Anita Pallenberg, an Italian actress, gained recognition for her romantic involvement with Keith Richards, the Rolling Stones guitarist. She appeared in movies like Barbarella (1968) and Dillinger is Dead (1969). During the 1960s and 1970s, she was considered a fashion icon and was recognized as the inspiration for the Rolling Stones.
Early Life
Anita Pallenberg was born on April 6, 1942, in Rome, Italy, to Arnold Pallenberg and Paula Wiederhold. Her father had various occupations including sales agent, singer, and painter, while her mother worked as a secretary for the German embassy.
Due to World War II, the family was torn apart and Pallenberg did not reunite with her father until she was three years old. As a young child, Pallenberg was sent to a boarding school in Germany, where she learned German.
At a young age, she had mastered four languages. When she was 16 years old, she was kicked out of school. She later resided in Rome before relocating to New York, where she frequently visited Andy Warhol’s Factory.
Anita Pallenberg’s Career
In her twenties, Pallenberg relocated to Paris and embarked on a career as a fashion model. Alongside her modeling career, she dabbled in different areas of study such as graphic design, picture restoration, and medicine, but did not finish any degree.
During her modeling years, she also resided in Germany and Rome, before returning to New York and eventually establishing herself in London.
During her time in Germany in 1965, she crossed paths with the Rolling Stones in Munich. She struck up a friendship with Brian Jones, who was fluent in German, and they eventually became romantically involved.
However, their relationship ended in 1967. She then started dating Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. Pallenberg had a significant impact on the band and was frequently sought after for her input on their songs.
Additionally, Pallenberg is recognized for providing background vocals on the song “Sympathy for the Devil.” According to Jo Bergman, the Stones’ personal assistant from 1967 to 1973, Pallenberg was an integral part of the band.
Aside from her association with the Rolling Stones, Anita Pallenberg had a successful film career. She starred in more than twelve movies, including “A Degree of Murder” (1967), a German crime thriller, and the cult classic “Candy” (1968). She also played the role of the Great Tyrant in Roger Vadim’s sci-fi film “Barbarella” (1968).
In 1969, Pallenberg portrayed Michel Piccoli’s wife in “Dillinger is Dead” and also had a role in Volker Schlondorff’s “Michael Kohlhass – Der Rebell.” She continued her acting career the next year with a part in the experimental film “Performance.”
Additionally, she featured in the 1968 documentary “Sympathy for the Devil,” directed by Jean-Luc Godard, which centered on the Rolling Stones.
Anita Pallenberg’s appearance in the 1985 film “Barbarella” was later incorporated into the music video for Duran Duran’s hit song “Wild Boys.” After taking a break from her acting career, she resumed her studies in the 1990s to focus on fashion.
In 1994, she completed a fashion and textile degree at Central Saint Martins in London. Despite her qualifications, she chose not to enter the cut-throat and ruthless fashion industry.
Personal Life
Anita Pallenberg dated Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones from 1965 to 1967. Their relationship involved a lot of drug use. It ended after Jones became violent with her in Morocco. Jones died in 1969.
In Morocco, Keith Richards witnessed Jones causing harm to Pallenberg and intervened by separating them. Afterwards, they resided together in London.
Together, they had three children: Marlon in 1969, Dandelion in 1972, and Tara in 1976. Sadly, Tara passed away at the young age of ten weeks. Following Tara’s tragedy, Richards’s mother held Pallenberg accountable and took Dandelion under her care.
While Marlon was mostly raised on the road by Pallenberg, they eventually settled into a home in New York when he was eight, in order for him to have a more consistent upbringing.
Pallenberg and Richards split up in 1980. Despite having met his future wife, Patti Hansen, Richards claimed he still had feelings for Pallenberg in 1981.
Later, Anita Pallenberg started dating Gabriel Roux and they got married in 1982, although there is little information available about their marriage. Richards is believed to have remained a source of support for Pallenberg until her passing.
Cause of Death
Anita Pallenberg was diagnosed with hepatitis C, which she acquired during her years of drug use in her youth. She underwent detoxification in the 1980s but did experience a relapse. By 2014, she proudly announced that she had been drug-free for 14 years.
However, she continued to battle with alcohol addiction and regularly attended Alcoholics Anonymous gatherings. Sadly, she passed away on June 13, 2017, at the age of 75 as a result of complications from hepatitis C.
Net Worth
At the time of her passing, Anita Pallenberg, an Italian actress, artist, and model, had a fortune worth $10 million. She appeared in numerous movies such as “A Degree of Murder,” “Candy,” “Barbarella,” “Dillinger Is Dead,” “Performance,” “Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon,” “Mister Lonely,” “Go Go Tales,” “Cheri,” “Stones in Exile,” and “4:44 Last Day on Earth.”
