The Exciting Life of 80s Icon Bo Derek

John Derek died of heart failure on May 22, 1998, at age 71. His death ended the couple’s 22-year marriage and brought to a close the creative partnership that had influenced nearly every major choice in Bo’s early acting career.

John had been her husband, director, photographer, producer, and closest professional adviser since she was a teenager. Losing him forced Bo to confront life without the person around whom much of her adulthood had been organized. For the first time, she would have to decide what her future looked like entirely on her own.