Nancy Spungen

Nancy Laura Spungen (February 27, 1958 – October 12, 1978) was the American girlfriend of English musician Sid Vicious and a figure of the 1970s punk rock scene.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Spungen was an emotionally disturbed child who was diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 15.

Spungen was born on February 27, 1958, at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, to Franklin "Frank" (1934–2010) and Deborah Spungen (born 1937).

The Spungens were a middle-class Jewish family that resided in Lower Moreland Township, a Philadelphia suburb.

Spungen's father was a traveling salesman and her mother later owned an organic food store called The Earth Shop in nearby Jenkintown.

At the time of her birth, a newborn Spungen nearly died of oxygen deprivation after being choked by her umbilical cord during delivery; it was determined that she had not suffered any serious, brain-damaging oxygen loss.

However, it was then noted that Spungen’s skin was jaundiced and she was showing symptoms of severe cyanosis, forcing the newborn to undergo immediate, life-saving blood transfusions; her parents were not able to see her or hold her at this point, preventing the key bonding-time, between mother and baby, post-delivery.

Instead, Spungen was strapped to a small hospital bed and worked on by doctors, who ultimately saved her.

She was released from the hospital eight days after her birth.

It is theorized that, as a result of parental attention following her birth, Spungen proved to be a difficult baby, throwing crying fits and temper tantrums late into childhood.

At three months old, she was prescribed a liquid barbiturate by a pediatrician, something typically given to patients experiencing seizures.

The medication was ineffective, and her violent behavior persisted.

In January 1972, Spungen ran away from Devereux Manor and attempted suicide by slitting her wrists with scissors.

At age 15, her psychiatrist diagnosed her with schizophrenia.

Spungen graduated from Lakeside High School in 1974, two weeks after she was accepted to the University of Colorado Boulder.

She began attending the university at age 16.

Five months into her freshman year, she was arrested for attempting to purchase marijuana from an undercover police officer.

After being arrested a second time for storing stolen property in her dorm room, CU Boulder expelled her.

Spungen's father traveled to Boulder and accepted a plea bargain on her behalf, under which she agreed to be banished from the state of Colorado.

Spungen left home at age 17 and moved to New York City, where she supported herself for a time with sex work, amateur music journalism and odd jobs at clothing stores.

In her free time, she became a groupie and followed rock bands, including Aerosmith, Bad Company, the New York Dolls, and the Ramones.

After being expelled from college, she flew to London in December 1976 at the height of the punk rock movement, where she became involved with Vicious, the bassist for the Sex Pistols.

Their relationship was tumultuous, characterized by domestic violence, substance abuse, and heroin addiction.

Media labeled Spungen "Nauseating Nancy" for her outrageous and frequently antisocial behavior.

After John Lydon left the band and Vicious was made a focal point of subsequent band activities, the couple moved to New York City and checked into the Hotel Chelsea, where they spent much of their time using drugs, especially heroin.

In December 1976, Spungen flew to London with The Heartbreakers and met the Sex Pistols, which later included bassist Sid Vicious.

Vicious and Spungen first met the night she arrived in London.

They started a relationship, and moved in together in March 1977.

Over their 19-month relationship from March 1977 to October 1978, Spungen and Vicious developed heroin addictions; Vicious was already abusing multiple drugs prior to meeting Spungen.

Tabloids dubbed Spungen "Nauseating Nancy" for her frequent public outbursts.

In October 1978, Spungen was found dead in the bathroom of the couple's room at the Hotel Chelsea in New York City from a single stab wound to her abdomen.

Vicious was charged with her second-degree murder but died of a heroin drug overdose while on bail in February 1979 before the case went to trial.

Various authors and filmmakers have speculated about Vicious's role in Spungen's death, and the possibility that she was killed by a drug dealer who frequently visited their room.

In 1983, her mother said, "I know it's normal for babies to cry, but Nancy did nothing but scream."

Though she excelled academically, she had few friends during her elementary school years.

As a child, Spungen exhibited violent behavior toward her younger sister Susan, but was very caring toward her younger brother David.

Susan, who later became a noted author and food stylist, said she had "mixed memories" of her sister: "We were happy as kids and we played together and I looked up to [Nancy]. I was 10 or 11 when she went to boarding school and then she wasn't home a lot."

Spungen allegedly threatened to kill a babysitter with scissors and attempted to batter her psychiatrist, who accused her of acting out for attention.

At age 11, Spungen was expelled from public school after missing class over two weeks.

Weary of her erratic behavior, Spungen's parents enrolled her at Devereux Glenholme School in Washington, Connecticut and Devereux Manor High School in Berwyn, Pennsylvania.