Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Supersex’ explores the world of porn through the perspective of a young Rocco Siffredi, who lives the dream of becoming a porn star. In the beginning, he is blinded by the light but soon realizes that being a porn star is not as easy as it sounds. During his journey, he crosses paths with some of the most famous people in the industry, one of whom is Moana Pozzi. Finding fame around the same time as him, Moana is a mysterious figure who doesn’t let anyone know her secrets, and her death is just as mysterious as her life.
Moana Pozzi’s Death was Mourned by Entire Italy
Moana Pozzi died in Lyon at the age of 33 on September 15, 1994, due to liver cancer. Her sudden death took the nation by storm and was deeply mourned by her fans. In 2007, an investigation was launched against her husband, Antonio di Ciesco, after he claimed that he had euthanized his wife after her request not to live when her situation worsened and she got weak. The extent of her popularity and fame can be estimated from the fact that following her death, a homily was given by Cardinal Michele Giordano, the archbishop of Naples, appreciating her faith in God.
Moana was born in Genoa in April 1961 to a nuclear physicist and a housewife. She had been a bright student, taking a science course following high school and studying classical guitar in a Conservatory for six years. When she was eighteen years old, she left her home and moved to Rome. She started with small background roles in mainstream films and even did a couple as a starring actor. However, in the late 1980s, she changed streams and started working in adult films, which shot her to immediate stardom. Represented by Riccardo Schicchi, she worked in more than a hundred adult films, like ‘Moana’s Transsexual Vices’ and ‘Euroflesh— Sex Crazy,’ to name a few.
The more famous Moana became, the more she was embroiled in scandals and controversies, especially when it came to her alleged affairs. It was believed that she was involved with some of the most famous people of her time, ranging from actors and sportsmen to politicians and intellectuals. Her most infamous affair, perhaps, was with Bettino Craxi, a socialist and the former prime minister who spent the rest of his life in exile in Tunisia.
Apart from her work in the porn industry, Moana made a name for herself by being a vocal activist. She would often feature on talk shows and speak about important topics, like women’s rights, gay rights, and sexual hygiene, among other things. She was the co-founder of the Party of Love. In 1992, she ran in the national elections, and in 1993, she stood for the election of the mayor of Rome. She didn’t win any of them, but her campaign garnered many supporters. She later joined Mathilde Vieira’s “plural coalition” and became a “minister without portfolio.” She used her position to talk about important stuff, which included but was not limited to reproductive rights, regulation of sex work, and prenatal care. Reportedly, her fortune after her death was dedicated to cancer research.
For a star as beloved as Moana, her death at a young age opened a lot of room for conspiracy theories. According to ‘Mistero,’ an Italian TV documentary, Moana may have been a KGB agent, and her death might have been due to the radioactive polonium that she was poisoned with. It is also alleged that she was involved in the turbulence of the political scene in Italy in the 1980s. Her connections with powerful people, which they wouldn’t want to be made public, are also considered one of the reasons behind her alleged murder.
Another conspiracy theory believes that Moana Pozzi never died and that she faked her death to live away from the limelight. The Italian police even opened an inquiry into it and closed it in 2005 without any substantial proof to support the theory. Before that, another inquiry in the same matter had been refused by the law. What gave fodder to this theory is the fact that there are no direct accounts or witnesses of the final moments of Moana, with the accounts being so conflicting that no one knows where exactly she was laid to rest.
Another controversy was fired up in 2006 when her brother, Simone Pozzi, claimed to be her son. While many theories and controversies surrounding Moana are still out there, it does nothing but attest to her popularity even after all these years, showing just how loved she was by the public.
Read More: Riccardo Schicchi: How did Rocco Siffredi’s Agent Die?
