LOS ANGELES – Adult film writer-director, magazine editor, and mainstream author and journalist Tony Lovett died at his home in Simi Valley, Calif., Sunday morning. The cause of death was unknown at press time, though Lovett’s wife indicated he died in his sleep.
He was 52.
Known in the film world under a variety of pseudonyms, including the award-winning adult sobriquet Antonio Passolini, Lovett’s film credits include more than 30 scripts, at least 15 directorial gigs and 14 musical scores. He also acted, produced, art-directed, edited, consulted for and served as production designer for dozens of adult videos and films and mainstream documentaries.
Born in Maryland but raised in Dallas, Texas, Lovett migrated to Los Angeles in 1979 to attend the prestigious University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television. After appearing in several low-budget mainstream films and television commercials, he earned a Screen Actors Guild card.
In 1983, he joined the staff of VCA pictures, where his screenwriting alter-ego Johnny Jump-Up and the director Antonio Passolini were born. An irreverent sense of humor and passionate perfectionism earned his work accolades.
In 2005, Lovett was named publisher of the now-defunct AVN Online magazine. He remained with AVN Media Network until November 2010, founding the trade-magazine imprints AVN Novelty Business and Intimate Apparel Business as well as the annual “O” Awards for excellence in the novelty end of the adult entertainment industry.
After his stint at AVN, Lovett returned to freelancing in the mainstream, from whence he had come. His bylines appeared in publications including Playboy, Chic, Rolling Stone and L.A. Weekly. In addition, he was a best-selling author (with Matt Maranian) of the cult-classic L.A. Bizarro (St. Martin’s Press, 1997; 2nd ed. St. Martin’s Press, 2009), a guide to the offbeat in Southern California. Both the first and updated second editions of the book remained on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list for more than six months.
Lovett is survived by his wife, Randi, and a daughter, Ivy.
