The Washington Times

Publicist to the stars Lois Smith dies at 85

NEW YORK (AP) - A longtime New York City publicist who worked with celebrities including Marilyn Monroe, Robert Redford and Martin Scorsese has died. Lois Smith was 85.

Her death on Sunday was confirmed by Cindi Berger, chairman and CEO of PMK(asterisk)BNC. Smith was one of the founders of the publicity firm that eventually merged with other firms to become PMK(asterisk)BNC.

Smith died from a brain hemorrhage after falling during a trip to Maine with her husband.

Berger described Smith as a “trailblazer” in the publicity field “who loved her clients and guided them with strong and steady hands.”

Her list of clients during her decades in the business also included Meryl Streep, Warren Beatty, and Whitney Houston.

She is survived by her husband and three of her children. A son died in 1985.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Comments
blog comments powered by Disqus
You Might Also Like
  • President Obama speaks about national security on May 23, 2013, at the National Defense University at Fort McNair in Washington as CODEPINK founder Medea Benjamin shouted at him from the back of the auditorium. (Associated Press)

    Obama: Al Qaeda is on ‘a path to defeat’; calls for resetting terror policy

  • IRS official Lois Lerner is sworn in on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 22, 2013, before the House Oversight Committee hearing to investigate the extra scrutiny IRS gave to tea party and other conservative groups that applied for tax-exempt status. Lerner told the committee she did nothing wrong and then invoked her constitutional right to not answer lawmakers' questions. (Associated Press)

    Answers on IRS only raise more questions and calls for a special investigation

  • House Speaker John Boehner, Ohio Republican, listens to a reporter's question during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 23, 2013. (Associated Press)

    Boehner: House won’t pass Senate immigration bill

  • Celebrities In The News
  • Backstreet Boys singer-songwriter Nick Carter has written the memoir "Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It." (AP Photo/Bird Street Books)

    Nick Carter: Backstreet Boy pens memoir

  • Debbie Reynolds: We all knew Liberace was gay

  • "Glee" star Lea Michele attends the Fox Network 2013 Upfront party at Wollman Rink in Central Park in New York on Monday, May 13, 2013. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

    Lea Michele: ‘Glee’ star has book scheduled for 2014