‘Love to Love You, Donna Summer’ documentary reveals the late singer struggled with abuse, suicidal thoughts

Some explosive revelations have been made in the film, which releases on May 20, 2023, on HBO and HBO Max. Here’s what we know of Donna Summer’s life.

Who was Donna Summer?

Singer Donna Summer, born LaDonna Adrian Gaines in Boston, USA, rose to fame as the “Queen of Disco” in the 1970s. But behind the bad girl pop star aura was an innocent church choir girl who struggled, and even contemplated taking her own life.

How did Donna Summer die?

Donna Summer died of non-smoking-related lung cancer in 2012. She had kept the diagnosis a secret and only her family knew about it.

What was revealed in the Donna Summer documentary?

Donna Summer thought of her religious upbringing while dressing up like a rockstar for the world and singing erotic songs. In the documentary, Summer is heard saying, “You’re looking at me, but what you see is not what I am. How many roles do I have to play in my own life?”

The church choir singer also had to face sexual abuse at the hands of a pastor as a child for many years, which left her depressed in adulthood as well. In 1976, Donna Summer almost jumped out of a window of her hotel room in New York, when a help saved her. About her suicide attempt, Summer said, “I felt God could never forgive me because I had failed him. I was decadent, I was stupid, I was a fool. I just decided that my life had no meaning.”

The documentary also reveals Summer’s relationships, including one with artist Peter Mühldorfer, whose assault resulted in the singer being unconscious with a black eye and broken ribs. Mühldorfer confessed in the film, “I hit her, and I never could forgive myself.”

The documentary film is co-directed by the late star’s daughter, Brooklyn Sudano, and has never-seen-before home videos. She told Fox News Digital that to understand the “greatness and magnitude” of her mother’s triumphs, one must also know the lows in her life. “You also have to know what we had to work through and overcome to get there and why she decided to do certain things,” Sudano said.

She added that it was important to address her mother’s trauma in the documentary to encourage others struggling to speak out. “The experience has been very healing for us,” she said.

FAQs

Q1:Who was the Queen of Disco?
Singer-songwriter Donna Summer was known as the Queen of Disco.

Q2:How did Donna Summer die?
Donna Summer died of lung cancer.