Lifestyle
Naked and unafraid at 73, she’s challenging ideas about aging women on a Hollywood stage
Telling her life story — naked onstage — was the only way.
That much, Pamela Redmond was sure of.
It was a sweltering July afternoon last year and Redmond was sitting on the sofa in her Hollywood home stewing over how AI was nearly putting her out of business. At 72, she had published 20 books, seven of them works of fiction, and she’d even sold one novel, “Younger,” as a hit television series. She was the founder of the largest baby naming website online which, as a single divorcee, was her lifeline financially (and meant to be her retirement). But AI had scraped her website’s content and used it to rank itself higher in search results; her company’s revenue had plummeted by about half and she’d had to let employees go.
“I thought: What can I bring to the conversation that AI can’t?” Redmond says. “And then it came to me: a body!”
She felt compelled to create an in-person experience that was distinctly human — something true and personal — the antithesis of the digitally-saturated, fragmented and ephemeral world we live in, where truth is often opaque. Though she had zero theatrical experience, not even in a high school musical, theater is what came to mind.
“I decided I wanted to tell the story of my life, as told by my body. That’s how I came up with a one-woman show, ‘Old Woman Naked.’”
Pamela Redmond, right, chats with Los Angeles Times writer Deborah Vankin about her solo show, “Old Woman Naked.”
Telling me this, Redmond is sitting in a hot tub, nude, at Wi Spa in Koreatown. As am I. Because interviewing Redmond — naked in an intimate setting — seemed the best way to have a personal conversation about such a revealing topic. We’ve been friends for several years and it made sense to visit the Korean spa, at which we both feel comfortable.
Redmond sinks deeper into the steaming bath, the water level rising to her decolletage, leaving her face flushed as beads of sweat drip down the curve of her neck.
“Old Woman Naked” is about Redmond, but it’s also about being in a woman’s body, in America, at a certain time — from the pre-internet, ‘50s and ‘60s until today. Redmond performed it for one night only in New York City at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in October, directed and produced by Janice Maffei — just 10 weeks after she had conceived of it. The show opens April 29 in Los Angeles at the Broadwater in Hollywood for three nights, directed by Jennifer Chambers (“POTUS”). Kate Juergens and Jenn Gerstenblatt, both formerly of ABC Family, produced it.
In the hour-long performance, Redmond stands on a bare stage and tells intimate stories she hasn’t shared with anyone until now, not even her former husband of 33 years, her three children or her best girlfriends. She tells of her first stirrings of lust while she was growing up in Norwood, N.J., sparked by the desire to touch her best girlfriend’s breasts; she tells of being a 19-year-old child bride and how her new father-in-law took her to a strip club shortly after the wedding; she tells of her jealous first husband who, when she tried to leave him, held a knife to her throat and tried to rape her.
But she also tells of the thrill, and all-consuming love, tangled up in having children; of creative reinvention and late-life success publishing a novel at 50, creating an internet company at 55 and selling a book as a TV show at 60; and of the absolute freedom she felt after menopause, when she could no longer have children and her body, at long last, belonged only to her.
Pamela Redmond performs “Old Woman Naked” in New York in October 2025. (Scott Hoffmann)
As Redmond performs these stories during the show, she takes off her clothing, piece by piece, often cleverly stitched into the storytelling. At 11 years old, she explains onstage, she was desperate to wear a bra. “Now I feel like I’m 11, but with a drawer full of bras I never want to wear,” she reveals, letting the undergarment drop to the ground. By the end of the show, Redmond is facing the audience entirely naked.
Ultimately, that moment is the point of the show: proudly bringing an image that’s been culturally steeped in taboo and shame — that of an older woman’s bare body, with all its folds and dimples and curves — into the light.
“I wanted to show people what an older woman’s body actually looked like,” Redmond says. “Young women take their clothes off all the time, they’re scantily dressed onstage or using their body and their sexuality as part of their art. But older women — it’s just not seen. Or it’s seen as ugly. I knew right away: This is intrinsically different and kind of radical.”
Even as she was researching the show, Redmond became increasingly aware of the extent to which older women’s nude bodies “have been so hidden away.”
“There is so little art, so little pop culture [showing it],” she says. “I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the fourth-largest museum in the world, and searched their archives and there are six images from all of history. In the Louvre [in Paris], there are three drawings that show old women naked — and they’re grotesque. Representation is really important. It matters.”
Pamela Redmond, right, tells Times writer Deborah Vankin that she felt “on fire” writing her solo show. “I wanted to show people what an older woman’s body actually looked like.”
Redmond says she wasn’t nervous about being nude in front of a live audience. “I’ve been through so many things in my life that have been kind of harrowing,” she says. “I was scared about not remembering my lines. That terrified me!” But Redmond doesn’t consider herself an exhibitionist, either. She’s had a love-hate relationship with her body throughout her lifetime, she says. “You know, gaining and losing the same 40 pounds over and over.”
At one moment in the show, Redmond shows an overhead slide of herself at 22, posing for an artist friend, nude. She looks up at the image, admitting: “Look at me, I was a goddess. I had no idea. I thought I was fat, unfashionably curvy and unattractive.”
If there is a message to the show, Redmond says, it’s that “you are the sum of everything you’ve been and everything you’ve done. And to see yourself not just as this old body but as someone who’s lived this incredibly rich life in this body that has taken you through this incredible range of experiences.”
“Old Woman Naked” hit a nerve that night in New York, Redmond says. Audience members — mostly women, older and younger — came up to her afterward and revealed personal stories they hadn’t told anyone to date. Other women said they were inspired by the play or felt they’d been given newfound freedom to be themselves.
Redmond has since fleshed out the Los Angeles version of the show, going deeper into stories and punching up the jokes.
She also sees “Old Woman Naked” as a much bigger creative gesture than a limited run solo show. She hopes to write a book expanding on the ideas in the show and, separately, self-publish the script to sell in the theater lobby, afterward. She’s thinking about a titular podcast, in which she’d interview women of different ages about their bodies and their lives. And she’s working with a theater director to develop the script of “Old Woman Naked” for a celebrity to star in.
Pamela Redmond, left, relaxes with Times writer Deborah Vankin at Wi Spa in Koreatown.
“I see it as Jessica Lange on Broadway,” Redmond says. “It’s like stealth feminism: They come for the nudity, they leave with their views of women’s bodies totally revolutionized. I want this to be a bigger conversation about women, aging, bodies, humanity, owning our individuality and uniqueness — and celebrating that.”
So what does Redmond see now, when she looks at her body in the mirror?
“I think I look great. I like what I see. I like my smile,” she says. “I’m good.”
Stepping out into the sunlit parking lot after our spa day, that smile is on full display.
“That was so fun,” Redmond says. “Our conversation — everything we talked about — it’s different when you’re naked, it really is. You’re just more open, more vulnerable.”
She takes a seat in the shade, waiting for the valet to bring her car.
“It’s the same with the show, the conversation I wanted to have with the audience. That’s why it had to be: ‘Old Woman Naked.’”
“Old Woman Naked” plays at the Broadwater, in Hollywood, April 29-30 and May 17. Tickets: $35.
Sunday Puzzle
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On-air challenge
The on-air challenge goes here.
Last week’s challenge
Last week’s challenge comes from Joshua Green, of Columbia, Md. Think of a popular film franchise with many sequels. Hidden in consecutive letters inside its name is a place mentioned multiple times in the Bible. Replace that place with a single letter and you’ll name a Major League Baseball team. What franchise and team are these?
Answer: “The Avengers” –> (Detroit) Tigers
Winner
Erin Kealiher of Silver Spring, Maryland.
This week’s challenge
This week’s challenge comes from Joseph Young, of St. Cloud, Minn. Name a famous actor of the past, seven letter first name and seven letter last name. Remove three consecutive letters from him last name and the remaining letters in order will be the well known lead character from a long running series of films. What actor and character are these?
If you know the answer to the challenge, submit it here by Thursday, May 21 at 3 p.m. ET. Listeners whose answers are selected win a chance to play the on-air puzzle. Important: include a phone number where we can reach you.
Lifestyle
For Tory Burch, a 20-year fashion career is a sport driven by endurance, discipline and grit
Clarke wears Tory Burch multi screw heeled sandals and Gemini Link pendant necklaces.
This story is part of Image’s May Momentum issue, which looks at art as a sport and sport as an art.
It’s 2 p.m. on a quintessentially balmy Los Angeles afternoon when I spot fashion designer Tory Burch in the lobby of the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel. She’s wearing oversize sunglasses, a crisp collared shirt, an even crisper pleated navy skirt and leopard-print pumps. I start walking over to introduce myself, but a fan gets there first. This would happen several times during our meeting at the hotel — wherever Burch goes, a small flock of admirers form.
Burch is in town for the Fashion Trust U.S. Awards, where she was recognized with the designer of the year award. Ever since she took back creative control of her brand about six years ago, Tory Burch is back at the center of the American fashion zeitgeist. Compared to the resort-ready tunics and preppy Reva flats that embodied Tory 1.0 in the 2000s, Tory 2.0 has evolved into a “weirder,” more innovative version of itself. Think: a jersey dress with knotted ruching in an unexpected shade of green, or leather mules with an inverted heel that makes you look twice. While the Tory customer of the past felt neatly aligned with the country club aesthetic, the Tory customer today embodies a modern sensibility of polish and dynamism. You could easily imagine these clothes on a marketing exec at the office, a buyer at fashion week or an author on book tour.
There’s no doubt the “Tory-ssance” is in full swing. During New York Fashion Week, my TikTok page was flooded with behind-the-scenes clips of model it-girl Alex Consani getting ready for Tory Burch’s runway show. On the nouveau fashion blogs of Substack, women exchange styling ideas for the brand’s signature pierced mules. And on the streets of L.A. — from Sunset and Rodeo to Melrose and Wilshire — colorful Tory Burch logo sandals abound.
Clarke wears Tory Burch Mellow Mary Jane jellies, Gemini Link pendant necklace, and printed asymmetric viscose dress.
We sat down for tea at the Polo Lounge and talked about her design instincts, what women actually want to wear, freaky footwear and how a long career in fashion is its own kind of sport.
Viv Chen: Hi, Tory, it’s a pleasure to meet. Congratulations on receiving the designer of the year award from Fashion Trust U.S. this week. What does that kind of recognition mean to you at this point in your career?
Tory Burch: It’s a huge honor, and to be recognized by your peers is even more special. Being in that room and meeting some of the up-and-coming new designers, the creative energy was just palpable and super exciting to take in. I love what Tania [Fares] has built to support emerging designers.
VC: I heard you got to dress Pamela Anderson.
TB: Yeah, she presented the award to me. Pamela and I met through our boys, so it was very special because we have a friendship and I admire her so much.
VC: This award feels like another marker of the “Tory-ssance.” There’s been such a compelling story over the last few years about how you’ve reinvented the brand to feel fresh and relevant again. How do you see that evolution?
Clarke wears Tory Burch beaded heel sandals and cotton jacquard shirtdress.
TB: We’re just starting in many ways. When I first started the company 20 years ago, it was very much a creative journey. As time went on, I was also running the company and became the CEO. After a certain point, managing both was not doable. About six years ago — it was probably the one silver lining out of COVID — I had the opportunity to reset and give up my role as CEO. Now, 100% of my time is dedicated to the creative process. It’s something we’re still very much in the process of — not at the peak. I still have a lot I want to do.
VC: You redesigned your Rodeo Drive store last year. What is it about the L.A. market that influenced the design decisions you made?
TB: First of all, it’s really funny because a lot of people think I’m from L.A. I love the casual elegance of L.A. I’m very outdoorsy, I’m very sporty, so there’s a lot of things that I relate to from a design standpoint. And I’ve always been obsessed with interior design. It wasn’t as much about L.A., but it was more about using the light here. We opened up the top of the store with skylights, so it had shapes that the front of the store brought in with the light.
VC: You seem to have unlocked what women actually want to wear. Tell me more about your design perspective.
TB: I like an ease and a realness to what we do, but balanced with creativity and innovation. So it’s taking things that are classic in spirit, but then giving a strangeness to it. Like something where you look closer and see an interesting fabric or different stitching. I like tension.
Melissa wears Tory Burch pierced strappy heel sandals and printed silk dress.
Clarke wears Tory Burch Hank ballet sneakers.
VC: I want to talk about footwear, because you’ve designed some major hits. The Reva flat was such an iconic shoe in the 2000s. And now, your pierced mules are fueling the contemporary rise in “freaky footwear.” What is it about footwear that is such a powerful category for you?
TB: I’ve always loved footwear. When I started with the pierced [mule], I was looking at toe rings. I thought, how do you incorporate the concept of that into a mule? It was like an exercise in architecture. Ever since I’ve taken back the reins of the creative process, I’ve focused on how footwear makes your leg look and how it feels. The Reva is interesting because it was meant to be a foldable shoe to throw in your bag, but also something you could walk in all day.
VC: What shoes are you wearing today?
TB: I’m wearing the pierced pump.
VC: How do movement and women in motion factor into how you design? I’m thinking about Tory Sport, which I think was ahead of the curve of the athleisure boom.
TB: We started in 2015. It was me and a very small team starting with what I felt like was missing in the market — which was great-looking clothing that was not restrictive, but also technical. Something you could move in from morning until evening. I also saw the prevalence of streetwear and the way women were dressing at the time.
VC: Culturally, when we talk about fashion designers, we focus on skills like creativity and artistry. Whereas in the language of sports, we talk about endurance, discipline and grit. Do you view your 20-plus year career in fashion as its own kind of sport?
Melissa wears Tory Burch jelly heel flip-flops.
TB: I do. It is a sport, and there’s a physicality to it as well. I think some people question whether I still go to the office. I don’t think I’ve had lunch in the last 21 years. I can be at the office for 10-hour days, which is like an athlete where it’s about discipline and grit and endurance.
VC: Athletes always get asked about the unglamorous work behind the wins. What’s your equivalent of daily reps?
TB: The mental capacity you need to have. Sometimes I make 4,000 decisions in a day. I touch every product. But I’m also lucky in that my days never really look the same either, because I do so many different parts of the business — whether it’s store design, marketing or the actual design of different categories.
VC: Beyond your brand, what is the impact you are trying to make with the Tory Burch Foundation?
TB: We launched it in 2009 to support women entrepreneurs through mentoring, capital and community. We’ve committed to adding a billion dollars to the economy by 2030 through our fellows and entrepreneurs. We’re having a breakfast in three weeks honoring Anna Wintour. It’s our second fundraiser — last year it was Martha Stewart.
VC: What is the long game for Tory Burch?
TB: I don’t know that I’d sit and think about the long game as much as I think about trying to be present. I’m always interested in the zeitgeist and how we fit into that, but not necessarily to be on trend. I just am someone that has that curiosity to push things forward.
Viv Chen is a Bay Area–based fashion writer, and founder of the Molehill newsletter.
Photography Jennelle Fong
Styling Bin X. Nguyen
Talent Melissa Baltierrez, Clarke Brown
Nails Lila Robles
Videography D.J. Theriot
Lighting Assistant Phillip Acevedo
Dara and her song “Bangaranga” skyrocketed Bulgaria to first place at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest
Helmut Fohringer/APA/AFP via Getty Images
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Bulgaria has won the 70th Eurovision Song Contest — the country’s first-ever win.
The achievement surprised many because Bulgaria wasn’t among the favorites to win in 2026. But with its catchy “Welcome to the riot!” refrain and bouncy vibe, performer Dara’s banging anthem “Bangaranga” bested 24 other nations for the glittery global musical crown at the finals on Saturday in Vienna, Austria.
Israel came in second, as it did last year. Ten competitors were eliminated from the original group of 35 in the semi-finals earlier this week.
In his appraisal of his 10 favorite Eurovision 2026 songs, NPR critic Glen Weldon called “Bangaranga” an “insanely catchy bop” and praised its “deep, profound, abiding grooviness.”
“Oh my god!” Dara yelled, as she accepted the Crystal Microphone, the event’s glass trophy, from last year’s winner, JJ of Austria.
As with other global cultural events, such as the Venice Biennale currently underway in Italy, the glittery annual songfest is intended as a display of goodwill and togetherness between nations. “In a world often divided, we stand united by music,” said host Michael Ostrowski at the conclusion of this year’s event.
Last year’s contest, held in Basel, Switzerland, saw record viewership, reaching 166 million viewers across 37 markets.
Israel prepared for ‘boos’
Eurovision has long strived to prioritize artistry over political antagonism. However, as with the Biennale, Eurovision 2026 found itself at the center of protests related to the war in Gaza.
Five countries — Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain — pulled out between September and December 2025 in protest over event organizer European Broadcasting Union’s decision to allow Israel to participate amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
In this year’s finals, Israeli singer Noam Bettan performed the romantic breakup song “Michelle” in French, Hebrew and English. Unlike in the semifinal, when the artist sang over chants of “stop the genocide,” Bettan was not booed — at least audibly. The artist told The Times of Israel last month he had been practicing performing in front of hecklers.
There were both anti- and pro-Israel demonstrations in Vienna this week.
Pro-Palestinian protests at the last two contests called for Israel to be disbarred from Eurovision over its role in the conflict, as well as allegations it attempted to manipulate voting to favor its entries. The European Broadcasting Union changed its voting rules in response. Among other requirements, contestants and broadcasters are prohibited from taking part in promotional campaigns by third parties including governments. Countries outside of Europe, such as Israel, participate in Eurovision because eligibility is based on European Broadcasting Union membership, not necessarily geographics.
A double standard?
Although Israel’s participation is the biggest cause of dissent in 2026, the country avoided being banned from the event.
That was not the case with Russia, which was disbarred indefinitely from participating in the contest soon after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
European Broadcasting Union deputy director general Jean Philip De Tender defended his organization’s decision to allow Israel to perform, the European edition of Politico reported ahead of the contest’s final, because Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, the body behind its entry, is independent, whereas Russia’s state broadcaster, VGTRK, is run by the Russian government.
In a social media post on Friday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez decried the European Broadcasting Union for its “double standard.”
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