Playboy playmate Dorothy Stratten was murdered in September of 1980 by her husband Paul, who denied killing her and said she committed suicide. Years later he admitted to the crime but still denies that it led to his conviction for second-degree murder. Now a new documentary about him is changing public opinion on whether or not he did kill his wife.
Dorothy Stratten was a Playboy Playmate and the wife of Peter Bogdanovich. She was shot to death by her husband in front of their home. Dorothy was later revealed to be pregnant with his child.
YouTube ‘They All Laughed’ star Dorothy Stratten.
In the late 1970s, Dorothy Stratten came to renown as a teenage Playboy Playmate.
When Paul Snider, a small-town hustler, “discovered” her in 1978, she was still a teenager working at a Dairy Queen in Canada. Snider, who had some success as an auto show organizer in Canada, believed that Stratten may be his ticket to a new life in Hollywood, according to ABC News.
According to Hollywood Life, Snider took Stratten under his wing, wooing her and even accompanying her to her high school prom when she was 18 and he was 26. He also persuaded her to participate in a nudist picture session, which he forwarded to Playboy. She was soon selected the August 1979 cover girl of the magazine.
The blonde beauty was voted 1980 Playmate of the Year and graced the pages of Hugh Hefner’s famed magazine at the height of her stardom. According to IMDb, she also featured in films like “Skatetown U.S.A.” and “Galaxina,” as well as famous TV programs like “Fantasy Island” and “Buck Rogers in the Twenty-First Century.” Stratten sat on Johnny Carson’s sofa during an appearance on “The Tonight Show” in April 1980.
Stratten was on the verge of becoming a star, but her last film part came after her death. Stratten had died by the time her first big film, “They All Laughed,” was released in 1981.
Dorothy Stratten was murdered by her estranged husband, Paul Snider, in a murder-suicide.
Paul Snider and Dorothy Stratten, courtesy of Getty Images.
Stratten became Snider’s wife in addition to being his inspiration. When Playboy came calling, the two moved to Los Angeles, and on June 1, 1979, they married in Las Vegas, according to Harper’s Bazaar. Hugh Hefner, who had barred Snider from the Playboy Mansion, was one of Stratten’s inner group who opposed the marriage.
In 1980, the Playboy founder told The Village Voice, “She knew I had significant doubts about [Snider].” “I had enough worries… that I had him looked out for a probable criminal record in Canada…. I stated to her that he had a ‘pimp-like aspect’ about him, and I knew the [risk] I was taking.”
Snider sued for divorce only a few months after they married, demanding control over Stratten’s profession and wealth. Stratten’s friends told her not to meet with her estranged spouse to discuss their divorce deal, but she ignored them, according to People.
According to Fox News, Snider sexually raped Stratten, then shot her in the face on Aug. 14, 1980. He then killed himself with a 12-gauge shotgun. Two of Stratten’s friends, Stephen Cushner and Patti Laurman, walked over to the home to check on her and found the gruesome murder-suicide scene.
In 2019, Laurman told “20/20” that it “appeared like it was a horror movie — a manufactured horror movie,” with mannequins and artificial blood.
According to Find a Grave, Stratten was laid to rest in Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
Shortly before she was murdered, Dorothy Stratten had an affair with filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich.
GettyDorothy Stratten (l) and Louise Stratten, her half-sister, with Peter Bogdanovich.
Stratten had an affair with Peter Bogdanovich, the filmmaker of “They All Laughed,” not long before she died. Bogdanovich fell in love with the blonde model after meeting her at the Playboy house and put her in his picture, which also featured Audrey Hepburn, Ben Gazzara, Patti Hansen, and John Ritter.
According to People, Bogdanovich reportedly claimed about Stratten, “I could scarcely believe she truly lived, that she wasn’t a dream.” “Dorothy Stratten had a supernatural quality about her.”
According to The Sun, Stratten split from Snider and moved in with a rich movie director in Los Angeles.
When Snider found his estranged wife was having an affair with Bogdanovich, he killed her. According to the Associated Press, the director eventually blamed Hefner and the Playboy lifestyle for his lover’s death. Bogdanovich married Louise Stratten, Stratten’s younger sister, in 1989. Stratten’s mother was quite displeased by the relationship early on, even though the two were married until 2001 and remained on friendly terms after their divorce.
According to People, Statten’s mother remarked of Bogdanovich at the time, “I believe he wants her because of a guilt trip.” “It happened to my other daughter, who had her head shot off, and it’ll happen to this one as well.” He wasn’t the one who did it, but he was involved. How can he be in love with both daughters if he’s in love with one of them?”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bogdanovich died on January 6, 2022, after suffering from Parkinson’s disease. He was 82 years old at the time.
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Dorothy Stratten was a Playboy Playmate and the wife of famed photographer Paul Snider. In 1980, she was murdered by her husband’s friend, Bob Marley. A documentary on her life is available on Netflix with a 4.9 rating. Reference: dorothy stratten documentary netflix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Paul Snyder still alive?
A: Paul Snyder is still alive as far as I know.
What did Paul Schneider do to Dorothy Stratten?
A: Dorothy Stratten was killed by Paul Schneider during a sexual encounter, so he murdered her.
What did Paul do to Dorothy?
A: Paul told Dorothy to stop talking.
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