Victoria
Valentino
AUTHOR
Victoria Valentino's debut memoir has been in the works for twenty years
and is now available on Amazon Books and Kindle!
Dirty Diamonds
is a woman’s journey from
objectification to self-actualization.
Victoria Valentino has
taken her tragedies and
repurposed her life through
many trials and incarnations,
finding lessons of wisdom
to impart along the way.
Victoria’s memoir, Dirty Diamonds: The Repurposed Life of a Playboy Icon and Cosby Survivor is not a story that is solely a retelling of the Cosby experience. Cosby was a blip on her radar, but was the thread that pulled together the telling of her life story as a survivor of childhood abuse, domestic abuse, multiple rapes as a young girl making her the easy target for the man who would make her Playboy’s Miss September 1963, the father of her son - and ultimately her trafficker and worst abuser.
It was the tipping point that in finding her own voice made her a beacon of hope, trust and light for others who have not yet found theirs. It is her story of triumph over tragedy, following her own Yellow Brick Road towards transformational healing through creative action and the gifts of unconditional love from the most unlikely sources.
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Diamonds are the most pure jewels sparkling with Light and precious gifts of high value. Victoria has come to see an experience in her life with the first diamond she ever bought for herself after losing everything, as a metaphor for life.
Diamonds are not created, but are made from simple organic materials and under great pressure and time they begin to shine. Should we be careless with our precious god-given gifts - our own ‘diamonds’ their Light will dull and fade. Our daily task is to keep our “diamonds” clean and bright so their Light will shine into the world.
In every one’s life there is a time in which we tell our life story from the ‘before and after.’ In Victoria’s life it was ‘before Tony died’ and ‘after Tony died.’ Everything that happened from there led her on the journey that would bring her towards healing and finally finding her voice when she spoke out publicly in 2014 about being drugged, kidnapped and raped by Bill Cosby within weeks after her 6 year old child, Tony, drowned in 1969.
Her life story is multifaceted, complex, deeply painful, deceptively lovely in many ways on the surface, hard work, richly satisfying and in the end a triumphant journey of overcoming adversity, transforming trauma into lessons of spiritual growth with a myriad interesting diverse stories along the way.
Victoria’s deepest wish is that her life experiences, her journey of survival and her stories of life’s ironies and karmic resolution will provide some inspiration, touchstones and hope for those survivors and others who have experienced deep suffering, grief and loss in their own lives.
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THE BUZZ
"Victoria found the courage to speak and her story is one of hope, healing, and finding empowerment … Every survivor needs an advocate, someone they can rely on. Victoria Valentino is that woman.”
Andrea Constand, bestselling author of THE MOMENT: Standing Up to Bill Cosby, Speaking Up for Women,
executive director-founder of the Hope, Healing
and Transformation Foundation
“Shines a light on survivors' experiences as their trials and quests for justice went forward …with truth-telling, courage, and unquenchable love of life.”
- Jane Manning, former sex crimes prosecutor
and founder of the Women's Equal Justice Project
“Victoria’s memoir stands as a primer for humanity to bring forth change… a call to education, for awareness, understanding and responsibility of our inherited biology.”
- Joan Root Ericksen, founder of
The Sun Foundation for Advancement in the
Environmental Sciences and Arts
“A riveting story that will open the eyes of every reader to the perversions of fame and sentimentality of both the celebrity and of the public, who often want to believe the lie rather than the truth.”
Elaine Suranie, Former Chairperson of California Commission on the Status of Women
“For decades, her voice had been smothered—even physically damaged. Victoria Valentino remained silent about myriad abuses including being drugged, kidnapped, and raped by Bill Cosby … until she finally found her voice.”
- Lynn W. Murphy, bestselling author of
Women Who Push the Limits Presents -
50 Life Lessons from Inspiring Women
“A living example of how one person can make a difference … Victoria’s story will enlighten and empower others to change the laws that enable rape culture. Reading this book will show you how it’s done.”
- Bird Milliken, activist/administrator of
We Support The Survivors of Bill Cosby FB page,
licensed clinical social worker
“Victoria Valentino is a pioneer in the fight against gender-based violence … never afraid to roll up her sleeves and work hard for what she believes in. We need more people to break the silence, to be the voice for the voiceless, and to be the change.“
- Eileen Dong, founder of Hope Pyx Global,
Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award winner,
TEDx speaker & author
“Best Playboy Playmate memoir EVER. The writing is superlative—both erudite and engaging—and the stories she weaves are gripping, often heart wrenching, and ultimately poetic.”
- James E. Kenney, music professor
“Victoria tells her compelling true story openly and with raw honesty ... she paves the way for women and men to be able to cope and overcome such great adversity.”
- Pamela Cameron, psychologist
“Victoria Valentino has led an extraordinary life. She’s experienced losses and hardships that would have shattered many of us. But somehow, she found the strength to build a new life of service to others and fighting for justice.”
- Steve Sullivan, author of
Glamour Girls Then and Now
Victoria has come through a dark tunnel marked by multiple rapes and abuse to live a transformed life of service and creativity.
“Deep thanks to Anne Spry, editor and publisher of my newly revised, improved and vastly more comprehensive edition of my memoir. It is a product of which I am now so proud! Thank you for your hard work, critical eye, professionalism and loving support!“
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Please visit her website: