Kenneth Anger's book "Hollywood Babylon" sensationalized the tragic February 1959 death of the actress, although his "theory" is not based on fact. He claims it was a bizarre suicide triggered by years of alcoholism and
failed attempts to revive her stalled career. Anger claims that, alone in her apartment in Venice, CA, she gathered together reams of publicity stills and promotional material from her early career and set them on fire,
allowing herself to be consumed by the flames. In truth, a fire broke out in her bedroom while she was asleep. She was found on the bathroom floor, having died of smoke inhalation. The scrapbook referred to of her modeling and film career managed to escape the wrath of the flames.
