BEVERLY HILLS—Joan Rivers, the Terminator of comediennes, is dating Norm Zada, the irrepressible owner of Perfect 10 and her junior by 20 years. No joke. He says he appreciates her high IQ.
Zada, 59, is a well-known figure in adult entertainment circles, despite the fact his signature “soft-porn” product exists somewhat on the fringes of the industry. Since 1996, his product line consistently has featured, as the tagline says, “the world’s most beautiful natural women,” and Zada is infamous for his relentless promotion and defense of his quality product.
Indeed, defense may be too soft a word for the manner in which Zada has battled against the unauthorized use of Perfect 10 images. Time and again he has filed multimillion-dollar lawsuits against some of the largest corporations in the country, often, as with Google, Microsoft and Visa, targeting those he believed were engaged in contributory infringement by enabling the theft and use of his content and reaping indirect financial benefits.
The courts—including the U.S. Supreme Court—rarely have agreed with his legal premises. In fact, Zada pretty much has struck out in his attempts to hold credit card companies, third-party processors and internet service providers responsible for the $46 million dollars in losses he says his company has suffered since the mid-1990s. Zada also sued CCBill and CWIE, claiming they offered processing services to companies that ripped off Perfect 10 content.
Rivers, 76, of course should need no introduction, even to readers of AVN.com. After 50 years as a headlining comedienne appearing on a myriad of TV shows and live on stages nationwide, she is an American institution and a complete original. Now she is dating a man who is decades her junior and reportedly has been infatuated with her for 30 years.
According to StarPulse.com, the pair ran into one another recently backstage at a comedy club, where he told her about his long-running infatuation. Intrigued, she agreed to date him.
"I was in love with Joan for quite a while back, about 30 years ago...but I had to admire from afar,” he said. “I got that. She was happily married. Then all of sudden they decide to do this show about how I made my money, and I had an opportunity to meet her in person—and we got along very well. I've always had a lot of respect for her, and now we're dating. It's just started, and I'm supposed to see her in L.A. when she next comes here. She is a very intriguing lady.”
Indeed she is, but one has to wonder whether Rivers is aware that when Zada doesn’t get his way he is as likely to sue as walk away. Perhaps this is one cougar who should run away while the running is good.
