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Viva la Viva!
Probably the Chelsea's most historic battle over unpaid rent occurred between Bard and
a counterculture celebrity named Viva, one of the Warhol superstars and star of
Chelsea
Girls.
Born Janet Susan Mary Hoffman, the daughter of a well-known attorney, Viva grew
up in Syracuse in a repressive Catholic family that worshipped Joseph McCarthy. It's no
wonder she rebelled hard. After she asserted her way into a prominent position in Warhol's
scene, she was featured in his films
Lonesome Cowboy; Ciao, Manhattan;
and
The Loves of
Ondine.
ROBERT CAMPBELL
Now Viva had a great big, beautiful apartment, which only cost her seven-
hundred-fiftydollarsamonth,andshe
still
wasn'tpayingherrent!Sheowedmany
thousands.IguessshefeltentitledbecauseshehadallthehistorywiththeChelsea
and the Warhol scene.
DAVID LAWTON
Those people who did have a little touch of celebrity got away with paying no
rent. It was so bizarre!
JOHN ZINSSER
Viva, who was known for her fights with Stanley, would argue,
“I
made this hotel
famous!”
TIM SULLIVAN
Viva was always in your face—that was her personality.
Finally, in the early 90s, Stanley had had it with Viva's freeloading, and started demanding
payment.
ROBERT CAMPBELL
Stanley told me that, after decades living there, she had only just recently started
paying any rent. He wouldn't kick her out, but for some reason,
she
was mad as
hell at
Stanley!
Stanley said to Viva, “Listen, if you just pay your rent every month, you can
stay here. Don't even worry about what you owed me for decades.” And for some
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