Death of A Playmate

The story revolves around the life of Dorothy Stratten, a former Playmate and her sudden and untimely murder by her husband Paul Snider.
The year was 1977. Dorothy Stratten was only eighteen when she met Paul Snider. He was a pimp then and convinced her to pose for nude photos which he then submitted to Playboy’s 25th Anniversary Playmate search. She was not even of a legal age to do nude photography and needed her parent’s consent.
They both began dating and were married soon after. He was nine years elder to her.
Paul continued his attempts to cash in on her fame and success in the area, but failed. Instead he created problems for her career by intervening too much in her life. He also gave a shot at making his own independent career, but failed miserably even there. He became increasingly frustrated and began lashing out, mainly at his young and vulnerable wife Dorothy. She was at the receiving end of his verbal and possibly physical abuse. Their marriage was clearly over and it was time for Dorothy to get away from him as far as possible.
But neither took any step in legally breaking their relationship. Dorothy continued to shine in her career as she was invited to be a part of Hollywood and was given small roles in some films. Soon, she was discovered by an American director Peter Bogdonovich who instantly fell in love with her and vive versa. They started having an affair and it was obviously kept highly secretive. Paul came on the sets of her film where he wasn’t welcome at all. Dorothy finally confessed of her affair with Peter. Their marriage officially ended by the year 1980.
As Dorothy continued her relationship with Peter, Paul plotted his revenge. He purchased a shotgun and invited Dorothy to his place to “discuss financial settlement regarding the divorce”. He sexually assaulted her and then put a gun to her face and pulled the trigger, killing her on the spot. He then, shot himself immediately after.
The news soon spread to the Playboy mansion and Hugh Hefner expressed his grief over the loss of Dorothy and his dislike for Paul since a long time. Her death was yet another stigma on the Playboy mansion and Hugh Hefner.
Even as Dorothy Stratten’s soul rests in peace, her so called legend continues. No one knew what exactly happened on that fateful night, as even the court couldn’t pass a clear judgment. Her death continues to be the centre of attention at Playboy mansion and the general public and is just another example of what glamour, fame and money at such an early age can offer.