Tarnished Angel: Surviving in the Dark Curve of Drugs, Violence, Sex, and Fame : A Memoir

by Jennifer Lee.

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

Reviews

[Amanda]

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.

[A Cesspool Buffoonery · Rating 1 out of 5]

“I’m not seeing much ‘Angel’ here.”

-Geraldo Rivera, Geraldo (talk show; Fall 1991) feat. Jennifer Lee [promoting Tarnished Angel]

More like, Tarnishing Legacy – not that we needed any further insight into 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-Black-Lee.
fyi: yes, Lee also casually appropriates the dehumanizing idiom about …trying Black, Never go Back… [see: Pp.118]
Which srsly isn’t applicable: throughout her entire Groupie hangers’-on memoir (and thereafter), Lee never connects with another non-white partner again.
Likewise, the majority of her pre-Richard-Pryor autobiography itemizes her preferred entanglements, and she definitely has a type: effeminate Europeans & bisexual celebrities, but mostly, Good ole boy/country-folk dudes; or as Pryor’s ‘Mama’ once deftly tagged them:

‘…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...

Example:

Like the time she convinced Pryor she needed her own apartment (to "work on her sobriety"), she returns to his mansion one night to discover him snorting a giant mound of "pure" cocaine. [she knew it was 'Pure,' because the price tag, or "Uncut" purity-label:, was still on it ...obviously.]
　　Or when Lee insists she made major contributions to Pryor’s original material for his Live in Concert (supporting tour and) feature 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 with caucasians, etc.]; Nevermind her diary-formatted memoir plainly omits corroborating entries during the weeks preceding, throughout, or following principle photography on Pryor’s aforementioned December 1978 concert movie (she later appealed for a writing credit). Albeit, when initially authored, Lee would have never fathomed readers might someday have uncomplicated access to most motion pictures' [digitized] historical data (and corroborating metadata); i.e. filming dates, post-production timetables, marketing memos, MPAA correspondence, etc. etc.
　　Or when Lee offhandedly implies Pryor actually snorted-up all the monies he accused proved his manager/lawyer, David Franklin, of embezzling; Yet fails to acknowledge – Franklin was convicted, several times, after repeatedly stealing from his clients. Moreover, Jennifer Lee is actually the only Team Pryor confederate to ever defend Franklin’s thievery.
　　fyi: occurring approximately the same time Pryor reportedly cancelled all her credit cards [again] .. according to Jennifer Lee. ...So, at the very least, the crooked attorney/manager was very likely her sole benefactor (for the rent due on her Whites Only "sober-living" space).

D N F

Maybe just as rotten as obligatory racism, imo, is someone so ignorant they refuse to acknowledge their own natively bigoted biases, e.g. Lee's casual '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 already culled pull-quotes towards lobbying Cancel campaign. You learn absolutely nothing [new] about Richard Pryor, primarily because Lee's only capable conjecturing base stereotypes and tropes about American Black men (whenever recalling Pryor’s intent or motivations).
Lee insists she's 'just being righteously honest' when revisiting her Black lover's 'legendary mandingo sex;' Yet still cries foul when others [née: non-whites] in Pryor's inner-circle can utilize "hip street blackisms," but she's castigated for appropriating the N-word in casual conversation(s).
Jennifer Lee also glibly reminisces a 'rainy-night confessional,' in February 1978, 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 she still can't resist dropping suggestive cues to the child's identity -- (unfortunately the author's so unimaginatively dense, Lee 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; Surmising she actually had "the most to gain" from that transaction, á la gifted free overseas travel & accommodations (just for being a 70+ yr-old, has-been, producer's traveling Ho).

One can’t help but conject: Jennifer Lee musta really felt like she hit the jackpot when she finally connected with Richard Pryor? (who, at the moment, according to Lee, was really more into his interior designing side piece …until Lee, needing cash [and probably hoping to boost a few trinkets and/or fancy dish soaps], asked if she could assist on the job: redecorating one of Pryor’s living spaces.
　　FYI: Lee has since reclaimed this origin story, churning it through her forced-revisionist historical-perspective, upgrading her role to the lone Interior Designer (supposedly contracted by Pryor to re-design some living spaces). Thereby gifting herself with a more cinematic -- When We First Met --Meet-Cute anecdotal …if told by the under-educated, unemployed, po'white dumpster diver).
- - - –
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 eventually re-marry Lee (in secret), prefer the security of an elder-abusing habitat, and amend his estate & IP planning in Lee’s favor.
Lee plainly despises Richard Pryor.** It’s only more surreal she’s preserving his legacy (and not his legit, legal, familial). How can the L.A. probate court system be so easily manipulated?? For a time, Lee actually tried to overhaul Pryor’s legacy, backdating him into an Animal Rights Advocate??? Because Richard Pryor was more concerned with the welfare of Pets & Ethical Treatment of Animals, than he was his Black brethren (and Sistren). She triflin!

Rain Pryor is Richard’s more vocal advocate (commemorating her father’s heritage & pre-1980s career), while Jennifer Lee is more concerned with animal rights – since she never had any kids of her own, she reportedly resides off Pryor’s residuals, in an estate littered with dogs (alongside her “secret” partner)… an empire of dog shit, natch.

 notes:

** In the mid-90s, after overseeing the final-edit of his memoir, Lee exploited the publication’s book tour to garner sympathy as a spousal abuse survivor (from their initial relationship, pre-1990s: a marriage that lasted approximately 2 weeks); Richard could do little but feign contrition for his violent past. But thanks to more sincere biographers, we now know Lee was the partner Pryor put hands on most; A less cursory examination(s) exposes the principle causes for their violent bust-ups – Pryor apparently had two triggers (that Jennifer Lee allegedly prompted whenever she felt she needed an advocate during their “passionate” arguments):

Doubting Pryor’s masculinity by, specifically, exploiting his childhood assault (referred to in Pryor Convictions: and Other Life Sentences)

Branded with derogatory stereotypes, dehumanizing cliches and/or racist tropes (specifically, from someone he respects).

Lee supposedly flipped this switch(s) a lot throughout their time together (according to colleagues’ and [two of] his kids’ autobiographies).
One of Pryor’s Berkeley buddy’s recalled what could make Pryor so despondent was his ‘unspoken need to nurture and protect Jennifer from her rural, short-sighted, trailer home-upbringing.’ Pryor’s friends thought it was unreal how much he cared for this bigoted bottle-rocket, whose affection could only ever be returned sparingly.

[patty · Rating 2 out of 5]

No comment.

[Rashida · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[MaryAlice]

I 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.