Erin Fleming

Early career

Fleming was born Marilyn Fleming on August 13, 1941 in New Liskeard, Ontario, Canada. She appeared in minor roles in six films between 1965 and 1976, during which time she became acquainted with Marx and moved into his house. She appeared in the Woody Allen movie, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask).

Relationship with Groucho Marx

Fleming's influence on Marx was controversial. Many close to him admitted that she did much to revive his popularity by arranging a series of personal appearances and one-man shows, culminating in a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall, which was released on a best-selling record album, and the honorary Academy Award he received in 1974. Others, including Marx's son Arthur, charged that she pushed the increasingly frail comedian to the limits of his endurance, largely for her own personal gain. Sidney Sheldon wrote a roman à clef on Fleming's relationship with Marx titled A Stranger in the Mirror, published in 1976. In a 1993 television adaptation, Lori Loughlin performed the role inspired by Fleming.

Marx died in August 1977. Litigation over his estate, which extended into the early 1980s, eventually resolved in favor of Arthur Marx; Fleming was ordered to repay $472,000 to the Marx estate.

Arrest

Fleming's mental health deteriorated in the 1990s. She was arrested once in the Los Angeles area on a weapons charge, and spent much of the decade in and out of various psychiatric facilities. She was reportedly impoverished and homeless in her final years, living on the streets of Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

Death

Fleming died on April 15, 2003, at age 61 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She is buried in Hornings Mills Cemetery, Horning's Mills, Ontario, Canada.

Television