Nancy Spungen

Biography

Nancy Laura Spungen (/ˈspʌŋɡən/; February 27, 1958 – October 12, 1978) was the American girlfriend of English musician Sid Vicious and a figure of the 1970s punk rock scene.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Spungen was an emotionally disturbed child who was diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 15. After being expelled from college, she moved to New York City and became a stripper. Known for being a groupie, she flew to London in December 1976 at the height of the punk rock movement, where she became involved with Vicious, the bassist for the Sex Pistols. Their relationship was tumultuous, characterized by domestic violence, substance abuse, and heroin addiction. Media labeled Spungen "Nauseating Nancy" for her outrageous and frequently antisocial behavior.

After John Lydon left the band and Vicious was made a focal point of subsequent band activities, the couple moved to New York City and checked into the Hotel Chelsea, where they spent much of their time using drugs, especially heroin.

In October 1978, Spungen was found dead in the bathroom of the couple's room at the Hotel Chelsea from a single stab wound to her abdomen. Vicious was charged with her second-degree murder but died of a heroin overdose while on bail in February 1979, before the case could be brought to trial. Various authors and filmmakers have speculated about Vicious' role in Spungen's death, and the possibility that she was killed by a drug dealer who frequently visited their room.

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