What Is Apollonia Kotero's Net Worth?
Apollonia Kotero is an American actress, singer, talent manager, and former model who has a net worth of $4 million. Apollonia is probably best known for starring alongside Prince in the 1984 film "Purple Rain," and she also fronted a girl group called Apollonia 6. Kotero had a recurring role on the primetime soap opera "Falcon Crest" from 1985 to 1986, and she has appeared in films such as "Heartbreaker" (1983), "Ministry of Vengeance" (1989), "Black Magic Woman" (1991), and "The Divorce Ceremony" (2006). Apollonia 6 released a self-titled album in 1984, and Kotero released the solo album "Apollonia" in 1988. In 2005, she established Kotero Entertainment, a multimedia entertainment company based in Beverly Hills.
Early Life
Apollonia Kotero was born Patricia Apollonia Kotero on August 2, 1959, in Santa Monica, California. Her parents immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico. Apollonia's mother, Maria, worked as a caregiver for the elderly, and her father, Victor, managed a restaurant. Kotero has five younger siblings, and when she was 16, she dropped out of high school to pursue a modeling career.
Career
After leaving school, Apollonia won the Miss San Pedro beauty contest and worked as a model, actress, singer, and Los Angeles Rams cheerleader. Her brother George told "People" magazine, "She made her first million by the time she was 24." Kotero made her acting debut in the 1979 film "La mafia de la frontera," followed by "Tricks of the Trade" and "Amor ciego" in 1980. She then guest-starred on "CHiPs" (1982), "Tales of the Gold Monkey" (1983), "Fantasy Island" (1983), "Matt Houston" (1983), and "Knight Rider" (1984) and appeared in the film "Heartbreaker" (1983), the TV movie "The Mystic Warrior" (1984), and Eddie Money's "Shakin'" music video (1982). In 1984, Apollonia starred in Prince's "Purple Rain," which grossed $70.3 million against a $7.2 million budget and was preserved in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry in 2019 for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." Kotero, Susan Moonsie, and Brenda Bennett made up Apollonia 6 in the film, and the group embarked on a worldwide tour to promote the single "Sex Shooter." Kotero performed the song "Take Me with U" with Prince on the film's 13× Platinum soundtrack, and it reached #7 on the "Billboard" Dance Club Songs chart and #25 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart.
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From 1985 to 1986, Apollonia appeared in 10 episodes of "Falcon Crest," and in 1988, she released a self-titled solo album, which featured the singles "Since I Fell for You," "Mismatch," and "The Same Dream." "Mismatch" reached #10 on the "Billboard" Dance Club Songs chart. Around this time, Kotero appeared in the films "Ministry of Vengeance" (1989), "Back to Back" (1989), "Black Magic Woman" (1991), "A Woman's Secret" (1991), and "Bad Girls" (1992), and she guest-starred on the science-fiction series "Sliders" in 1997. She hosted "Latin Beat" on The Jazz Channel, and in 1998, she appeared in the film "Anarchy TV" (1998) and guest-starred on "Air America" alongside her "Falcon Crest" love interest Lorenzo Lamas. Apollonia also released an exercise video, "Go For It," and in 2006, she appeared in the film "The Divorce Ceremony." In 2009, her vocals were featured on a cover version of "When Doves Cry" by The Twilight Singers. The track appeared on "Purplish Rain," a digital album of Prince covers released by "Spin" magazine to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the "Purple Rain" soundtrack.
Personal Life
Apollonia married aspiring actor/martial artist Greg Patschull (also known as Kazja) on February 16, 1980, and they divorced in 1985. She dated Van Halen vocalist David Lee Roth while she was filming "Purple Rain," and she married actor/writer/producer Kevin Bernhardt on December 24, 1987. Kotero and Bernhardt divorced in 1996. In April 2022, Apollonia spoke to "People" magazine about the last time she saw Prince, at a party a few weeks before his death, stating, "He was a little quiet and he didn't look the same. Out of the blue he said, 'Some people think I look too thin,' but then he shrugged his shoulders. When we said goodbye, I told him I loved him, and he told me, 'I love you too.'" Kotero said that she was "severely depressed" after Prince's death and that therapy helped her deal with her grief. She said of her dear friend, "Prince gave me beautiful gifts. He is my legacy. And he will live on forever."
