Peggy Caserta, Janis Joplin’s Former Lover and Bell-Bottom Innovator, Dies at 84

Caserta, a pioneering figure in the 1960s Haight-Ashbury scene, passed away from natural causes at her Oregon home.

Peggy Caserta, known for her relationship with Janis Joplin and her influence on 1960s fashion, died on November 21, 2024, at age 84.
Caserta was a trailblazer in the Haight-Ashbury community, living openly as a lesbian and running a boutique that popularized bell-bottom jeans.
She authored two memoirs, including the controversial 'Going Down With Janis' in 1973, which she later disavowed, and 'I Ran Into Some Trouble' in 2018.
Caserta alleged in her second memoir that Joplin's 1970 death was due to a fall and asphyxiation, challenging the official cause of a heroin overdose.
After overcoming years of heroin addiction, Caserta spent her later life caring for her mother and living in a close-knit Oregon community.