posted on www.lukeisback.com: 12/31/98, George writes on RAME: I found this in alt.showbiz.gossip I just received the following note from the official fan club for the Native American adult film actress Hyapatia Lee:
“Hyapatia Lee has relapsed into a childhood disease (diabetes) and passed away. This news has upset many beloved fans and friends around the world. When Hyapatia learned of her inevitable demise she had a last request. In her personal words–‘Please set up a fund raising sale in my behalf for my medical and burial expenses. I have no medical insurance and my family can’t even afford the doctor bills not to mention the cost of a burial. I have a lot of fan club merchandise left that can be sold and I will give a list of personal one of a kind items that are sentimental to me. These items are truely [sic] part of me and my history of being a legend of erotica.
“I really appreciate all of the love and support from my friends and I’m sure the Great Spirit will reunite us all one day. I will autograph as many items as I can. Remember, if you buy ANY merchandise from the fan club, it is mine personally. You will not only help a friend in dire need, but also help my spirit to live on with you.
“Please help if you can.” Hyapatia Lee 1961-1998.”
According to the note, those who are already members of her fan club have the first opportunity to buy her remaining autographed photos, magazines, videotapes, etc., before they go up for sale over the Internet on February 1. The news of her passing has not yet been announced on her official website (www.hyapatialee.com). It truly is a shame. Despite her occupation, she always came across as an intelligent, spiritual, and charming young woman. She will be missed.
Luke Ford writes on RAME: Around May 1998, Hyapatia Lee said she’d relapsed into a serious childhood illness. Several internet reports this week say she’s dead while others suspect Lee is just fine but poor and looking for ways to unload merchandise. Place Luke Ford among the skeptics.
I received this from a well-placed source: “Hyapatia and her husband are roughly 35 and 28, respectively, and although they’re both in perfectly good health, they’ve managed to qualify for monthly disability and welfare checks from uncle sam. But this is nothing new for Hyapatia – she was collecting food stamps and pleading poverty for government handouts even while dancing on the road for $5-6000 a week. Hyapatia and her husband make a comfortable living off the federal dole, which includes $300 a month from the state for each kid as well – add in the ex’s child support payments, and royalties from Hyapatia’s fan club, website, and movie royalties, and they’re making about $4,000 every month for doing absolutely nothing. They are extremely proud of themselves for having achieved this state of paid inertia, which is also fueled by Hyapatia’s belief that “the world owes her a living.”
“Several months ago, Hyapatia came up with another plan to make more ‘money for nothing’ – and it involved faking her own death. She engaged the help of a few people to start spreading the word that she was gravely ill, by telling them secretly that she was having problems with a stalker, and by faking her own death she would hopefully be able to live her life in safe anonymity. And so a ‘goodbye’ message to fans was put on her website, and all website sales were discontinued (at this time Hyapatia was also filing for personal bankruptcy, which coincidentally necessitated quickly covering any apparant sources of income & material assets, like fan club merchandise and inventory…)
“After a few months passed, Hyapatia decided it was time to roll over and play dead, and had someone begin spreading the word on the net that ‘Hyapatia Lee has passed away’… And this is where the clincher of her plan comes in – attached to the sad obituary note is a brilliant sales pitch, pleading for fans to pity her poor family that has no money to pay her doctor bills or burial expenses, followed with a “special offering” of “exclusive fan club merchandise” from beyond the grave…. Wow – so she got to file for bankruptcy, while keeping all her inventory AND hiding it from Uncle Sam, AND she got to jack up the prices while boosting sales with a tearstained plea that no loyal fan could resist.
“Well, now she can pat herself on the back until her arm falls off, reminding herself how clever she is for beating the system again and again, and for pulling off her coup de’ tat, a swan song that swept those scummy porno fans along for one last glorious ride. She planned this out deliberately as her last dealing with adult industry, before closing the door on that unhappy part of her past, and moving in a new direction. I wonder if she’s in newsgroups right now, reading through the sad obituary postings by her loyal and trusting fans… and calculating how much money each one is gonna send her…”
Brad Williams writes on RAME: I had heard this too. I guess we’re now supposed to feel “guilty” about why a person like Hyapatia Lee would decide to pursue this series of actions that is beneath even the most sleaziest in society.
On 1/11/00, Denver talent agent JR Wolfe writes on RAME: I asked bud lee about this during CES. he said he is getting tired of hearing about the tall tales. bud said Hyapatia is out of the business, raising their boys,in a rural area.she is a bit of a recluse,she disbanded her band, is no longer making music,let alone dancing or doing videos.Bummer she stopped making music, i have a cassette demo of her last band, and she was onto something musically.