Joi Lansing was a sex symbol that rose to prominence over the course of the 1950s and 1960s before passing away tragically in the early 1970s. Joi as the Marilyn Monroe of television thanks to her sexy appearances on series like Love That Bob and The Beverly Hillbillies. Sadly, Joe’s life ended up mirroring Marilyn’s in more ways than one thanks to her untimely death. Many decades after her passing, a woman came forward claiming that she had been the late actress’s secret girlfriend. Join Facts Verse as Joi Lansing’s secret girlfriend finally breaks her silence.
The Truth About Joi Lansing Has Now Been Revealed
In 2015, a book, by the name of Joi Lansing: A Body to Die For. From the outside looking in, the book appeared to be just another biography of a legendary celebrity figure. Of course, this time, the celebrity figure in question would be the 1960 sex symbol Joi Lansing. However, there was something that set the release of the book apart. Instead of being written by a detached biographer, the book was written by a woman that claims to have been incredibly close with Joi towards the end of her life. Not only does author Alexis Hunter allege that she became close friends with Joi in the years leading up to the latter figure’s passing, but she also alleges that she was the sex symbol’s secret girlfriend.
1970 Film Bigfoot
At the time that Alexis Hunter met Joi Lansing, the prior figure was a struggling entertainer that had managed to secure a role for herself in the 1970 film Bigfoot. Sadly, the role that Alexis managed to get in the film wasn’t one that was going to do big things for her career. Alexis casts in the role of a large monkey in the independently made science-fiction fantasy, and the role required her to wear an oversized suit that made her all but invisible. Given that the role likely wouldn’t have done much for her resume, Alexis was likely grateful not be show in full glory on the screen.
Alexis is only 20 years old when she casts in Bigfoot, and she is in the position to take whatever work she could get. Meanwhile, headlining female star Joi Lansing was already a celebrity figure via her work on television and was attempting to use her role in the feature to segue into stardom on the big screen. Neither Joi nor Alexis ended up getting what they wanted out of Bigfoot, which starred David Carradine in the lead role. However, they end up getting something out of it, with that being friendship!
Joi Saw Right Through Alexis’ Monkey Suit
As one might imagine, Alexis Hunter didn’t find herself in the best mood when she stepped out onto the set of Bigfoot in an oversized monkey suit. However, things started looking up for the aspiring actress once Joi Lansing showed up. According to Alexis herself, the atmosphere on the set changed completely when Joi entered the room. Not only was Joi beautiful, but she also had a positive presence that immediately put an end to the dour mood on the set of the film. Even though Alexis is up like a big monkey, she manages to make a good impression on Joi. In fact, she made such a good impression that they became friends.
Alexis Hunter’s role as a monkey in Bigfoot required her to put on more than just a simple suit. The actress also had to undergo extensive makeup effects, which included spray paint, fake teeth, and hair glued directly onto her face. Meanwhile, the only makeup that Joi Lansing undergoes on the set of the film is the kind that means to make her look more beautiful. If you were to have been a fly on the wall during the movie’s production, you would assume that the two stars were as far apart in terms of societal stature as could be. Still, Joi saw something through all of the hair and fake teeth that was covering up Alexis’ natural beauty.
The Marilyn Monroe Of Television
When Alexis first saw how beautiful Joi is, she wasn’t prepared for how kind of a person she was going to be to match. Joi Lansing had first risen to prominence during the 1950s, making her a contemporary of similar sex symbols Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe. As far as sex symbols go, there are none that Joi compares to more over the years than Marilyn Monroe.
In fact, Joi is famous as “the Marilyn Monroe of television” due to the fact that she rose to prominence on the small screen whereas Marilyn rose to prominence via cinemas. Besides their looks and their charm, another thing that Joi shared with both Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe is the fact that she died tragically young. Marilyn Monroe passed away in 1962, at the age of 36, while Jayne Mansfield passed away in 1967, at the age of 34. At the time that Joi is appearing in Bigfoot, both of these sex symbols pass and the actress poises to take their place on the big screen.
How Joi Lansing Became a Sex Symbol
Joi Lansing was first ushered into the entertainment industry at the tender, young age of 14. At the time, she signs to a contract with MGM and put through the studio’s talent school. Despite this early attention, Joi would continue with her education and end up attending the University of California after graduating from high school. It is during her time attending college that Joi receives her big break. The actress’s big break came when a writer that worked with comedic performer Bob Cumming spotted her. Joi casts alongside the former on a series by the name of Love That Bob. Joi played the character of Shirley Swanson on the series from 1955 all the way until 1959.
Love That Bob
Love That Bob brought Joi Lansing to the attention of the television audience, and her popularity opened up the chance for her to appear in many more television programs. Besides Love That Bob, the most notable television program that the actress appeared on over the course of her career would have to be The Beverly Hillbillies. From 1963 until 1968, Joi played the character of Gladys Flatt on the series. Though Joi desired to make the transition from the small screen to the big screen over the course of her career, her dream never ended up coming true. Bigfoot didn’t lead to any bigger roles on cinema screens, and Joi passed away before she could make another attempt at movie stardom.
Joi Lansing mostly appeared in television series over the course of her career, but there were a few other films that she appeared in besides Bigfoot. Some of the other films that the actress appeared in include Hole in the Head and The Brave One. Another notable chapter of the star’s career saw her embarking on USO tours alongside comedic legend Bob Hope. This put Joi in good company as far as her sex-symbol contemporaries from the time period were concerned. Bigfoot might not have led to a lucrative career o the big screen, but Joi was certainly grateful for the lasting friendship that she received from working on the film.
Alexis Became Joi’s Secret Girlfriend
Alexis Hunter didn’t expect someone as high profile as Joi Lansing to be so kind to her. Soon into their friendship, Alexis invited Joi to come see her at her real job. While Alexis was aspiring to become a star, she moonlighted as an exotic dancer at a nightclub. She invited Joi to come watch her perform, and the actress surprisingly showed up! According to Alexis, Joi was the only person in the audience at the time. Alexis gave her a personal dance, and Joi whispered in her ear that the dancer didn’t belong there. The two women ended the night back at Joi’s house, where something happened that shocked Alexis. While the two were having a good time listening to music, Joi kissed her.
Alexis shocks when Joi Lansing kisses her, but the surprise wasn’t a bad one. Joi is a feminine figure that considers to be straight as can be. She marries three men over the course of her lifetime and marries her third and final husband at the time that she allegedly kissed Alexis. Still, the kiss ended up leading to a passionate love affair that lasted until Joi’s death. Joi’s final marriage also lasted until her death. As Alexis was holding Joi on the latter figure’s deathbed, Joi’s third and final husband thought they were simply very close friends.
The Relationship From 1969 To 1972
According to Alexis Hunter’s book, her and Joi Lansing were involved in a romantic relationship from 1969 until 1972, which was the year that Joi passed away. During the years that they were together, the public wasn’t completely ignorant of the fact that Joi was spending so much of her personal time with another woman. Alexis claims that Joi was terrified of people finding out the truth about what she was doing. She felt that being revealed to be a possible lesbian could ruin her career. Because of this, Joi avoided suspicions by claiming that Alexis was her sister. The two women shared similar looks, with both of them having blonde hair and striking blue eyes. Thus, Joi’s ploy was successful.
Though Joi Lansing was mostly romantically involved with men during her lifetime, she had a passionate love affair with a woman before her passing. Now it’s time to hear from you: did you know that Joi Lansing was involved in a lesbian relationship, and that the 1960 sex symbol was considered the Marilyn Monroe of television? Comment down below!
