Lory Del Santo is an Italian actress, writer, and director best known for directing the television series “The Lady,” “The Lady 2: L’odio passionale,” and “The Lady 3 – La Perfidia Patinata.”
In this post, I will take you through Lory Del Santo’s biography, age, career, and early life. I will also cover details of her relationship status and personal life.
She is known for her relationship with Eric Clapton, a famous English singer and guitarist, that led to the birth of Conor Clapton.
As a model, Del Santo is known to have represented Italy at the 29th Miss Universe pageant on 8 July 1980 at the Sejong Cultural Center in Seoul, South Korea.
As a writer, she authored the book titled “Piacere è una sfida” in English meaning (Pleasure is a challenge). The book was published on November 14, 2006.
Its paperback version currently sells on Amazon for €8.00. As of the time of writing, only a copy remains on Amazon.
Profile Summary
| Full Name | Loredana “Lory” Del Santo |
| Age | 66 years old |
| Date of Birth | September 28, 1958 |
| Place of Birth | Povegliano Veronese |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Occupation | Actress, Model, Director & Writer |
| Father | Antonio Del Santo |
| Sister | Paola Del Santo |
| Partner | Marco Cucolo |
| Height | 5’9″ 175 cm 1.75 m |
| Children | Conor Clapton (died on March 20, 1991) Devin Sardi Loren Del Santo (Suicide 2018) |
| Net Worth | $1 Million |
| Socials |
Biography
Lory Del Santo, also known as Loredana “Lory” Del Santo, was born to a humble family on September 28, 1958, in Povegliano Veronese, Italy. She had to be born in a stable due to the cold nature of Povegliano Veronese, which gets as low as four degrees.
Her father is Antonio Del Santo; he died in 1961 in a car accident when Lory was just three years old.
After her father’s death, Lory and her sister Paola were raised by their mother, Clorinda Del Santo.
Acting Career
Lory Del Santo has been in many movies over the years. Her journey started when she was 16 in high school when she played the role of a Valletta (female television assistant) in the first edition of Festivalbar in 1975. After high school, she risked leaving Verona for Rome alone to further her career.
Her first notable role was in 1977 at age 19, with a small role in “Ecco noi per esempio” as one of the girls dancing in a club. In 1978, she played Luisa in “Where Are You Going on Holiday?” and had another small part as “Loredana Del Santo” in Geppo il folle, a comedy musical.
As the years went by, Lory kept acting in different movies. In 1979, she had a small role in “Dear Father” as a Party guest and played Laura in “Gardenia.” She was also in movies like “Where Can You Go Without the Little Vice?” and “Passione amore servizio completo.”
In the early ’80s, Lory was in more films like “I’m Photogenic” and “Desideria” in 1980. She played a character named Lory in the movie “Sunday Lovers.” In 1981, she acted in “L’onorevole con l’amante sotto il letto” and “Bollenti spiriti.”
In the early ’80s, Lory worked in movies like “W la foca” (1982) and “La gorilla” (1982). In 1983, she appeared as herself in “FF.SS.” – Cioè: “…che mi hai portato a fare sopra a Posillipo se non mi vuoi più bene?”
After a break in the mid-’80s, Lory came back to the screen in 2006 with a small role as herself in “Vita Smeralda.” In 2013, she was in the short film “The Night Club,” where she played None and also directed it.
Some of the TV productions Lory has been featured in include:
- Ecco noi per esempio
- Where Are You Going on Holiday?
- Geppo il folle
- Dear Father
- Gardenia
- Where Can You Go Without the Little Vice?
- Passione amore servizio completo
- Saturday, Sunday, and Friday
- The Great Alligator River
- The Finzi Detective Agency
Career in Reality TV
Lory Del Santo has had a career in reality television that spans many years. It all started in 1975 when she appeared as herself and co-hosted “Festivalbar 1975,” an annual music festival. In 1980, she took part in the “Miss Universe 1980” beauty contest as a contestant.
Moving forward to 1981, Lory was on the variety show “Tagli, ritagli e frattaglie” as herself and co-host. In 1982, she appeared in the television film “Morto Troisi, viva Troisi!” as herself.
From 1983 to 1988, she was part of the sketch comedy show Drive In, playing various roles. The show achieved significant acclaim by winning the Telegatto awards for Best Variety Show (Miglior trasmissione di varietà) three consecutive times. In 1984, the show secured its first victory, followed by additional triumphs in 1985 and 1986.
In the year 2000, Lory Del Santo joined the game show “Ciao Darwin” as herself and a contestant in season 3. In 2005, Lory became a contestant on the reality show L’isola dei famosi in its third season. In 2006, she continued her reality TV journey, participating in the fourth season and also serving as an opinionist.
Lory’s reality TV ventures continued with “La Fattoria” in 2009, where she was a contestant in the fourth season. She hosted the docu-reality show “Missione seduzione from 2010 to 2011. In 2014 and 2015, she served as a judge on the reality show “My Bodyguard.”
From 2014 to 2017, Lory took on a unique role as the creator, director, and writer of “The Lady,” a show with 37 episodes. Simultaneously, she became an opinionist on the talk show “Pomeriggio Cinque” from 2014 to 2023.
Lory’s reality TV adventures continued with “Pechino Express” in 2016, where she participated as a contestant in the fifth season. From 2017 to 2021, she shared her opinions on the talk show “Domenica Live.” In 2018, Lory joined the reality show “Grande Fratello VIP” as a contestant in its third season.
Here is a list of some of the reality TV shows Lory Del Santo appeared in:
- Pomeriggio Cinque
- Missione seduzione
- La Fattoria
- L’isola dei famosi
- Ciao Darwin
- Morto Troisi, viva Troisi!
- Tagli, ritagli e frattaglie
Personal Life & Death of Conor
Del Santo often appeared in news stories, mostly because of her connection with Eric Clapton. Clapton, who created the song “Lady of Verona” just for her, was linked to her romantically.
At the time, Clapton was still married to Pattie Boyd. While still married, Clapton became a father to a boy named Conor, born on August 21, 1986.
Sadly, Conor passed away on March 20, 1991, when he accidentally fell from an open window on the 53rd floor of a New York City apartment building at just four and a half years old. It is said that the cleaner who cleaned her room forgot to shut the windows.
The loss of their son deeply affected Clapton, and he found inspiration in this tragedy for his songs “Tears in Heaven” and “Circus.” These songs allowed Clapton to express his emotions about the heartbreaking event.
Lory Del Santo Children
Lory Del Santo had four children in total. Her first child, Conor Clapton, died when he fell from the 53rd floor of a New York City apartment.
After the death of Conor, Lory discovered that she was three months pregnant with another child for American Tennis player “Richard Krajicek.” However, her second child was born premature and died of infection.
Her third child, Devin Sardi, whom she had with her partner, Milanese businessman Silvio Sardi, was born in 1992.
Lory had another child in 1999 named Loren Del Santo, who committed suicide in 2018 because he was diagnosed with a brain disease called anhedonia (the lack of interest, enjoyment, or pleasure from life’s experiences).
Relationship Status
Lory has been with a total of eight men. However, her well-known relationships were with English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter “Eric Clapton.”
Others include Dutch Tennis player “Richard Krajicek” and Milanese businessman “Silvio Sardi.”
Lory also had a secret relationship, but the person she had it with has not been identified. It was with this person she had her son Loren, who committed suicide in 2018.
Currently, Lory is in a relationship with a man who is said to be thirty-three years younger than her. The said man is Marco Cucolo, a model born in 1992.