How did Lora Somoza die? Sex therapist was lover of Sopranos' James Gandolfini
Noted sex therapist Lora Somoza, who became more famous as 'The Sopranos' star James Gandolfini's girlfriend, had died at the age of 51 years in a tragic accident. Ironically, Gandolfini himself passed away in 2013 from a massive heart attack at the age of 51 as well. A recent report published by The Sun revealed that Lora Theresa Somoza died in a freak accident on July 5, 2020, at her mother Candace's home in Los Angeles.
The news of Somoza's tragic death adds to the list of celebrities and eminent personalities associated with 'The Sopranos', whom we lost in the past. Recently, Val Bisoglio, who starred as Murf Lopo in the cult classic TV series, died at the age of 95. In December 2019, fans were hit hard by the news of Johnny Valiant's fatal truck accident. The WWE Hall of Famer also happened to play a small role in 'The Sopranos' series. Lora Somoza's name has started doing rounds once again as James Gandolfini's son Michael is playing a young Tony Soprano in the prequel of 'The Sopranos', 'The Many Saints of Newark', airing on HBO Max.
READ MORE
'The Sopranos' actress attempted to use acid and alligators to dispose body of husband's ex-wife
'Sopranos' star James Gandolfini once threatened to 'beat the f**k out of' Harvey Weinstein, co-star recalls
How did Lora Somoza die?
Lora Somoza reportedly died in her mother's swimming pool, after he accidentally slipped and fell into the curb, and hit her head badly. Her body was later found in the swimming pool.
During the early 2000s, the affair between James Gandolfini and Lora Somoza served as peak tabloid gossip due to the scandals and rumors around it. Gandolfini, who essayed the role of Tony Soprano in HBO's award-winning series, was married to his second wife Deborah from 2008 till his death in 2013. Prior to meeting her, Gandolfini was involved romantically with Lora Somoza, a noted sex therapist and talk show host.
Somoza and Gandolfini first met on the set of 'The Mexican' starring Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, where Gandolfini was a cast member and Somoza was a production assistant. They fell in love and got engaged in 2003. However, happiness was short-lived for the two, as they eventually broke up two years later. But, it was soon found that they never got over each other, and reconnected while Gandolfini was married to Deborah Lin.
"What happened to her relationship with James was such a sad thing because they were both so in love with each other. They were just madly, insanely in love when they were together. It was like a soulmate kind of thing. Even at the end of their relationship, even when they broke up, they were still in love with each other. They just couldn't get past a few things. What they wanted going forward as a team was not the same thing, that's really what broke them up," shared Astrologist Zoe, who was a close acquaintance of Lora and even collaborated with her on podcasts and radio shows.
Zoe shared further untold secrets about Somoza and Gandolfini's tragic love story. "Lora was ready to have kids and James was not, so they made an intellectual decision to part ways. The irony was that she went on to be in a relationship where she couldn't have them and he went on to a relationship where he did. That was just mind-boggling and really, really difficult for Lora. They both had a very short life after they broke up so I wish they could have found a way to stay together."
In a conversation with The Sun, Zoe revealed the Somoza took up sex therapy as a profession only after her much-publicized split from James Gandolfini. Her show 'Between the Sheets with Lora Somoza' earned immense success and propelled her into a prominent figure in the industry.
Every year on June 19, the date of Gandolfini's death, Somoza would share heartbreaking posts about him, fondly reminiscing the good times they spent together. However, her last remembrance post came on June 19, 2020, just a month before her own death.
"She was at her parents’ house and she slipped, hit her head and drowned in the pool. Her mother found her, it was horrible. A terrible accident," Zoe recalled about her death.
"She was incredibly smart and very witty, which is why she did well with her podcast shows. She was beautiful and had a great sense of humor, which is just a great combination," she added about her late friend.