Where Is Elvira Now? Inside the Mistress of the Dark's Life Four Decades After She Debuted the Vampy Character

Cassandra Peterson, better known as her camp character Elvira, first created her gothic persona in 1981.

Her stardom began to rise when she was a member of the legendary improv troupe The Groundlings and was hired by KHJ-TV, a Los Angeles-based television station, to host a weekend horror program. The show was called Elvira’s cinematic macabre and aired locally from 1981 to 1986, catapulting Elvira to stardom, thanks to her unique, charming brand of comedy.

In 1988 Elvira: Mistress of Darknessa feature film was released that deals with her sexy, gothic character. It’s now a pop culture icon (and common Halloween costume) in its own right.

Peterson continues to engage with his longtime fan base while finding his way into modern conversations. In 2021, she published a memoir in which she came out as “sexually fluid” and introduced her longtime partner to the world.

Peterson also made headlines during Wicked press tour in October 2024, when she talked about a disappointing experience with star Ariana Grande years before.

So where is Elvira now? Here’s everything you need to know about the horror star’s life today.

She returned to TV screens in 2014

Entertainer Elvira (Cassandra Peterson) Mistress Of The Dark performs her show ‘Elvira’s Big Top’ at Knott’s Scary Farm on October 18, 2014.

Barry King/WireImage

While Elvira’s fame was at its peak in the late ’80s, she continued to appear on TV in the years since. In 2014, she reprized her role, playing a horror housewife in the Hulu series, 13 nights of Elvira.

In 2021, Shudder was released Elvira’s 40th anniversary, very scary, very special, speciala four-episode series celebrating four decades of Mistress of Darkness. That same year, Peterson worked on the Netflix series, Netflix and Chills with dr. Elvira.

Over the years, Peterson has also made cameo appearances on various shows. The actress was a guest commentator on WrestleMania 2as well as a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Dragula and halloween wars.

She came out as “sexually fluid” in her 2021 memoir

Cassandra Peterson and Teresa T Wierson. Elvira Instagram

In 2021, Peterson published a memoir titled Sincerely, Elvira: Memoirs of a Mistress in the Dark. In the book, he details his life, from his trials in show business to the long romantic relationship he continues to share with his wife, Teresa “T” Wierson. Peterson called herself “sexually fluid” in the book, thus marking her public coming out.

As she said Diversity In 2022, Peterson felt the time was right to come out when she turned 70: “If I don’t do it now, when the hell am I going to do it? Who cares if people hate my character as Elvira and it goes to test tubes?”

Peterson has been in a relationship with Wierson since 2003, around the time she and her then-husband Mark Pierson divorced. Until 2021, she kept the relationship private and felt she was living a double life.

“That’s why my personal life was not fun. I felt like a hypocrite. You’re hiding something, and it sure didn’t make ‘T’, my partner, feel good,” she said. Diversity.

Who is ‘Elvira’ star Cassandra Peterson’s partner? All about Teresa ‘T’ Wierson

Since the book was published, Peterson added that “it feels good to be able to present her as my partner and to be able to hold hands.” The couple vacationed in Hawaii after Peterson’s memoir was published and enjoyed finally being able to show their love in public.

The actress also told the publication that others are seeing a difference in her too, saying, “They’ve commented that I feel lighter.”

He continues to stand up for his beliefs

American actress Cassandra Peterson at the Northern Lights Alternatives/LA’s Celebrity T-shirt & Fashion Show auction and fashion show held at the Marc Friedland Photography Studio in Los Angeles, California on October 2, 1991.

Vinnie Zuffante/Getty

Although Peterson became known mostly for her career as a performer, she also has a history of championing progressive causes.

Peterson was especially outspoken during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In 1993, she hosted a telethon that raised $1.6 million for AIDS care through the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. In conversation with 2022 +LifePeterson shared her personal perspective on the crisis.

“One of the people who helped me create [Elvira] the character Robert Redding, who helped me design the hair, the make-up, the dress, was one of the people who died of AIDS very early and I made it one of my goals in life to do everything I could to raise awareness about AIDS and helped in any way that people with HIV and AIDS can,” she said.

She went viral for criticizing her past interaction with Ariana Grande in October 2024

Cassandra Peterseon attends the Mercy For Animals 20th Anniversary Gala at The Shrine Auditorium on September 14, 2019 in Los Angeles, Calif. Ariana Grande attends the Academy Museum of 2024 Gala at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on October 19, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. California.

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

2024, just like a promotional tour for Wicked was in full swing, Peterson made headlines for saying her worst celebrity encounter of all time was with Ariana Grande. In a video that quickly went viral on YouTube and TikTok, Peterson spoke at an event and said one of her worst celebrity encounters happened a few years ago with Wicked star.

In the video, Peterson claimed that Grande brought a large group of family and friends to one of her performances as Elvira. Peterson claimed that after taking pictures with each of Grande’s guests, the star refused to take a photo with her.

“She came and brought 20 guests, so she wanted 20, 21 tickets,” Peterson claims. “She comes backstage and asks if I can take a picture with all her friends and relatives she brought.”

“I take pictures with each of them. I sign autographs with each of them,” she continued. “Then I say to her: ‘Can we take a picture together?’ She says, ‘No, I don’t really do that.’ ”

On Instagram, Grande responded to the allegations by commenting on a post Peterson shared about the interaction. “Actually I don’t even remember having a chance to meet you because I had an anxiety attack and left before the rest of my family as I recall (this was about 7 years ago and I really didn’t like being in public crowds or at loud places), the pop star wrote. “but if I’m misremembering this moment, I sincerely apologize for offending you like that,” she added.

Finally, Grande sent well wishes to “our Queen of Halloween!”

“Thank you for being so nice to my mom, she told me how wonderful you are (maybe she has different feelings about it now, but I’ll talk to her…obviously, we all have our days!),” she concluded.

Elvira has a lot of “news” coming in 2025

Cassandra Peterson at the 20th Century Studios premiere of “The First Omen” at the Regency Village Theater on March 26, 2024 in Los Angeles.

Frazer Harrison/WireImage

These days, Peterson continues to work and believes that Elvira will live for many more years. In October 2024, the actress attended The Groundlings’ 50th anniversary party in Los Angeles and shared her hopes for Elvira’s legacy.

“I have a lot of new things coming in 2025,” she told PEOPLE. “I have two books and two movies and maybe I’m exaggerating, but somehow I have the feeling that Elvira is getting into Santa Claus mode and that [she] maybe just around every Halloween with or without me.”

Peterson also has a daughter, Sadie Pierson, who she welcomed with her then-husband Mark. Before her and Wierson’s relationship turned romantic, the trainer moved in with Peterson and Sadie, an experience the actress wrote about in her memoir.

“Evenings were spent with all of us [Peterson, her daughter Sadie and Wierson] laughing, cooking, singing and dancing around the kitchen while she helped me prepare dinner,” the performer wrote.

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Source: HIS Education