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Tarnished Angel: Surviving in the Dark Curve of Drugs, Violence, Sex, and Fame : A Memoir
Actress/writer Jennifer Lee tells the story of her tumultuous ride on the glamorous rollercoaster of life in the fast lane. With a cast of characters that includes Richard Pryor, Warren Beatty, Willie Nelson, Jane Fonda and Roman Polanski. This shocking first-person portrayal reveals the hedonistic Hollywood of the 1970's. 8 pages of photgraphs.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
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October 17, 2007 she has sex... a lot.
Oh yeah, did I mention that the sex she's having is with famous people?
This is all part of her "woman's liberation" efforts as it seems is meeting Richard Pryor and getting the crap beat out of her. She really, really loves him, so this is OK.
She eventually gets out and writes this book. Whew. We can all rest easy now.
Oh yeah, did I mention that the sex she's having is with famous people?
This is all part of her "woman's liberation" efforts as it seems is meeting Richard Pryor and getting the crap beat out of her. She really, really loves him, so this is OK.
She eventually gets out and writes this book. Whew. We can all rest easy now.
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January 8, 2026More like, Tarnishing Legacy – not that we needed any further insight into genius-comic Richard Pryor’s post-1970s disintegration… Here is wife #4 (and #7 …depending on who you believe who could afford to litigate longest) to tell-all what really happened …according to Jennifer-I-Can’t-Be-Racist-Bc-I-Married-a-Black-Lee. fyi: yes, Lee also very casually appropriates the dehumanizing idiom about …trying Black, Never go Back… [see: Pp.118]
Which really isn’t applicable: throughout her entireGroupie
hangers’-on memoir, Lee never hooks up with another Black man – The majority of her pre-R.P. biography itemizes Lee’s preferred celebrity entanglements, and she definitely has a type: effeminate Europeans & bisexual celebs, but mostly, Good ole boy/country-folk dudes; or as Pryor’s ‘Mama’ deftly tagged them:
Moreover, readers will find little reward with what Lee deems worthy commemorating [née: Revisionist-history], rather, It’s What she repeatedly fails to acknowledge – the only, real, tell-all facets here can be glimpsed between-the-lines, courtesy Lee’s internal editor. Like when Lee insists she needed to live in her own apartment (to "work on her sobriety"), she returns one evening (to Richard home) to discover him snorting a giant mound of "pure" cocaine. [obviously because the price tag on it told her it was "Uncut" blow?]
Or when Lee insists she made major contributions to Pryor’s original writing for his Live in Concert Tour and film [fyi: her ‘major’ contributions more or less amounts to itemizing Pryor's audiences' demographics, noting which gags scored with ladies, or which bits connected (more?) with caucasians, etc.]; Nevertheless, her diary-formatted memoir noticeably omits (redacts?) those weeks preceding or following principle photography on Pryor’s December 1978 concert movie.
Or when Lee offhandedly implies Pryor actually snorted-up all the monies heaccused proved his manager/lawyer, David Franklin, of embezzling, when really – Franklin was convicted, several times, for epeatedly stealingrepeatedly stealing from his clients – Jennifer Lee is the only Team Pryor confederate to ever defend Franklin’s thievery. fyi: approximately the same time Pryor reportedly cancelled all her credit cards [again] .. according to Jennifer Lee. ...So, at the very least, Franklin was likely paying the rent on her crash pad.
The running theme though Lee’s memoir – the latter half dedicated to her time with Pryor:
There is seriously so much cringe... kinda surprised someone hasn't exploited pull-quotes from Lee’s memoir, or lobbied for Cancelled campaign. You learn absolutely nothing [new] about Richard Pryor, primarily because Lee can only conject Pryor’s intent or motivations via her ideal stereotypes and tropes about American Black men.
Lee insists she's just being 'righteously honest' when saluting her Black lover's 'legendary mandingo sex;'; But still cries foul that others can utilize "hip street blackisms," but she 's castigated for appropriating the N-word in casual conversation(s).
Jennifer Lee also glibly recalls, in February 1978, a rainy-night confessional about on-going incestuous relationship, allegedly confessed to her in front of roaring fireplace. Lee's publishers almost certainly ordered the victim's name redacted, fearing probable libel suit, nevertheless Lee's can't resist dropping suggestive cues to the child's identity -- (unfortunately her viewpoint is so narrow [or so dense], she can't help herself from leaving little room for speculation).
- - - - - - -
Pre-Pryor, Lee coolly acknowledged once pimped-out by Warren Beatty & Roman Polanski to film producer Sam Spiegel; So Jennifer Lee srsly hit the jackpot when she connected with Richard Pryor.
- - - --
Lastly, No way Pryor would want to spend his remaining years with the person(s) described in this manuscript; That’s why it’s so fantastic he would secretly re-marry Lee, residing in elder-abusing habitat, and secretly amend estate planning in Lee’s favor.
Lee plainly despises Richard Pryor – It’s surreal his family isn’t preserving his legacy. Rain Pryor is Richard’s best advocate (commemorating her father’s heritage pre-1980s talent), while Lee is more concerned with animal rights -- instead of kids of her own, she reportedly resides off Pryor's residuals, in an estate littered with dogs (alongside her "secret" lover)... an empire of dog shit, natch.
Which really isn’t applicable: throughout her entire
‘…that damn lynchin’ music of her old lovers.’…in other words, Lee’ll never be accused of being ‘a Sister’.
Moreover, readers will find little reward with what Lee deems worthy commemorating [née: Revisionist-history], rather, It’s What she repeatedly fails to acknowledge – the only, real, tell-all facets here can be glimpsed between-the-lines, courtesy Lee’s internal editor. Like when Lee insists she needed to live in her own apartment (to "work on her sobriety"), she returns one evening (to Richard home) to discover him snorting a giant mound of "pure" cocaine. [obviously because the price tag on it told her it was "Uncut" blow?]
Or when Lee insists she made major contributions to Pryor’s original writing for his Live in Concert Tour and film [fyi: her ‘major’ contributions more or less amounts to itemizing Pryor's audiences' demographics, noting which gags scored with ladies, or which bits connected (more?) with caucasians, etc.]; Nevertheless, her diary-formatted memoir noticeably omits (redacts?) those weeks preceding or following principle photography on Pryor’s December 1978 concert movie.
Or when Lee offhandedly implies Pryor actually snorted-up all the monies he
D N FMaybe just as rotten as obligatory racism, imo, is someone so ignorant they refuse to acknowledge their natively bigoted tendencies, e.g. 'folksy racism'.
The running theme though Lee’s memoir – the latter half dedicated to her time with Pryor:
Only I Can Save Richard From his Traditional "Ghetto Roots."
Only I Can Educate Richard How to "Behave in Civil Society."
Only I Can "Evolve" Richard into "Something Different, Special - Colorless."
There is seriously so much cringe... kinda surprised someone hasn't exploited pull-quotes from Lee’s memoir, or lobbied for Cancelled campaign. You learn absolutely nothing [new] about Richard Pryor, primarily because Lee can only conject Pryor’s intent or motivations via her ideal stereotypes and tropes about American Black men.
Lee insists she's just being 'righteously honest' when saluting her Black lover's 'legendary mandingo sex;'; But still cries foul that others can utilize "hip street blackisms," but she 's castigated for appropriating the N-word in casual conversation(s).
Jennifer Lee also glibly recalls, in February 1978, a rainy-night confessional about on-going incestuous relationship, allegedly confessed to her in front of roaring fireplace. Lee's publishers almost certainly ordered the victim's name redacted, fearing probable libel suit, nevertheless Lee's can't resist dropping suggestive cues to the child's identity -- (unfortunately her viewpoint is so narrow [or so dense], she can't help herself from leaving little room for speculation).
- - - - - - -
Pre-Pryor, Lee coolly acknowledged once pimped-out by Warren Beatty & Roman Polanski to film producer Sam Spiegel; So Jennifer Lee srsly hit the jackpot when she connected with Richard Pryor.
- - - --
Lastly, No way Pryor would want to spend his remaining years with the person(s) described in this manuscript; That’s why it’s so fantastic he would secretly re-marry Lee, residing in elder-abusing habitat, and secretly amend estate planning in Lee’s favor.
Lee plainly despises Richard Pryor – It’s surreal his family isn’t preserving his legacy. Rain Pryor is Richard’s best advocate (commemorating her father’s heritage pre-1980s talent), while Lee is more concerned with animal rights -- instead of kids of her own, she reportedly resides off Pryor's residuals, in an estate littered with dogs (alongside her "secret" lover)... an empire of dog shit, natch.
August 30, 2017
No comment.
May 22, 2022
Entertaining and sad a bit. I like that it was written like a diary. I just wish she talked about her childhood a little more.
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June 28, 2012I read this in March, 2010. Do not remember a thing about it, meaning I probably was not impressed by Jennifer Lee's story, Tarnished Angel: Surviving in the Dark Curve of Drugs, Violence, Sex and Fame: A Memoir.
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