Despite the harrowing circumstances of her entry into the public eye, Lords successfully transitioned completely away from the adult industry. She studied acting at the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and built a decades-long mainstream career as an actress, singer, and director.
Because of the historic nature of the Vanessa Williams scandal, the issue sold a staggering , making it one of the highest-selling issues in the history of adult magazines. Yet, the internal spread of the issue also marked the grand debut of a new adult film starlet who called herself Traci Lords. The Reality Behind Traci Lords' Age traci lords penthouse 1984 14
The penthouse scandal had a lasting impact on Traci Lords' career. Although she continued to work in the adult film industry, her reputation was forever tarnished. Many of her fans felt betrayed by her involvement in the scandal, and her popularity began to wane. Despite the harrowing circumstances of her entry into
: In 1986, an anonymous tip led the FBI to discover she was a minor during her career. This revelation made the 1984 Penthouse issue technically "contraband" in the U.S., as it contained what the government reclassified as child pornography. Yet, the internal spread of the issue also