Cathy Smith
Catherine Evelyn Smith (25 April 1947 – 16 August 2020) was a Canadian occasional backup singer, rock groupie, drug dealer, and legal secretary. Smith served 15 months in the California state prison system for injecting actor John Belushi with a fatal dose of heroin and cocaine in 1982.
Cathy Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | Catherine Evelyn Smith April 25, 1947 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | August 16, 2020 (aged 73) Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation(s) | Rock groupie, backup singer |
| Criminal charge | Involuntary manslaughter of John Belushi (1982) Possession of 2 grams of cocaine (1991) |
| Criminal penalty | 15 months in prison (1982), 1 year of probation and a CDN$2000 fine (1991) |
Smith had been paid for a front-page headline story in the Hollywood tabloid the National Enquirer, where she stated she was the person who injected Belushi with a fatal drug overdose. Smith co-wrote the book Chasing the Dragon (1984) which told her life story; its title alludes to Smith's heroin addiction. Smith appeared prominently in the Bob Woodward book Wired: The Short Life and Fast Times of John Belushi (1984) and was played by Patti D'Arbanville in the 1989 film adaptation.