Matthews formally gave up her stage name “Vanity” and became a born-again Christian in 1994, the year she almost died from the effects of snorting cocaine. According to Matthews, after being rushed to the hospital, doctors said she had three days left to live and she was on life support. She told everyone in interviews that Jesus spoke to her during this time and saved her if she promised to give up her “Vanity” persona. In 1995, Matthews was quoted “When I came to the Lord Jesus Christ, I threw out about 1,000 tapes of mine—every interview, every tape, every video. Everything.”[3] In interviews she gave during this period, Matthews expressed embarrassment and shame about her “sinful” life as Vanity—from her cocaine addiction to her lifestyle and wardrobe choices. Soon after, she broke off all ties to Hollywood and her former life. In 1996, Matthews became Director of Public Relations for The Genesis Technology Group. After a kidney transplant in 1997, Matthews decided to fully devote her life and work to evangelism. She now travels to speak at churches across the United States and overseas. Due to the detrimental effects on her health stemming from her use of drugs for over a decade during her days as Vanity, Matthews must now perform peritoneal dialysis at home five times a day. Her Website: http://www.denisematthews.com/ 2. A hardcore punk band from Perth www.myspace.com/vanityhc |
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