Lessons From Lana

I didn't realize I had avoided watching the sensational Lana Clarkson -- Phil Spector trial until I went to a friend's for dinner. I sat next to Dominick Dunne -- the renowned journalist -- and remembered why I had avoided it: I had been a friend and acting classmate of his extraordinary daughter Dominique, and had been deeply affected by her death. She was murdered at the hands of a man who had a history of abusing women. In broad daylight, he walked from the restaurant where he worked to her house, dragged her into the front yard and strangled her until she was brain dead. At age 22 she had already starred in movies and on television, and was on the road to what should have been a long career and a wonderful life.

The last time I saw Dominique, she was shooting an episode of L.A. Law, playing the role of an abused woman. She came to visit me while I was working on the set of St. Elsewhere. I was shocked to see her covered in bruises, but she told me about her role -- that it was just make-up. But she wasn't herself. I told her I wanted to get together but she said she was in hiding, changing houses every night.

Now this wasn't a role -- I was getting more upset. What was going on? Was her boyfriend hurting her? Did she want to stay with me? She said she couldn't talk about it now but she'd broken it off with her boyfriend and would call me when she was safe. I never saw her again.

Dominick told me the worst part of the trial was how the defense attorneys tried to make Lana's life into a failure, showing clips of her small roles and her one -- woman show about being a B-movie actress. My girlfriend told me that many women she knew had criticized Lana for going with Spector that night. I asked her if any of these women were in show business. She said no, realizing, as did I, that they had no sympathy for her because they didn't understand her situation.

But the actress in me understood why she went with Spector and so did my friend. Even though the guy looks like the Mad Hatter, I found myself saying "It could have been any one of us at a similar point in our lives". And my friend agreed. She had been an actress herself and understood the pressure to survive in the face of countless rejections until that big break came along in the form of someone who might recognize your talent and give you an opportunity.

The day after the dinner party, the news showed clips from the trial. The prosecution showed a hopeful young woman pursuing her dream of being an actress, while the defense portrayed her as such a depressed failure that she killed herself. I watched the clips and was moved by the indefatigable spirit of Lana. Her sweetness, her hope and her talent came through.

In his closing argument, the prosecutor asked the court what they would have told Lana Clarkson if they had seen her just before she left for Spector's mansion on the night of her death.

"You'd lean over and you'd whisper, 'Don't go. Don't go.' You'd simply say, 'Lana, don't go,''' Deputy District Attorney Alan Jackson said.

In fact, she had said no at first. But she let Spector talk her into going. Perhaps she was particularly vulnerable that evening, worried about her future in this youth-oriented business. Maybe Lana thought he was the "contact" she had been waiting for. How was she to know how dangerous he was? How are any of us to know that someone is capable of such violence? In talking to people about the case, I learned that it was common knowledge within the business that Phil Spector has been putting guns in women's mouths for many years. it's a miracle he hasn't killed someone before now. My contacts say women did not speak up, because they were afraid their reputations would be trashed.

I know one thing, guns don't belong in women's mouths and if you play around with guns, there's no doubt that they can go off and kill somebody.

We are taught to see the good in people and give them the benefit of the doubt. But there are men who prey on the trusting and the hopeful. Lana made a mistake; she heard that voice inside her but she overrode its message of "don't go!"

There is violence against women everywhere in the world today: date rape, sexual harassment, battered wives, child sexual abuse and sex trafficking. In some countries, the scale of such abuses is unfathomable.

This goes to the heart of what mothers worry about. How do we give our daughters a road map to navigate the many dangers facing them as they go out into this complicated world? Is there some class, book or lecture that illuminates the way, protects them and helps them be vigilant? How do we warn them without making them afraid of life?

But I also think an important way to survive is though using mothers as teachers. We can teach our daughters how to take care of themselves; we can guide them to trust their own instincts; we can cultivate and honor that inner voice that will speak to them to warn them when something is not right; we can tell them that you can and must say "no" when your antenna emits danger signals; we can assure them "you don't owe anybody anything. You don't have to be accommodating or nice -- accommodate yourself."

It's clear we can't control life -- we can't always be there at those treacherous turns. But maybe attuning to their inner voice will be an important guiding light and saving grace in our daughters' lives.

What is the meaning of Lana's death and my friend Dominique's? Their sacrifice reminds us to be vigilant -- to strengthen our resolve to help our daughters, our boys, our friends and loved ones to be safe. Predators come in many forms and one has to mentally and emotionally prepare - and be physically ready to summon all we have to recognize and fight these cruel enemies before they get too close and the word "no" is no longer enough.

Comments

[Lozzi]

Cynthia, Your article was truly wonderful and so meaningful. You nailed it. Dominick Dunne is truly amazing and like you I have been gifted with his friendship and brilliant inside experience.

You get it -concerning this monster Spector and what he has done to abuse so many people. Sadly it looks like he will get a slap on the wrist from this confused jury.

Something overlooked and to be considered. Lana insulted Spector by turning him away at closing time and by referring to him as " Miss" at House of Blues. Her new bosses were upset with her because they knew their $500. usual tip was at stake on this slow Sunday night. They told Lana to make him happy. Sit with him. Whatever. "Treat him golden". It doesn't take brain surgery to figure out that Lana was indeed diplomatic and accommodating. That was a big factor in her decision to go there when she really didn't want to. Edward Lozzi, former publicist and long time friend of Lana Clarkson