Apollonia Kotero

Apollonia Kotero

Artist

Patricia “Apollonia” Kotero is an American singer, model and actress most recognized for co-starring in the film Purple Rain alongside Prince, serving as the replacement for Vanity Matthews in Vanity 6. Before joining the Prince camp, she was a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Rams and appeared on CHiPs and Sex Beach.

Vanity 6 was appropiately renamed Apollonia 6 and was featured throughout the Purple Rain film, but like its predecessor only released one album, led by the provacative single “Sex Shooter”. Apollonia was rumored to be Prince’s real life partner, and even though both sides have implied it, she was married to Greg “Kazja” Patschull at the time and intentionally hid it to keep fans from finding out at the request of Warner Bros. Records. Prince was linked to bandmate Susan Moonsie and Susannah Melvoin during the same period.

Afterward, Apollonia starred on the soap opera Falcon Crest for 10 weeks and released her self-titled solo LP in 1988. She also held leading roles in Back to Back and Black Magic Woman. She founded Kotero Entertainment as a management company in 2005. She maintains a friendship with Prince associate Carmen Electra and unsuccessfully led a reunion attempt with Apollonia 6 which failed for undisclosed reasons.