Fanne Foxe
Encyclopedia
Fanne Foxe was a stripper
best known for being involved in a 1974 sex scandal
surrounding Arkansas
Congressman
Wilbur Mills
, in what is reputed to be one of the most reported political sex scandals of the 1970s. She is in the Time Magazine list of Top 10 Mistresses, and on the Bloomberg
list of top 10 U.S
sex scandals.
. In fact, he was a contender for the Democratic
nomination for president in 1972. Around that time period, Mills was having an affair with Foxe, a local stripper
. On October 7, 1974, the two of them had been drinking and were driving near the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C.
at around 2:00 a.m. The park police pulled the vehicle over, and Foxe attempted to flee the scene and jumped into the Tidal Basin. The incident attracted much publicity, and eventually led to Mills' resignation two months later as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. He was re-elected to his congressional seat in 1974, but he did not run for re-election in 1976.
she upped her fee for a 2-week stint from $3,500 to $15,000 a week. On December 12, 1974, during the first week of her engagement, she was arrested for indecent exposure
after going completely nude during her act. Club owner Pinter was arrested for letting it happen. When arraigned on December 21, both Foxe and Pinter entered innocent pleas to the charges. The charges against both were dismissed on January 28, 1975 when the judge ruled that prosecutors failed to prove their case. After the Florida incident, Foxe announced her retirement from the stage. However, in 1976 she performed at The Riverboat at the Empire State Building
.
In the decades following the incident, Fanne Foxe's name continued to come up in discussions revolving around newer sex scandals.
She published a book, The Stripper and the Congressman, and eventually returned to Argentina.
sex scandals by Bloomberg
in 2009.
As an exotic dancer
she was well received after the Mills incident. A month after the October 1974 scandal, Bill O'Reilly
interviewed her. He recounts that she told him of an interest to attend medical school after two more years of dancing. In summarizing her appearance at the Pilgrim Theater in Boston
, he wrote that the crowd loved her performance. In September 1976 she was featured in Playboy Magazine, and again in February 1977, and in April 1977 she was interviewed in depth by Cheri Magazine.
Stripper
A stripper is a professional erotic dancer who performs a contemporary form of striptease at strip club establishments, public exhibitions, and private engagements. Unlike in burlesque, the performer in the modern Americanized form of stripping minimizes the interaction of customer and dancer,...
best known for being involved in a 1974 sex scandal
Sex scandal
A sex scandal is a scandal involving allegations or information about possibly-immoral sexual activities being made public. Sex scandals are often associated with movie stars, politicians, famous athletes or others in the public eye, and become scandals largely because of the prominence of the...
surrounding Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
Congressman
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
Wilbur Mills
Wilbur Mills
Wilbur Daigh Mills , was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from the state of Arkansas...
, in what is reputed to be one of the most reported political sex scandals of the 1970s. She is in the Time Magazine list of Top 10 Mistresses, and on the Bloomberg
Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P. is an American privately held financial software, media, and data company. Bloomberg makes up one third of the $16 billion global financial data market with estimated revenue of $6.9 billion. Bloomberg L.P...
list of top 10 U.S
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sex scandals.
Mills scandal
Until the incident with Foxe, Mills was considered one of the most powerful members of the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. In fact, he was a contender for the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nomination for president in 1972. Around that time period, Mills was having an affair with Foxe, a local stripper
Stripper
A stripper is a professional erotic dancer who performs a contemporary form of striptease at strip club establishments, public exhibitions, and private engagements. Unlike in burlesque, the performer in the modern Americanized form of stripping minimizes the interaction of customer and dancer,...
. On October 7, 1974, the two of them had been drinking and were driving near the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
at around 2:00 a.m. The park police pulled the vehicle over, and Foxe attempted to flee the scene and jumped into the Tidal Basin. The incident attracted much publicity, and eventually led to Mills' resignation two months later as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. He was re-elected to his congressional seat in 1974, but he did not run for re-election in 1976.
Afterwards
After the Mills' incidents, Foxe continued working as a stripper, changing her stage title from "The Argentine Firecracker" to "The Tidal Basin Bombshell." Capitalizing on her notoriety, she was able to increase her appearance fees for subsequent performances at clubs. When hired by Michael Pinter Jr. for a December '74 show at Club Juana in Orlando, FloridaOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
she upped her fee for a 2-week stint from $3,500 to $15,000 a week. On December 12, 1974, during the first week of her engagement, she was arrested for indecent exposure
Indecent exposure
Indecent exposure is the deliberate exposure in public or in view of the general public by a person of a portion or portions of his or her body, in circumstances where the exposure is contrary to local moral or other standards of appropriate behavior. Indecent exposure laws vary in different...
after going completely nude during her act. Club owner Pinter was arrested for letting it happen. When arraigned on December 21, both Foxe and Pinter entered innocent pleas to the charges. The charges against both were dismissed on January 28, 1975 when the judge ruled that prosecutors failed to prove their case. After the Florida incident, Foxe announced her retirement from the stage. However, in 1976 she performed at The Riverboat at the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
.
In the decades following the incident, Fanne Foxe's name continued to come up in discussions revolving around newer sex scandals.
She published a book, The Stripper and the Congressman, and eventually returned to Argentina.
Recognition
Fanne Foxe is third on Time Magazine's list of Top 10 Mistresses, and the scandal is listed as number 3 in the top 10 U.SUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sex scandals by Bloomberg
Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P. is an American privately held financial software, media, and data company. Bloomberg makes up one third of the $16 billion global financial data market with estimated revenue of $6.9 billion. Bloomberg L.P...
in 2009.
As an exotic dancer
Exotic dancer
The terms exotic dancer and exotic dance can have different meanings in different parts of the world and depending on context. In the erotic sense, "exotic dance" is a often used to refer to practitioners of striptease...
she was well received after the Mills incident. A month after the October 1974 scandal, Bill O'Reilly
Bill O'Reilly (political commentator)
William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...
interviewed her. He recounts that she told him of an interest to attend medical school after two more years of dancing. In summarizing her appearance at the Pilgrim Theater in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, he wrote that the crowd loved her performance. In September 1976 she was featured in Playboy Magazine, and again in February 1977, and in April 1977 she was interviewed in depth by Cheri Magazine.
Filmography
- Posse from Heaven (1975)
- This Is America (1977)
- Hay que parar la delanteraHay que parar la delanteraHay que parar la delantera is a 1977 Argentine film.-Cast:* Fanne Foxe , the famous stripper...
(1977)
External links
- Washington Post article
- MSNBC Photograph of Rep. Mills and Fanne Foxe with short description of the incident
- Fanne Foxe at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...