JILLIAN LAUREN : FROM NEW JERSEY TO THE SULTANS HAREM TO LITERARY SUCCESS : MISTRESS OF THE MONTH

I heard JILLIAN LAUREN speak at a literary event, and I knew that one day I would elect her to be Mistress of the Month.  She is the author of "Some Girls" and also "Pretty."

Jillian was 18 years old when she became the first American woman to become a member of the Sultan of Brunei's harem, which was comprised of about 40 women from all over the world at the time.  She was the mistress of Jefri Bolkiah and then his brother Hassanal Bolkaih, one man at a time.  She says she rose up in the ranks to be the #2 Girl.

Although Jillian now identifies herself as having then been a prostitute, she was as far from being a street walker with a pimp, or even a legal prostitute in a Nevada brothel, as can be.  She became the temporary companion to two of the richest men in the world in Brunei, the Sultan and his brother, where rich men having harems is tradition.  She was treated to plane tickets, shopping trips, and a luxury lifestyle which she became a bit addicted to, though she left out of boredom and then returned. She was not paid by the hour.  After about 18 months (with a trip back to New York in there) she came away with about $300,000 dollars.

Jillian was up for an adventure in those days.  She was self supporting in New York City, a very expensive town, and working as an escort and a stripper.  She got to the palace and realized things had changed. 

She was living in the present as she quickly assessed her surroundings which were at first a mystery to her and realized that she had an unusual opportunity and wanted to be the best that she could be.  Eventually, after being with the Sultan, he passed her onto his brother, which in that culture, is considered a compliment to the woman.

It's easy for us to imagine women of the distant past being in a harem.  The present?

By my way of thinking Jillian was one of many mistresses of two of the richest men in the world.  When you see how beautiful she is, you don't wonder why, but it took more than that.  It also took brains and daring. 

Today Jillian is married to a Rocker from the band Weezer and is a mother.  She has published her book, faced the media, and come to terms with her past.  Jillian has an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch and besides books she has published in a number of magazines. She has appeared on The View and a number of other talk shows speaking of her experiences.  She says that, while her family is upset with her, many women do relate to her experiences.

C Mistress Manifesto / Missy Rapport 2013 All Rights Reserved