society magazine, famous for publishing naked pictures of famous actresses such as Jodie Foster and Barbra Streisand. She also pioneered the use of 900 phone sex lines for the magazine, although she later claimed she never made a dime from it.
Leonard, who lived in Hawaii at the time of her death, suffered a serious stroke Jan. 30 and passed away Feb. 3. She is survived by her daughter Robin Leonardi, 50, and granddaughter Roxanne Felig, 18.
Gloria Leonard, ex-porn actress and publisher of High Society, dead at 73
Born Gail Leonardi in the Bronx in 1940, Leonard starred in adult film 'Misty Beethoven' and was the publisher of magazine High Society, which was known for publishing nude photos of actresses. Outspoken about free speech, Leonard regularly brushed off criticisms of simultaneously being a feminist and appearing in pornographic films.
Gloria Leonard, a Bronx-born former porn actress who later became publisher of well-known skin mag High Society and an outspoken proponent of free speech, died Monday in a Hawaii hospital. She was 73.
The groundbreaking businesswoman was born Gail Leonardi in 1940 to a Jewish family. She was a 35-year-old single mother in the 1970s when she first entered the porn industry, taking the name Gloria Leonard for her debut in the porn classic "Misty Beethoven."
Leonard worked for decades in adult publishing, and was an ardent supporter of the National Organization for Women and free speech groups.
She brushed off frequent criticism for identifying as a feminist while also advocating for the porn industry.
"The difference between pornography and erotica is the lighting," she once famously said.
From 1977 to 1991 Leonard ran High Society magazine, famous for publishing naked pictures of famous actresses such as Jodie Foster and Barbra Streisand. She also pioneered the use of 900 phone sex lines for the magazine, although she later claimed she never made a dime from it.
Leonard, who lived in Hawaii at the time of her death, suffered a serious stroke Jan. 30 and passed away Feb. 3. She is survived by her daughter Robin Leonardi, 50, and granddaughter Roxanne Felig, 18.
Born Gail Leonardi in the Bronx in 1940, Leonard starred in adult film 'Misty Beethoven' and was the publisher of magazine High Society, which was known for publishing nude photos of actresses. Outspoken about free speech, Leonard regularly brushed off criticisms of simultaneously being a feminist and appearing in pornographic films.
Gloria Leonard, a Bronx-born former porn actress who later became publisher of well-known skin mag High Society and an outspoken proponent of free speech, died Monday in a Hawaii hospital. She was 73.
The groundbreaking businesswoman was born Gail Leonardi in 1940 to a Jewish family. She was a 35-year-old single mother in the 1970s when she first entered the porn industry, taking the name Gloria Leonard for her debut in the porn classic "Misty Beethoven."
Leonard worked for decades in adult publishing, and was an ardent supporter of the National Organization for Women and free speech groups.
She brushed off frequent criticism for identifying as a feminist while also advocating for the porn industry.
"The difference between pornography and erotica is the lighting," she once famously said.
From 1977 to 1991 Leonard ran High Society magazine, famous for publishing naked pictures of famous actresses such as Jodie Foster and Barbra Streisand. She also pioneered the use of 900 phone sex lines for the magazine, although she later claimed she never made a dime from it.
Leonard, who lived in Hawaii at the time of her death, suffered a serious stroke Jan. 30 and passed away Feb. 3. She is survived by her daughter Robin Leonardi, 50, and granddaughter Roxanne Felig, 18.
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