Viswa Vanapalli
Jamie Crawford’s ‘Prince Andrew: Banished’ on Peacock as well as Netflix’s ‘Scoop’ looks into the allegations against the Duke of York, late Queen Elizabeth’s second son. The documentary looks into his alleged connection with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, plus the accusation from Virginia Giuffre saying Andrew assaulted her when she was a minor. The former Peacock film also touches upon his relationship with Kathleen Norris “Koo” Stark during the 1980s.
Who is Koo Stark?
Kathleen Norris “Koo” Stark was born to writer-television presenter Kathi Norris and writer-producer Wilbur Stark as their youngest of three, so she ended up following their footsteps by joining the entertainment industry too. She actually appeared in a string of films during the 1970s and was even rumored to be considered for the role of Princess Leia in ‘Star Wars.’ She later claimed this was the role initially offered to her instead of the minor one she eventually played, only for it to be cut out. So, in 1981, she was in London, England, as an understudy in a theater production.
There, Koo was set up on a blind date with Prince Andrew. The two immediately hit it off and became involved soon after. Within the next few months, she even met the royal family, and the Queen reportedly liked her. They actually dated before and after Andrew took part in the Falklands War, but by 1982, the media got wind of their relationship, suddenly making it difficult for them to lead a normal life.
Koo later said, “The attention in those days was unprecedented, and the paparazzi were everywhere. I was once dragged from the back of a motorbike by the hair; I was hit in the solar plexus by a long lens. Photographers on motorbikes literally rode into restaurants to attempt to get pictures of us together. I moved address for 2 years every time my address was published.” This put a strain on their bond.
However, it was only when it came to light that Koo had acted in an arthouse film in 1976 that included some sexual scenes that they parted ways. She wasn’t considered a suitable partner for Andrew, leading to their relationship ending 18 months after it began. She has since said it was a combination of everything that took its toll. In 2021, she talked about once being told in the early 1980s that she was on an IRA hit list.
Koo Stark is a Photographer and Aspiring Writer
From what we can tell, Koo tied the knot with gallery owner Tim Jeffries in 1993, but it ended in a quick divorce. About four years later, she welcomed her daughter, Tatiana, with banker Warren Walker. Koo had a lengthy legal battle with him following their separation. She was accused of stealing a painting from him before being cleared of it in 2013 when she returned the same. She also asserted that Warren promised to pay her a certain amount of money every year in addition to a lump sum, but he denied it, and the judge ruled in his favor.
Koo also struggled financially, declaring bankruptcy in 2011 before gradually getting back on her own two feet. Then, in February 2015, when the allegations against Prince Andrew surfaced, she vehemently defended him, saying, “My first reaction was fury, then disbelief, at the lurid allegations being made against a man I have known well for more than 30 years. He was being accused of the very worst kind of behaviour. The stain on his reputation is spilling across his life like blood from a new wound.” She believes the Duke of York is innocent and didn’t put stock in any of Virginia’s claims. Then, in 2019, she won libel damages from MTV after being referred to as a “porn star.”
After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002, Koo underwent a mastectomy, later going under the knife for a second one. Since then, she has cut dairy out of her diet and avoided processed foods. A professional photographer since 1982, Koo has held many exhibitions of her work and used her yoga and meditation skills to good effect. She also published a photography book in 1985. As of writing, she seemingly resides in London and plans to write a memoir after being encouraged by the Dalai Lama. Apart from that, this mother of one appears to have an exhibition planned for 2024, wherein she’d pay homage to trailblazing 19th-century photographer Julia Margaret Cameron.
Read More: Virginia Roberts Giuffre: Where is Jeffrey Epstein’s Alleged Survivor Now?
