The ‘Addicted to Love’ Girls Then & Now: Where Robert Palmer’s Video Stars Are Today
The video vixens defined '80s glamour—and went on to become makeup artists, landscape designers, charity workers and more
No music video represents the excess of the ’80s quite like Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love.” The suave British singer began his career in the early ’70s, but developed a new fanbase in the next decade thanks to his video’s ubiquity on MTV.
The 1986 video featured Palmer singing while backed by a band of five gorgeous models identically made up with dramatic eyeshadow, blush, red lipstick and slicked-back hair, and outfitted in form-fitting black long-sleeved dresses with stockings and heels. It caused a sensation, leading the song to become his first and only No. 1 hit in the U.S.
The girls in the “Addicted to Love” video were undeniably eye-catching, and together, the five of them created the perfect unit of glamorous ’80s femininity, with fierce, sharply stylized looks straight out of a Patrick Nagel poster. The legacy of “Addicted to Love” loomed large, as Palmer repeated the concept for “I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On” later in 1986 and “Simply Irresistible” in 1988, and the video was referenced by everyone from Shania Twain to Weird Al Yankovic to Bill Nighy in Love, Actually.
While the “Addicted to Love” video is instantly recognizable, the identity of the models was a mystery, and intentionally so, as they were all meant to appear identical and mannequin-like. In the decades since the video came out, the five models—Patty Kelly, Julia Bolino, Mak Gilchrist, Julie Pankhurst and Kathy Davies—none of whom actually played their instruments (but all of whom pantomimed fabulously) have spoken about their experiences being in the video. Here’s a look at what the Robert Palmer girls have been up to since the ’80s.
Patty Kelly
Patty Kelly played one of the guitarists in the music video. While many models of the day made appearances in music videos, this wasn’t the case for her, as she admitted, “Truth be told, I didn’t know what a music video was. I had been living in Europe, not watching much television, so I did not know about MTV or music videos.”
Kelly had previously worked with Terence Donovan, the director of the “Addicted to Love” music video, on a series of Neutrogena ads, and he personally chose her for the part. She went on to appear in the video for Palmer’s “I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On,” and in 1989, she was in a Pepsi commercial with Palmer set to “Simply Irresistible.”
In the ’90s, Kelly attended UCLA and studied art history. In the ’00s, she returned to the university to study horticulture and became a landscape designer.
Kelly married composer Jonathan Elias and had two children. They divorced, and in 2013 she married Michael Rosenfeld, a real estate developer. In an interview, Kelly revealed that she sold her Azzedine Alaïa dress from the video at a garage sale, a decision she called, “One of the stupidest things I’ve ever done.”
Looking back on the video, Kelly said, “The experience is and was just fantastic. It is such a funny little detail to have about oneself. Not everyone can say that they were lucky enough to participate in a piece of music history. I feel blessed!”
Julia Bolino
Julia Bolino played another one of the guitarists in the music video. Prior to “Addicted to Love,” she was in a Rod Stewart music video and the video for the Outfield’s “All the Love in the World.” When she was cast as a Robert Palmer girl, she didn’t know who the singer was.
After being in the video, Bolino married and had three children. She became a hair and makeup artist, saying, “I’m on the other side of the camera now, which I love.”
Bolino had a surprising initial reaction to the video, revealing, “I hated it at the time as it was me up there but now as I’m older I can be more objective and I think it’s great . . . it was an amazing thing to have been part of and I’m so glad I got to work with Terence Donovan and four of the coolest girls I have met.”
Mak Gilchrist
Mak Gilchrist played the bassist in the music video. Before “Addicted to Love,” she appeared in a variety of commercials. She had previously worked with Donovan, leading him to cast her, and recalled, “I had no idea then what this video would become. It was just another booking, except this one was with someone whose music I liked. I wasn’t easily starstruck.” She later appeared in a Bryan Ferry music video.
Gilchrist graduated from the London College of Printing, where she studied graphics and design. In 2012, she cofounded Edible Bus Stop, a landscape and spatial design studio that specializes in “creating planted installations to transform urban spaces into biodiverse active places.” She has also continued to model.
Looking back at the video, Gilchrist said, “I think there were discussions at the time about the objectification of women. I think that missed the point, though. The brief from Terence Donovan was to look like shop window mannequins. I guess his reasoning was that in so many videos women were being blatantly objectified so why not poke fun at that and offer something they’ll never be able to get hold of. We didn’t have a come-hither look in our eyes. It was a look but you can’t touch. We were dangerous ornaments. Out of reach and perfect accessories to Mr. Palmer’s bespoke tailored suit.”
Julie Pankhurst
Julie Pankhurst, who played the keyboardist, hadn’t been in any music videos or commercials before “Addicted to Love.” She also appeared on the cover of the song’s single and in Palmer’s “Simply Irresistible” Pepsi commercial. She was then in the music video for the Harry Connick Jr. song “Recipe for Love.”
Pankhurst is divorced from businessman Mark Armstrong and has a son. She became a photographic agent and then moved into retail, selling journals and children’s gifts.
Pankhurst called the video “totally original” and said, “I loved the passion it evoked from many walks of life (it appealed to the male population for obvious reasons; many women felt empowered by it; some musicians resented it; and there was an outcry in the feminist camp). It did and still does appeal across the generations.”
Kathy Davies
Kathy Davies, who played the drummer, was in the music video for “Figures” by Zaine Griff and made an appearance in a video for the reggae group the Simeons, directed by none other than Paul McCartney. She also had a small role in the 1983 James Bond movie Octopussy.
Davies was cast in the “Addicted to Love” video based on her previous work with its director, and as the drummer, she wasn’t quite as visible as the other models. She had a sense of humor about it, saying, “I think the bad ones get put in the back . . . off-camera, I was looking at Robert’s butt. He was straight in front of me.”
After being in the video, Davies married and moved to Thailand, where she worked with various charities, including the Phuket Has Been Good to Us Foundation and Good Shepherd Phuket Town, to help underprivileged children.
Recalling the video shoot, Davies said, “It was a great day. We all had a lot of fun and there was a terrific atmosphere.”
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