In Memoriam: Linda Wong (September 13th 1951-December 17th 1987)

She was the first Asian superstar of porn; ranked number 25 in Complex Magazine's 2011 list of The Top 50 Hottest Asian Porn Stars and a 1998 posthumous XRCO Hall Of Famer, Linda Wong never felt comfortable in front of the camera and actually hated and despised being considered a porn star. Her life, much to short, is tragic and heartbreaking, filled with abuse, drug accident and a fragile, gentle soul that should never have entered the industry.
Born Linda Carol Seki in San Francisco, Linda was once quoted as saying that she had a pretty straight life and that she actually had a very closed mind regarding the adult entertainment industry.
Growing up she lived in Richmond, California and was homecoming queen. Shortly after she graduated high school in 1969, she married a Chinese man. They were divorced after a few years but Linda kept his last name of Ching and actually used the name Linda Ching while she worked as a legal prostitute in Las Vegas.
Before entering the industry, Linda worked as a fashion model-no surprise, look how beautiful she was-as well as a bank teller at Sumitomo Bank and as a receptionist and bookkeeper for attorney, Melvin Belli, before becoming a Broadway dancer. Later on, Linda was quoted as saying that, if given a chance, she would like to appear in "straight" movies, but unfortunately she was never able to transition from porn to mainstream.
In 1976, she entered the industry, at the urging of her boyfriend who, according to Wong, "got off on it," though she also stated that she did it to test herself and try new things although her friends were quoted as saying that she was too well-adjusted to be in the industry.
Her debut was in Oriental Babysitter which was followed by Jade Pussycat. However, Wong did not like doing porn and never felt comfortable in front of the camera and had this to say about her career: "I was never viewed as a human being. The greatest compliment that anyone has given me is that 'Linda, you're a nice person.' Most people, right off the bat, assume that I am a piece of meat, a porno star, a floozy"
In 1981 Linda retired from the industry, some say it was because doing porn disturbed her so much and others say it's because she was given an ultimatum by her boyfriend; either she leave the industry or he would leave her. Now, I don't know if this boyfriend was Ed de Priest but Wong was involved in a very abusive relationship with de Priest in the early 80s. In fact, her husband Richard Olson, whom Wong was married to from 1985 until her tragic death, once said that, even though he was never abusive to Linda and never beat her that she missed the abuse of de Priest and that she would occasionally strike and hit Olson.
By the time her and Olson were married in 1985 Linda was heavily into drugs. David Jennings, who directed Wong in 1984's Rebecca's said that not only would Wong mix alcohol with Quaaludes but she also had a "pharmacologist's cornucopia of uppers and downers."
In 1985, after announcing another retirement the year prior, she made a comeback with The Erotic World Of Linda Wong. This habit of retiring and making comebacks would become a yearly thing for Wong.

 In the mid 80s, Linda became addicted to heroine and soon Olson was also addicted to drugs. In the summer of '87, Olson moved to NorCal in the hopes that a change of locations would help him kick the drug habit. By the time he moved, Linda had beaten her heroine addiction and was planning another comeback. However, she was arrested when she tried to buy codeine using a prescription she had written herself. She spent two months in jail and upon her release joined Olson up in NorCal.
Three weeks later, she was rushed to the hospital when a maid found her passed out on the floor of the hotel they had been living in. Olson reports that she was conscious and said she was fine when he went to the hospital to visit her and she was even able to take her home that day. He says that Wong was fine for the rest of the day and seemed happy, he even left her alone to run some errands and she was still fine upon his return even suggesting that the two of them go out to dinner at a restaurant in Petaluma.
While they were at the restaurant Wong went to the restroom and a short time later, someone ran out of the bathroom screaming that woman was on the floor. Olson was reported as saying that he knew it was Linda and he knew she was dead. He was right.
The first Asian superstar of the adult industry died tragically of a drug overdose at just 36 years old. Olson and her friends maintain that it was not suicide. Apparently Wong had been taking pills by the handful for a while. Her official cause of death is listed as accidental drug overdose.
Linda, wherever you are baby girl, I hope you are at peace and finally happy.

XOXO
-JOE-