Elvira, Mistress of The Dark, may only have one lover (the dark), but Cassandra Peterson who plays her is another story. The iconic horror movie star and host Elvira opens up in her memoir, Yours Cruelly. She discusses her 19-year relationship with a woman.
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This is a huge win for the LGBTQIA+ community. Elvira is a national treasure and a national hero. She has a lot of admirers and fans for her love of horror films, double entendres and the pride she takes in herself. She meets people at the gym, apparently. Peterson wrote in Yours Cruelly that I noticed a trainer often while I was warming up on the treadmill. He had a knit cap pulled low enough to cover his long, brown hair. He was dark and brooding and gave off so much energy that people stopped to stare as he crossed the huge gym floor.
Peterson and T became close pals, but the relationship grew stronger after Peterson's 25-year marriage ended to Mark Pierson. T, a desperate person in need of help, came to Petersons house one rainy night. T, my trainer, was standing on the doorstep, clutching a bag full of her belongings and looking bedraggled. After she had split with her long-term partner, she spent time in rehab and was now unable to move in alone. She writes that she was even more shocked. What was I doing? I had never been attracted to women other than as friends. I felt so confused. It wasn't me! It was amazing to me that we had been friends for so long and yet never realized our chemistry. Soon, I realized that we had a sexual connection like I'd never seen.
Peterson and T have been married since then. This secret was kept from their fans for 19 years. Wierson was Petersons assistant because they kept their romance hush-hush, afraid that it might damage Elvira's mystique. My fans would hate me for being different than they expected me. While I know there will be people who are disappointed or even angry at me, I must live with myself. At this stage in my life, I need to be honest about who I am.
She writes for the first time that she has ever felt truly loved and safe.
Elvira, it's a helluva!
[via Advocate]
