Dorothy Stratten Biography

Dorothy Stratten was born Dorothy Ruth Hoogstraten on February 28, 1960 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to Simon and Nelly Hoogstraten. Stratten had two siblings, a brother and a half sister from her mother's second marriage. In 1974, Stratten worked part-time at a nearby Dairy Queen. Three years later she met boyfriend, Paul Snider. Snider claimed to be a promoter. In 1978, Snider persuaded Stratten to pose nude for pictures that he would send to the magazine, Playboy. Snider had seen an advertisement for Playboy's 25th Anniversary Playmate and thought Stratten would be perfect. The prize was $25,000 and a chance to be in the January issue of Playboy the following year. Snider sent the pictures into Playboy magazine along with a forged signature of Stratten's mother since she was underage. After the pictures arrived at Playboy, editors were so taken that they agreed to fly Stratten out to Los Angeles, California so they could meet her in person. Stratten met with them along with the founder of Playboy magazine, Hugh Hefner.