“My father was more afraid of her than the other way around. Her father, a traditional Chinese man of that era, had no interest in a daughter but her mother provided an assertive role model. Pang’s parents, who had an arranged and unhappy marriage, were Chinese immigrants who, before coming to America, endured the Japanese invasion of their country that killed millions. “I’ve been told by men that I’ve gone out with that I’m stronger than most women,” she said with a laugh. Born and raised in Spanish Harlem, Pang has the accent, wit and confidence of a classic New Yorker. But talking to her by Zoom from her home in Queens and understanding her background complicates that view. “She was asking me that but, at the same time, she said: ‘You will!’” Pang said.īecause of her youth and position, many saw Pang as a particularly weak target for Ono’s agenda. Most dedicated music fans have long known this version of the story: back in the early 70s, when Pang worked as the assistant to the iconic rock couple, Ono made it clear that she not only wanted her underling to do her job but to also become Lennon’s lover. The Guardian reached out to Ono’s representative for her reaction to Pang’s version of events. Her particular experience with it could be seen as an HR department’s worst nightmare. Parts of Pang’s story dovetail perfectly with today’s sensitivity to the consequences of workplace sexual harassment. “I told them: ‘I did!!’”Īnother factor that made her sanction the new documentary is the cultural moment we’re in right now. “Whenever I would tell people about it, they would say: ‘You should write a book,” Pang said. Even so, she believes that many people remain unaware of the extent of her involvement. Thirty years ago, Pang wrote a book, Loving John, that detailed hers, asserting her relationship with Lennon wasn’t just a passing fling or fluke, as characterized by some, but a deep and abiding love. At various times, Lennon, Ono and Pang have given their versions of the story to the press. The multiple meanings in the title mirror the sparring narratives that have long clouded this era in the ex-Beatle’s life. Regardless, the term became so resonant that a new documentary centered on that period – The Lost Weekend: A Love Story – devotes half its title to it. “People don’t understand that the phrase wasn’t about our relationship.” “He would sarcastically say to them: ‘Hey it was a drunken weekend, OK?’” Pang said. Pang insists that the ex-Beatle only used the term “lost weekend” to refer to that time because he was tired of the press constantly asking him about two high-profile incidents in 1974 in which he was tossed from an Los Angeles club for being inebriated and verbally abusive.
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