She Went From Raunchy To Religious
For most of the 1980s, Vanity was a siren of both the screen and song, with chart-topping hits like “Nasty Girl” and blockbusters like Action Jackson. However, a life of vice led this vixen down an unexpected path to virtue as a born-again Christian.
1. She Was From All Over The World
Denise Katherine Matthews (AKA Vanity) found fame and fortune in Los Angeles—but she came from pretty far to do it. Born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, in January of 1959, she was the dazzling result of a cross-continental lineage—her mother Polish-Jewish, her father African-American. Unfortunately, her real heritage was generational trauma.
Taxiarchos228, Wikimedia Commons
2. Her Father Left Her With Scars
When she was just 15, Vanity’s father passed on. But according to her, it wasn’t exactly a tragedy. Years later, in a candid interview, she made a shocking confession when she revealed that her father had mistreated her both verbally and physically.
She wasn’t really the forgiving type.
3. She Knew Where Her Father Went
In the same interview, Vanity expressed forgiveness for her father’s actions against her and sorrow over her his passing. But she wasn’t exactly holding out hope for a happy reunion—and what she said about him was truly chilling. “I wish I could see my father in heaven,” she said, “but I won't. He's in hell”.
She was getting ready to fight the devil.
4. She Chose Glam Over Gloves
As she grew into a stunning young woman, Vanity had to make a difficult choice. She could either pursue a career in martial arts or try her luck with modeling. With a face and figure like hers, the decision wasn’t difficult—the catwalk was calling.
But that didn’t mean it would be easy.
5. She Took Her Beauty To The Big City
After dabbling in local beauty pageants around the Niagara area, Matthews made the leap to Toronto to pursue her modeling career. Though she was still in her teens, talent agents knew they had found a star. But first, she would have to prove how brightly she could shine.
Taxiarchos228, Wikimedia Commons
6. She Became A Canadian Queen
By 1977, Vanity, still working under her birth name, was turning heads and claiming crowns. After winning the Miss Niagara Hospitality beauty contest, she took a spin at the Miss Canada pageant. While she didn’t claim that crown, she set her sights on something even shinier.
7. She Made A Bold Move
For Vanity, Toronto was just a stepping stone on her path to true stardom. At the tender age of 17, she packed up her bags and headed off to New York. The moment she arrived, Zoli Model Agency signed a contract with her. Unfortunately, her petite frame kept her out of runway shows. However, it made her perfect for something else.
Dietmar Rabich, Wikimedia Commons
8. She Became A Commercial Queen
Vanity’s short stature might have kept her off the catwalk, but it made her perfect for television. Before she ever sang a note, Vanity became the go-to gal for TV commercials, flashing her pearly-whites in toothpaste ads from New York to Japan and back. However, when she appeared on the cover of Nightlife Unlimited's album Let's Do It Again, she reached a new level of fame.
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9. She Made It To The Big Screen
Appearing under the name DD Winters, Vanity made her big screen debut. Though, it wasn’t a big role. She had a bit part in 1980’s Terror Train, which followed up with a lead role in the B-movie-turned-cult classic, Tanya’s Island. Suffice to say, audiences couldn’t miss her on screen.
Mick Garris on TANYA'S ISLAND, Trailers From Hell
10. She Didn’t Care For Modesty
While filming Tanya’s Island, Vanity hinted at the raw sensuality that would make her famous in the coming years. The film required Vanity to “bare it all” in several scenes. Most young starlets would find these on-set demands a little scary. Not Vanity. Shockingly, between takes, she was so uninhibited that she didn’t bother putting clothes on at all.
Thankfully, she put on enough clothing to walk the red carpet where her life would change forever.
Mick Garris on TANYA'S ISLAND, Trailers From Hell
11. She Met Her “Prince”
Vanity’s destiny changed forever on a red carpet. While attending the American Music Awards in 1982, she just so happened to meet a musical mastermind who would turn her into a pop sensation: Prince.
Almost before the night was over, Vanity became his muse—and his madam.
12. She Was Prince’s Pick
Vanity’s modeling photos conveyed her beauty, but they hid her true talent: her voice. Once Prince learned that Vanity could sing, he wasted no time. He envisioned the muse and model as the leader of a new girl group with a controversial name. They were called The Hookers. Vanity, however, had other ideas.
13. She Drew The Line
Prince wanted to give Vanity a name that no one could forget—but the idea he came up with was beyond ridiculous. He wanted her to go by the euphemistic name “va-gee-na”. Suffice to say, it didn’t go over so well. Despite embracing her sensuality, Vanity flatly turned down the name. However, Prince still got his way.
14. She Became Prince’s Vanity
Eventually, Prince and Vanity landed on a name that was just as provocative, but way more palatable. Prince believed that Vanity was the female version of himself, so he gave Matthews the name we all now know: Vanity. Along with five other young women, she formed Vanity 6. Her life would never be the same—and neither would her soul.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
15. She Became A “Nasty Girl”
With her new group, Vanity stormed onto the music scene as if it was a Victoria’s Secret catwalk. Vanity 6’s hit single “Nasty Girl” turned her into an overnight icon of titillation, temptation, and transgression. It was the 80s and she was a star—and she was loving every minute of it.
16. She Changed Her Story Later
In an interview with David Letterman in the mid-1980s at the height of her fame, Vanity shared how she went from Prince’s lover to his protege. “He [Prince] saw me in my underwear and asked if I wanted to perform in it,” she said with a grin. “I thought it was a great idea”.
Denise Matthews (Vanity) on Letterman, March 25, 1985, Don Giller
17. She Made The Cover
At one point in time, she and Prince had undeniable chemistry. In April of 1983, the couple graced the cover of Rolling Stone as the concupiscent king and queen of pop. They were scintillating, seductive, and stylish.
However, they were about to prove that beauty fades.
Yves Lorson, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
18. She Walked Away
Just months after her Rolling Stone cover, Vanity shocked music fans. She walked away from it all, quitting Vanity 6. Even more shockingly, she signaled the end of her relationship with Prince, when she turned down the iconic role of Apollonia in Prince’s upcoming film Purple Rain.
A girl like her didn’t have to wait long to find another man.
19. She Dated A Real Ant-agonist
After leaving Prince, Vanity didn’t exactly become a nun. At least, not right away. Instead, she found new flings—including flamboyant British rocker Adam Ant. He even wrote a track called “Vanity” in her honor. She always felt that was better off on her own.
20. She Went Solo
Vanity might have stepped back from her girl group, but she wasn’t stepping out of the spotlight. Her next chapter began with Motown Records and a solo debut. Her 1984 album Wild Animal boasted funk-pop hits like “Pretty Mess” and “Mechanical Emotion”. While it wasn’t a chart-topper, the album kept all of the right heads turning her way.
Vanity: Wild Animal or Pretty Mess?, Bill Wolfer
21. She Found Her Heaven
In 1985, Vanity found a way to combine all of her talents when she starred in Berry Gordy’s martial-arts musical The Last Dragon. Not only did she grace the screen with a sultry performance, she also contributed her own dreamy ballad “7th Heaven” to the soundtrack. Unfortunately, bigger roles would be hard to come by.
BERRY GORDY'S THE LAST DRAGON [1985] - Modern Trailer (HD), Sony Pictures Entertainment
22. She Wasn’t Spielberg’s Type
As a model, Vanity prized her youthful appearance. However, as an actress, her age-defying beauty held her back. When Steven Spielberg was casting for his 1985 film The Color Purple, Vanity desperately wanted in on the action—but she was in for a heartbreak. Unfortunately, Spielberg thought Vanity looked “too young” for any part in his film.
Still, her best years were ahead of her.
Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
23. She Packed It All Into One Year
Vanity didn’t let Spielberg’s snub hold her back. By 1986, she was everywhere. That year, she dropped her second album Skin on Skin and starred in not one but two major movies: the spy spoof Never Too Young to Die and the gritty thriller 52 Pick-Up. She was unstoppable.
Even her personal life was on fire.
Never Too Young to Die (1986) Trailer | John Stamos | Vanity, Film Trailer Channel
24. She Got Engaged
In 1987, Vanity made a wild announcement on The Late Show. She excitedly revealed to gobsmacked audiences that she was engaged to Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx. Ever the joker, she quipped that she’d soon be “Vanity Sixx” again—though the punchline would prove darker than expected.
pitpony.photography, Wikimedia Commons
25. She Was Too Hot for Nikki Sixx
Vanity and Nikki Sixx weren’t just a power couple—they were a combustible one. In his memoir, Sixx detailed the couple’s chaotic relationship, claiming that Vanity had introduced him to certain white illicit substances. It was just the first hint that nothing everything was as it seemed.
26. She Was Spiraling Fast
Years later, Vanity opened up about just how wild things had gotten in those years in the mid-1980s. “There was a lot of [stuff going around],” she told Jet magazine. She also revealed: “I tried men, women, everything”. That made her continued rise to fame all the more shocking—and harrowing.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
27. She Was An Action Star
Even as her personal life unraveled behind the scenes, Vanity’s career didn’t slow down. In 1988, she took her biggest role yet: starring opposite Carl Weathers in Action Jackson. With co-stars like Sharon Stone and Craig T Nelson, Vanity more than held her own. In fact, she shined brightest, even amongst megastars.
ACTION JACKSON (1988) Review- Carl Weathers: Reel Action, JoBlo Originals
28. She Impressed Even Her Critics
While critics had almost nothing positive to say about Action Jackson, they singled out Vanity for special praise. Legendary critic Roger Ebert called Vanity “the movie’s one redeeming merit”. Considering she was starring alongside screen titans like Stone and Nelson, it was a huge compliment.
A huge, fake compliment.
29. She Was A Razzie Runner-Up
Despite the glowing reviews from critics, audiences felt quite differently about Vanity’s performance in Action Jackson. Far from an Oscar, the role earned her a Razzie nomination for Worst Actress—an ignominious title she lost to Liza Minnelli who “razzed” up two films that year.
With her personal life and professional life in shambles, she needed help.
ACTION JACKSON (1988) Review- Carl Weathers: Reel Action, JoBlo Originals
30. She Met Her Maker On Set
In 1992, while filming a Raymond Martino movie, Vanity met fellow actor Sam J Jones. Their conversations on set were unlike any Vanity had ever had in Hollywood. What happened next was nothing short of shocking.
Touched by her story, Jones invited Vanity to read the Bible—and then everything changed.
31. She Gave Up The Game
Shortly after her chat with Jones, Vanity made a dramatic pivot that no one had predicted. The model-turned-singer-turned-actress took on her next role: a born-again Christian. In interview after interview, she stated that she was done with being an object of desire. That could only mean one thing.
32. She Went From Vanity To Virtue
For decades, Denise Matthews had lived as Vanity. But in her new life as a born-again Christian, that name became a symbol of sin. In a move that gave her fans whiplash, she publicly rejected her stage persona and returned to her birth name, hoping to shed her past like an old costume.
At first, it worked.
33. She Took Her Story On The Road
With a new (old) identity and a new mission, Matthews hit the road with her friend and agent, Benjamin Jimerson-Phillips. From church to church across the South, she shared her testimony and warned others of the dangers that she, herself, had barely escaped.
And those dangers were very real.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
34. She Blamed Demons
In a 1992 interview with Joan Rivers, Matthews didn’t sugarcoat her past. She confessed to being “extremely wild” and claimed that, during her years of vice, she had been possessed by demons. If that was true, then they weren’t done with her quite yet.
Vanity/Denise Matthews 2001 Interview on Christian Network. Part 1/3, MisterChirp
35. She Had Three Days Left
Try as she might, Matthews couldn’t outrun her past. The demons, it seemed, had left their scars. In 1994, Matthews landed in the hospital with kidney failure after an accidental overdose. It was so bad that doctors had to put her on life support and informed her that she had just three days left to live.
There was, however, a light at the end of her tunnel.
36. She Made A Deal With God
When Matthews was fighting for her life, Jimerson-Phillips sent telegrams to Prince alerting him of her condition. But Matthews claimed someone else showed up first to save her: Jesus. Matthews claimed that she spoke with Jesus, who offered her a second chance if only she would walk away from Vanity for good.
37. She Cut All Ties
Jesus kept his end of the bargain, and Matthews made a miraculous recovery against the odds. With renewed faith, she kept her end of the bargain and never returned to the limelight. She walked away from Hollywood entirely, cutting every tie to her former life. She actually chucked it out the window.
38. She Threw Everything Out
By 1995, Matthews had purged more than just Vanity from her soul. She threw everything from that chapter of her life away. “When I came to the Lord Jesus Christ,” she said, “I threw out about 1,000 tapes of mine— every interview, every tape, every video, everything”.
She really wasn’t joking when she said “everything”.
39. She Chucked It Down The Chute
Vanity didn’t just walk away from fame—she threw it down the chute. Literally. According to her agent, she dumped priceless mementos—including a Prince-painted cassette and a gold record—into the incinerator at her Sherman Oaks apartment. Only divine intervention (in the form of Jimerson-Phillips) salvaged what he could.
She still had faith in love.
40. She Ministered To An NFL Player
While living in San Jose and working as an evangelist, Matthews had an unexpected epiphany. After reading about former NFL star Anthony Smith’s charity work, Matthews claimed, “The Lord told me that I would go down to LA and minister to him”. And, by “minister”, she meant get down to business.
Jeffrey Beall, Wikimedia Commons
41. She Proposed In Three Days
When Matthews met Smith in February 1995, she didn’t waste any time. It took her just three days to drop to one knee and pop the big question. No hesitation, no waiting period, no ring shopping—just holy conviction and a whirlwind romance that turned the evangelist into the fiancé.
Evangelist Denise Matthews (Vanity) Interview 700 Club Best Quality, ChampChangers Global
42. She Celebrated Sobriety—And Marriage
Exactly one year after becoming sober, Matthews made another vow. She walked down the aisle like a catwalk and married Smith at his Playa del Rey home after just one month of dating. For a moment, it seemed like both her soul and her heart had found redemption. She desperately wanted to save everyone—and she went to disturbing lengths to do it.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
43. She Invited The Homeless Home
Matthew’s honeymoon with Smith lasted even less time than their engagement. Matthews’ habit of inviting the homeless into their home for meals and showers rubbed Smith the wrong way. He even clearly drew the line with Matthews giving these people their phone number. Her charitable spirit clashed with Smith’s temper, turning their marriage into a battle of virtues and volatility.
And terrible, terrible vice.
44. Her Ex-Husband Was A Serial Slasher
Matthews and Smith called it quits in 1996—and not a moment too soon. Based on what happened next, Matthews just barely escaped with her life. After their split, Smith did time behind bars for attacking a woman—and eventually found himself locked up for ending the lives of three different people. Matthews hadn’t just escaped addiction, she barely escaped a serial slasher.
Ron Galella, Ltd., Getty Images
45. Her Past Came Back To Haunt Her
Despite turning over a new leaf, years of substance use left Matthews with brutal consequences. Owing to her heavy use of “blow”, her kidneys failed, forcing her to endure dialysis five times a day for the rest of her life. Even after a transplant in 1997, her condition worsened with the onset of a rare illness. The end, she knew, was near.
46. She Devoted Her Life To Ministry
After her transplant, Matthews didn’t waste a second. She went all in on her faith, traveling to churches worldwide and founding Pure Hearts Ministries in Fremont, California. Her days of glam and gossip were gone—replaced by gospel. And, soon, the grave.
47. Her Ashes Went Out To Sea
In 2016, Vanity’s journey came to a quiet end. She passed on at a hospital in Fremont at the age 57, leaving most of her estate to her church. After cremation, her surviving friends and family scattered her ashes in the waters of Hawaii. And in her final years, she’d confessed the truth about her period in Hollywood.
Pasop Photography, Adobe Stock
48. She Didn’t Like Her Persona
Years after her launch in the girl group Vanity 6, Vanity finally opened up and revealed a secret about her raunchy rise to fame. In a tell-all interview, she confessed that she was never totally onboard with the hyper-sensual image she had as part of Vanity 6. Worse yet, she pointed the finger at Prince, claiming he “created the whole Vanity 6 image” all on his own.
49. She Never Liked Being Sensual
In the same interview, Vanity talked about the pressure she faced to bare it all. “It bothered me at the time. I lied and said it was the image I wanted,” she confessed. “I did it because he [Prince] told me I had to do it. If I didn't do it, I wouldn't get paid”.
Interview with Vanity 6 (1986), Mike Gardner
50. She Was Still An Artist
Even if she had renounced “Vanity”, Matthews had a lasting impact on the music industry—and one person in particular. After her passing, Prince still carried her with him. “She loved me for the artist I was,” he said. “I loved her for the artist she was trying to be”.
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