Dominique Dunne Biography

Dominique Ellen Dunne was born on November 23, 1959 in Santa Monica, California to Dominick and Ellen Dunne. She was the youngest of three children. Dunne's family was very prominent in the area where her father was a film producer and in later years, he would become a journalist and author, while her mother a ranching heiress, was an actress. Dunne attended schools in Los Angeles, Connecticut and Colorado. She briefly attended school in Florence, Italy where she studied art. She returned to Los Angeles where she worked as a translator and receptionist. It was then that Dunne set her sights on acting. Her first role in1979 was a made for television movie called "Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker" with Katherine Helmond and Craig T. Nelson. A few minor television roles followed, including "Hart to Hart", "Fame", "Family", and "Breaking Away". She then starred in some TV movies, such as "Diary of a Teenage Hitchhiker" with Christopher Knight, "Valentine Magic on Love Island" with Adrienne Barbeau, and "The Day the Loving Stopped" with Valerie Harper and Ally Sheedy. She finally received her big break when she was cast as "Dana Freeling" in "Poltergeist" which was written by Steven Spielberg.

During the later part of 1981, Dominique met a 25 year old Los Angeles chef, by the name of John Thomas Sweeney. He worked at a popular restaurant called Ma Maison in Los Angeles. They quickly became serious and moved in together. It was a relationship she would soon regret. Sweeney would question her about every person she came into contact with and grew intensely jealous if anyone of them were of the opposite sex. He showed up everywhere from her classes to being on set. John Sweeney wanted to dominate her life. His actions escalated where he eventually became physically abusive. In August of 1982, Dunne had fled to her mother's house in fear after Sweeney had grabbed chunks of her hair and knocked her head to the ground. Unfortunately, she forgave him much to her own detriment. A short time later at their home, Sweeney became angry with Dunne and attempted to choke her. Dominique Dunne's life was spared because of a friend in the next room. The following day, she went in for a taping of "Hill Street Blues" where the makeup artist did not have to create bruising since realistic ones had been created the night before by John Sweeney. Dunne's breaking point was finally reached and she decided to end the tumultuous relationship.

On October 30, 1982, John Sweeney showed up at Dunne's house while she was rehearsing lines with a fellow actor by the name of David Packer for a new science fiction series called "V". He asked to speak to Dunne outside to which she complied. She asked Packer to stay while she spoke with Sweeney. While outside, Dunne began to argue with Sweeney about a reconciliation. Upset by her rejection, he grabbed her by the neck and took Dunne to the backyard of a nearby neighbor where he began to choke her until she was unconscious. Paralyzed with fear, Packer called a friend and left a message on an answering machine claiming that if he died tonight, it was John Sweeney who did it. Packer then went outside to find Dunne lying on the ground motionless, with Sweeney still there, saying that he wanted the police called. They along with an ambulance arrived and she was rushed to the hospital where Dunne was in a coma for five days until her family decided to take her off of life support. She passed away on November 4, 1982 just 19 days shy of her 23rd birthday. John Thomas Sweeney was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to almost 7 years in prison but served less than 4. Dominique Dunne is currently buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.