Goddess Bunny
Crisp in 2007
Born(1960-01-13)January 13, 1960
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
DiedJanuary 27, 2021(2021-01-27) (aged 61)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other names
  • Sandra Crisp
  • Sandy Crisp
  • Sandie Crisp
Occupations
Known forThe Goddess Bunny
Obey the Walrus
Height5 ft 2 in (157 cm)
SpouseRocky Dale Wilson

Sandra "Sandie" Crisp[1] (January 13, 1960 – January 27, 2021), better known by her stage name The Goddess Bunny, was an American entertainer, drag queen, actress, and model.[2] Footage of her tap dancing, originally recorded around 1987, was the subject of one of the first viral videos.[3]

Life and career

Sandie Crisp was born on January 13, 1960,[1] in Santa Monica, California, to John Wesley Baima, an Italian lawyer,[4] and Betty Baima, a half-Cherokee secretary.[5] Much of what is known of Crisp's life comes from her own retellings of events, some of which were fabricated. For instance, in 2018, Crisp claimed to have participated in the first Paralympic Games in 1974, but no such event took place that year in Los Angeles, where Crisp was based at the time.[5]

Crisp was a transgender woman, transitioning in the late 1970s.[6] She performed as a drag queen during evenings.[5] After meeting fellow drag queen Glen Meadmore on the set of Hollywood Vice Squad, Crisp would become his friend and collaborator.[5]

Crisp contracted polio soon after birth and was subjected to the malpractice of multiple doctors, resulting in lifelong disfigurement which necessitated Crisp using a wheelchair.[7] After Crisp's parents divorced, Crisp in various foster homes for disabled children. These homes routinely subjected Crisp to physical and sexual abuse, largely due to Crisp's gender identity and disability. As a teenager Crisp went to live with her mother, coming out as a trans girl aged 14.[6] Her mother was deeply religious and rejected her gender identity, insisting on calling Crisp by her birth name, although Crisp would return to live with her mother at times during her adult life.[6]

Crisp began pursuing a career in the entertainment industry immediately after graduating from high school.[5] She made her acting debut as Charlean in the 1986 film Hollywood Vice Squad. She later made an appearance in the music video for "The Dope Show" by Marilyn Manson.[8] Crisp claims she was "paid nothing from the start" for her roles in music videos.[6]

In 1994, she was the subject of a documentary titled The Goddess Bunny, directed by Nick Bougas.[2][9] Another documentary about Crisp, titled Bunny and made by Hunter Ray Barker, was released in 2019. The film is based in the assisted living facility Crisp resided in during her later years, and features fans of Crisp including Gene Simmons.[7]

The Louvre has The Goddess Bunny as Leda (1986), a nude photo of Crisp taken by Joel-Peter Witkin, as part of its permanent collection.[4]

Personal life

Although Bunny had no biological children of her own, she informally 'adopted' fans[10] including photographer Chuck Grant, who is the sister of pop musician Lana Del Rey.

She reportedly met one of her sons, film director Hunter Ray Barker, in a Mexican restaurant.[7] Crisp acted as a muse for Barker, who made a short documentary film about her.[7]

Death

Crisp lived at an assisted living facility in Inglewood, California, towards the end of her life.[6] She died of COVID-19 in Los Angeles, on January 27, 2021, 14 days after her 61st birthday.[11]

Lana Del Rey posted a tribute to Crisp on her Instagram page.[12] Crisp's son, Hunter Ray Barker, created a GoFundMe appeal to raise money to cover Crisp's funeral expenses, seeking to honor her wish to be buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.[3][13]

Filmography

Films

Title[lower-alpha 1] Year Role(s) Director(s) Notes Ref.
Hollywood Vice Squad 1986 Charlene Penelope Spheeris Credited as Sandy Crisp [14]
The Drifter 1989 The Countessa John Aes-Nihil [15]
The Goddess Bunny Channels Shakespeare 1989 Herself John Aes-Nihil [16]
The Goddess Bunny 1994 Herself Nick Bougas [17]
Sugar & Spice 1995 Herself Larry Wessel [18]
God Is in the T.V. 1999 Herself
Various
Samuel Bayer
Rod Chong
Paul Hunter
Dean Karr
Richard Kern
Marilyn Manson
E. Elias Merhige
Matthew Rolston
Floria Sigismondi
Tom Stern
Wiz
 [18]
S 2002 Herself Athanasios Karanikolas Short film [19]
The Three Trials 2006 Diner Randy Greif [20]
Scumbag 2017 Gina Mars Roberge [21]

Note

  1. ↑ The films are listed in order of release date.

Television credits

Title Year Role(s) Notes Ref.
Lou Grant 19?? Copy Boy Unknown episode
Americans (Mer-Kins) 1988 Unknown 1 episode
Rage 2008 "Rage 'Ready for My Close Up' Special". 1 episode

Music video credits

Title Year Notes
"Puppet Master" 1997 Soul Assassins
(featuring Dr. Dre) music video
"The Dope Show" 1998 Marilyn Manson music video
"Fallen Leaves" 2006 Billy Talent music video

References

  1. 1 2 "Goddess Bunny". IMDb. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  2. 1 2 Stuart, Gwynedd (April 29, 2017). "At the Punk Version of DragCon, NYC Queens Honor an L.A. Legend: The Goddess Bunny". LA Weekly.
  3. 1 2 AnOther (February 11, 2021). "A Tribute to Goddess Bunny, Hollywood's Disabled Trans Art Star". AnOther. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Risen, Clay (February 4, 2021). "Sandie Crisp, 'Goddess Bunny' of the Underground Scene, Dies at 61". The New York Times. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Goddess Bunny's Life as a Hollywood Staple". PAPER. April 5, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Legend of Goddess Bunny, Hollywood's Forgotten, Disabled, Trans Art Star". www.vice.com. November 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Dazed (October 9, 2019). "The story of Hollywood's tap-dancing, disabled trans star Goddess Bunny". Dazed. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  8. ↑ Sunderland, Mitchell (November 1, 2016). "The Legend of Goddess Bunny, Hollywood's Forgotten, Disabled, Trans Art Star". Vice.
  9. ↑ "The Goddess Bunny". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2016. Archived from the original on March 25, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Glory Hole, a documentary project honoring America's counterculture legends". Document Journal. March 31, 2020. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  11. ↑ Risen, Clay (February 4, 2021). "Sandie Crisp, 'Goddess Bunny' of the Underground Scene, Dies at 61". The New York Times.
  12. ↑ "You meant everything to my sister and hunter and because of that you meant so much to me. Thank you for bringing so much joy into their lives". Instagram.
  13. ↑ Baume, Matt (January 29, 2021). "The Goddess Bunny, a Trans Disabled Cult Icon, Passes Away at 61". them. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Hollywood Vice Squad (1986)". IMDb.
  15. ↑ "The Drift (Video 1989)". IMDb.
  16. ↑ "The Goddess Bunny Channels Shakespeare (Video 1989)". IMDb.
  17. ↑ "The Goddess Bunny (Video 1994)". IMDb.
  18. 1 2 "Sugar & Spice (1995)". IMDb.
  19. ↑ "S (2002)". IMDb.
  20. ↑ "The Three Trials (2006)". IMDb.
  21. ↑ "Scumbag (2017)". IMDb.
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