Shalimar Seiuli
Shalimar Seiuli | |
---|---|
Born | July 6, 1976 Mesepa, American Samoa |
Died | April 22, 1998 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 21)
Other names | Shalimar, Atisone Seiuli |
Occupation | Dancer |
Shalimar Seiuli, (July 6, 1976 – April 22, 1998) known professionally as Shalimar or Atisone Seiuli, was an American Samoan
On May 2, 1997, Seiuli, a sex worker, was being watched by police before getting into Murphy's SUV. Seiuli was unaware of who the driver was. Murphy was pulled over by police, questioned for thirty minutes, then released, while Seiuli was arrested for an outstanding warrant on prostitution charges. Murphy claimed he was just being a "good Samaritan" by giving Seiuli a ride home.[1][2]
Overnight, the story made headlines, and was later parodied on an episode of
Early life
Seiuli was born to a devout
Arrest and subsequent infamy
At 4:55 AM on May 2, 1997,
Murphy hired Hollywood private eye Paul Barresi to help defuse the scandal, paying other trans women who had sold stories up to $15,000 per retraction.[6][5] Seiuli claimed to have received threats since her encounter with Murphy, as she refused to change her story.[7][6] Due to Seiuli's rising celebrity status, she filmed an erotic movie and left prostitution to become the House Madame of the nightclub, 7969, in which she performed erotic routines as a dominatrix with live snakes.
Death
On April 22, 1998, a neighbor in Seiuli's apartment building found her dead on the sidewalk outside the building. Discovered wearing only her bra, pants and a towel, police suspected Shalimar was locked out of her apartment, and tried to use a towel as a rope to slide or swing down from the roof to an open window. Instead, she fell five floors and suffered severe head trauma, resulting in her death, which was classified as accidental.[8] The coroner's report stated someone heard a scream at 5 o'clock in the morning, which is believed to indicate the time of Seiuli's death.[5]
References
- ^ a b "Scary hints about Eddie - NY Daily News". nydailynews.com. 25 July 2007.
- ^ a b c Smith, Kyle (May 19, 1997). "Double Trouble". People.
- ^ "Atisone Seiuli (1976–1998) sex worker, performer". 6 August 2008.
- ^ "Eddie Murphy busted with transsexual prostitute in 1997 - NY Daily News". nydailynews.com. May 2016.
- ^ a b c "Forever Young: Revisiting the Life & Death of Shalimar Seiuli". UTOPIA Washington. 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
- ^ a b Ebner, Mark (2019-12-20). "The Bagman". hollywoodinterrupted. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
- ^ Weekly, L. A. (1998-05-06). "The New Hollywood Sinkhole". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
- ^ "The Death of Eddie Murphy's Infamous Passenger". E! Online. 1 May 1998.
External links
- Shalimar Seiuli at IMDb