Who was a real life femme fatale?

Answer 1

lou reed wrote the song 'femme fatale' for nico.

nico fits the bill in some ways: she seriously confused leonard cohen (though this seems to have had a positive effect on his songs) and kept jackson browne at arms length for a very long time (though again, this seems to have enriched his music).

her relationship with lou reed was reciprocally destructive, and she certainly helped jim morrison on his route to self-destruction.

she seems to have got her own son - ari - hooked on heroin.

on the other hand her involvement with john cale seems to have benefited both of them, and to be a rare example of a relationship based on mutual respect between two ex-lovers.

and it seems likely that she was used by alain delon.

federico fellini invited her to watch him making 'la dolce vita', but was then so struck by her presence that he gave her her first major film role. (which she then walked out on before the film was completed). that is a real femme fatale at work.

Answer 2

It could be any one of a number of women. The dictionary defines it as a woman who uses her charms to bring disaster on men. The earliest I can think of is Eve followed by Delilah then Cleopatra, Lucretia Borgia, Marie Antoinette, Mata Hari up to modern day ones like Madonna and Britney Spears.

Seriously though, I don't think the term was used aimed at one particular woman, it's just an expression to describe such women.

Answer 3

Mata Hari

Christine Keeler

Answer 4

I think that Mrs Wallace Simpson takes some beating. At a time when divorce was frowned upon by even the working class, she was TWICE divorced when she met Edward, Prince of Wales. Nevertheless, she held such sway that he abdicated as Edward VIII of England and married her as Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

Answer 5

If I had to venture a guess I'd say Cleopatra or perhaps Joan of Arc

Answer 6

Margaret Thatcher.

Well, Ronnie fancied her !