Traci Lords
Penthouse Pet of the Month, September 1984

Traci Lords Bio

May 17, 1968 / Taurus / Age 57

Traci Lords is an American-born Penthouse model, actress, former pornographic actress, and singer, born Nora Louise Kuzma on May 17, 1968 in Steubenville, Ohio, United States. Throughout her modeling career, she has also appeared under the names Nora Kuzma or Tracy Lords, each marking a distinct chapter in her evolving on-camera persona.

Traci Lords was crowned Penthouse Pet of the Month in September 1984, stepping into the spotlight at just 16 years old. With her statuesque 35-23-35 figure, seductive blue eyes, honey blond hair, and natural breasts, Traci brings bright, youthful energy to the spotlight, blending innocence with a bold, emerging sensuality.

Traci Lords became one of the most controversial and culturally significant figures ever to appear in the magazine’s pages. Born Nora Louise Kuzma in Steubenville, Ohio, she moved to California as a teenager after a turbulent childhood and adopted the stage name Traci Lords — a blend of old Hollywood elegance and television-era charisma.

Her September 1984 Penthouse pictorial arrived at a moment when she was rapidly rising within the adult entertainment industry. Youthful, striking, and camera-confident, she quickly became one of the most sought-after performers of her era. However, it was later revealed that she had entered the industry using falsified identification while underage — a revelation that triggered one of the most consequential legal crises in adult entertainment history. Authorities moved against producers and distributors, forcing the removal and destruction of vast quantities of material in which she had appeared. Lords herself was never charged, as the law recognized her as a minor at the time.

Rather than disappear, she rebuilt. At eighteen, she began formal acting training at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and transitioned into mainstream film. She appeared in projects such as Cry-Baby, directed by John Waters, and later in genre films including Blade. Television roles followed across series such as Melrose Place and Will & Grace, marking her sustained presence in mainstream entertainment.

In the mid-1990s, she launched a music career, achieving dance-chart success with the single “Control,” and later published her memoir, Traci Lords: Underneath It All, which debuted on The New York Times Best Seller list. The autobiography offered her own account of exploitation, survival, and reinvention — themes that would come to define public perceptions of her legacy.

Though her Penthouse appearance in 1984 remains a pivotal chapter, Traci Lords’ story ultimately extends far beyond a single pictorial. Her trajectory — from scandal to reinvention, from adult fame to mainstream credibility — makes her one of the most complex and discussed figures ever associated with Penthouse’s history.