Ginger Lynn

"Ginger Lynn" is the screen name of Ginger Lynn Allen (born December 14 1962, Rockford, Illinois), an American actress best known for her work in pornographic films of the 1980s and B-movies.

Biography

Childhood and teenage years

Born in Rockford, Illinois, she was born to fairly young parents. Her father, Wayne Allen was only 18 and worked as a dock supervisor for Sundstrand; her mother, Marilyn Allen nee McBride, was a switchboard operator, and 19 in 1962. Lynn also has a sister, Kari Ann Pyzinski, who was born in 1966 and suffered from mental disorders. Life in the Allen household ranged from dysfunctional to pathological, where she was subject to abuse mainly by her mother.

Related Topics:
Rockford, Illinois - 1962 - 1966 - Mental disorder - Dysfunctional - Pathological - Abuse

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When Allen's father left in 1968, the abuse worsened as her mother blamed her for all her problems. Her only refuge were Wayne Allen's parents, who gave her emotional support and positive reinforcement, however the catch was that her mother controlled the visits. Also, Allen had very little in the way of friends during her childhood, resulting in the creation of imaginary friends which seemed very real to her. Her grandmother recounted that this lasted "a very long time".

Related Topics:
1968 - Friend - Imaginary friend

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Allen attempted suicide in 1974, using sleeping pills and other over-the-counter medications her mother was using. She recalled that she was in a catatonic state for about three days; her mother did not help her in any way.

Related Topics:
Suicide - 1974 - Sleeping pill - Over-the-counter medication - Catatonic

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Shortly thereafter, her grandparents took her away from her mother, after the grandfather, by chance, called the house and heard Lynn screaming in the background. She had been raised by her grandparents since then, since her mother did not want her -- Allen's mother was so callous as to offer Lynn to the grandparents for $500.

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At 13, she had a boyfriend, who was a drug addict. Through this boyfriend, she not only began her descent into substance abuse, but also became pregnant -- and later aborted the pregnancy. This older boyfriend, whom she met in a park, became her first serious interest. She saved her money in the hopes of one day getting married.

Related Topics:
Drug addict - Aborted

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Her grandmother introduced her to contraceptive devices after discovering her sexual activities. During her youth, she was attracted to older men not in school who were mainly abusive.

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After graduating in 1981, she moved out of her grandparent's house; her grandparents subsequently moved to Lucern Valley, California. While she stayed in Rockford, she worked at a Musicland store where she was assistant manager and, during the night, she worked as a bar waitress.

Related Topics:
1981 - Lucern Valley - California - Musicland

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Career

Allen moved to California in 1982 after hearing about her grandfather's heart attack. After her grandfather died, she became angry at her leaving him, as he was the only positive male role model in her life.

Related Topics:
California - 1982 - Heart attack

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A friend of hers, Brian, came to live with her and became the "first nice boyfriend" she ever had. However, Lynn was the major financial supporter in the relationship and needed to find a better paying job. When she answered an advertisement from the World Modeling Agency in September 1983, she was immediately hired and did a spread for Penthouse. This made her visible to the adult film industry.

Related Topics:
Advertisement - World Modeling Agency - 1983 - Penthouse - Adult film

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She did some nude modeling work and then began performing in adult films using the name Ginger Lynn in December 1983. Her first film was Surrender in Paradise, where she starred with Ron Jeremy and celebrated her 21st birthday in Hawaii.

Related Topics:
Modeling - Ron Jeremy - Hawaii

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Allen became one of the biggest stars in erotica and made sixty-nine adult films. She had her own line of videos through Vivid Entertainment with director Bruce Seven. Allen received the Best New Starlet award in 1985 from the Adult Video News and is a inductee to the X-Rated Critics Organization (XRCO) and Adult Video News (AVN) Halls of Fame. Allen's best work is in the award-winning Ten Little Maidens. Other career highlights include her performance as the prostitute who introduces Tom Byron to sex in Kinky Business and her work in Slumber Party with Eric Edwards.

Related Topics:
Vivid Entertainment - Bruce Seven - Best New Starlet award - 1985 - Adult Video News - X-Rated Critics Organization - Prostitute - Tom Byron - Sex - Eric Edwards

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Also, she was the first Vivid Entertainment "Vivid Girl", beating out Traci Lords. Ironically, she was later called to testify on Lords' behalf against porn producers; she refused, and according to her, she was then targeted by the Internal Revenue Service after falsification of a tax return.

Related Topics:
Vivid Entertainment - Traci Lords - Internal Revenue Service

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In February 1986 Allen decided to stop making adult films and attempt to establish a career in mainstream films using her full name. Allen appeared in several non-adult films including Vice Academy (1989) which was popular enough to have two sequels and Bound and Gagged: A Love Story (1992) which received some critical acclaim. She also appeared on several television series and in the interactive movie segments of the computer games Wing Commander III and Wing Commander Prophecy as Chief Technician Rachel Coriolis.

Related Topics:
1986 - 1989 - 1992 - Interactive movie - Wing Commander III

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In 1991, Allen was convicted of falsifying a tax return and spent seventeen days in jail. She also spent time in a rehabilitation center during this period because of cocaine abuse.

Related Topics:
1991 - Tax return - Cocaine

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Allen had a two year relationship with actor Charlie Sheen from 1990 to 1992.

Related Topics:
Charlie Sheen - 1990 - 1992

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In 1999, Allen decided to return to performing in pornographic films, appearing in the film Ginger Lynn's Torn.

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In 2000, Allen was diagnosed with cervical cancer. After chemotherapy and a hysterectomy, she was cancer free in early 2002.

Related Topics:
2000 - Cervical cancer - Chemotherapy - Hysterectomy - 2002

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