FLORIDA—Exotic dancer, model and busty ‘90s adult star SaRenna Lee has died. Lee had been suffering from a pulmonary condition for a period of time before passing away in her sleep on April 4. She was 55.
Famous for her 34H measurements and pin-up persona, Lee was on the A-list of big-busted performers of the ‘90s era, among models including Heather Hooters, Chloe Vevrier, Lisa Lipps, Erica Everest, Minka, Kayla Kleevage, Maxi Mounds, Plenty UpTopp and Tawny Peaks.
Lee (who used her real first and middle name professionally), was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and relocated to Houston, Texas, with her mother at 13 years old. She attended “a college preparatory high school and was active in gymnastics and theatre, and that was where she developed her love of performing,” according to longtime friend Matt F.
Lee eventually worked at a string of local jobs before being encouraged to try feature dancing. Once over her initial stage fright, Lee found success in Houston’s gentlemen’s clubs and touring locally. In 1992, a breast augmentation put the already well-endowed Lee into the super-busty category which, combined with her bright personality and glamorous looks, propelled her popularity as a model. Fellow big-boob model and dancer Traci Topps also helped encourage Lee’s feature dancing career and later appeared in videos with her.
“I met SaRenna back in 1994 when she first started touring, when she was the feature and I was security,” Matt F. remembered. “I was a fan and we were friendly, but nothing beyond that until 2009 when we actually became friends—our daughters played together, I even got to give her away at her wedding and so on, since then.”
Lee eventually headlined clubs nationwide and in Europe, while also being featured in photo layouts for men’s magazines like Fox, D-Cup, Gent, Hustler, Busty, Oui, Juggs, Genesis and Cheri. An inductee to the Score Big-Boob Hall of Fame, Lee appeared on numerous covers for the magazine, in several of its video titles and also at the publication’s well-known Boob Cruise events.
“The first time I saw SaRenna Lee in person, was on the Boob Cruise, and what popped into my head was ‘OMG she’s flawless,’” said fellow busty model and longtime friend and colleague Casey James. “The cruises were always so busy, I didn’t get a chance to really talk to her much then. It wasn’t until we worked together shooting Mega Boob Olympics that I found out how funny and intelligent and witty she actually was. She was a gifted artist and an insanely talented performer. She had this unique way of seeing the world around her. I’m grateful that I got to know her and I will miss the good times we had."
Veteran star Brittany Andrews said, “I had the pleasure of working with SaRenna on several Boob Cruises, and what always stood out to me was her energy—she was upbeat, sensual, and carried herself with a kind of classic Marilyn Monroe elegance. She was truly one of those women who was just naturally stunning, but also incredibly poised and warm. Being around her felt easy. She’ll be deeply missed."
Lee was also known for her legs, with layouts in Leg Show to her credit. As noted in Boobpedia.com, there was an early photo shoot in 1989, in Manhattan, with photographer Warren Tang, when he captured her in the platinum blonde, sex symbol aesthetic, à la Marilyn Monroe.
“She was unique—she made the business take off in a way that it wouldn't have otherwise, she worked hard for Score behind the scenes and she legit had the most covers of any model in the industry. ‘Best’ is subjective, but nobody sold magazines like her, which gave her real f-you power in the industry,” Matt F. added.
He recalled that Lee had met her current husband at a Score calendar shoot in the ‘90s. “We laid out her magazine cover collection this weekend and before we were halfway through we were at 87. She used to say she was on the cover of over 200 magazines, and not only is that a fact (they have over that many in storage), but the way second-party deals happened in Europe and Asia, it was probably at least 100 beyond that.
“It was a unique time and she was the greatest at the time, based even on just covers and the fees she could charge. Heck, I saw the offer for her to do one hardcore video, she was offered a seven-figure amount and turned it down flat,” he recalled.
By the mid-'90s, Lee decided to break from dancing and its constant touring schedule. A star of the VHS era, Lee performed in adult videos in solo and g/g scenes, never officially appearing with a male co-star. In Tit to Tit 7 (1997), a scene with red-headed busty model Sana Fey is said to be the most provocative example of Lee’s studio work.
Lee also owned a club with her first husband and pioneering online star Danni Ashe (founder of early softcore site Danni’s Hard Drive) in 1994. The venue was called SaRenna Lee's Risky Business Showgirls, on South Highland Drive in Las Vegas.
By 2002, she had stepped back from her adult career to focus on personal and family life. In 2008, she made a comeback with website SweetSamples.com, where fans could find archived content and also access to webcam shows. Lee continued online until 2014, when she retired and shuttered the site.
Lee also appeared in mainstream production projects; notably, a lead acting role in anthology thriller Evil Streets (1998), in an episode titled “Stalk,” directed by Terry Wickham. Lee played Misty, an exotic dancer stalked by an obsessive fan.
Wickham posted a tribute to Lee on Instagram (@Mantapics), saying, “I'm very saddened to hear that my friend, the legendary beautiful blonde bombshell is gone. I wrote & directed SaRenna Lee in her acting debut movie back in 1997 on our film ‘Stalk,’ which was part of the cult VHS movie Evil Streets. SaRenna Lee was a very special woman. Not only was she strikingly gorgeous, but she had a heart of gold and did everything she could to help make our movie successful. I will be forever grateful for her kindness and generosity. SaRenna will always hold a special place in my heart. Rest in Peace.”
Photos courtesy of Matt F.
