Cassandra Peterson, best known as
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, said during a recent press call that
she was “shocked” when she fell for another woman.
Peterson, 70, is currently promoting
her memoir Yours Cruelly, Elvira.
In the book, Peterson discusses for the
first time publicly her 19-year relationship with Teresa Wierson,
whom she met at the gym.
“Yes, I was married for 25 years to a
man,” Peterson
told reporters. “And after I was divorced, I fell in love with
a woman. I'd never had any inclinations that I was gay. I don't. And
honestly, to tell you [the] truth, I don't think I'm gay. I'm
attracted to men. But I fell for this woman.”
“We were good friends for six years.
She was in a relationship. I was in a relationship and there was no
interest in being with her. She just became a very good friend. I
don't know what happened, she was just a very special person –
special and unique. And we fell in love.”
Peterson admitted that she kept her
relationship quiet out of fear it could hurt her career.
“I do have a character, a brand, and
a business that I was protecting. I mean, Elvira’s a giant horndog,
you know, she chases men, she loves men. All of a sudden to be with a
woman was shocking to me. More shocking to me, I think, than anyone
else,” she explained.
“I didn’t want to flush it all down
the toilet. So I hung on to that secret for way too long. But now I
feel like I can talk about it. And, you know, if some company doesn’t
want to hire me to host their television show? Well, you know, screw
them. I’ve made enough money. I’m doing well. I don’t need
them.”
“I’m so happy that I’m talking to
people about it now and they can find out about it now because having
secrets is not good. It’s like holding it in, you know, gives you
gas. It really drains your energy,” she said.
Yours Cruelly, Elvira
is available now.