About
Tera Patrick, born Linda Ann Hopkins on July 25, 1976, in Great Falls, Montana, is one of the most recognizable figures to bridge adult entertainment and mainstream pop culture. After debuting in adult films in 1999, she rocketed to prominence as Penthouse Pet of the Month in February 2000 and later entered the NightMoves, XRCO, and AVN Halls of Fame. Alongside performing, she founded the production company Teravision, published the men’s magazine Genesis, and penned the candid memoir Sinner Takes All (2010), sharing her path from small-town teenager to international headliner. Even though she has stepped back from performing, her brand—built on modeling, acting, writing, and public speaking—continues to draw new fans two decades later.
Before Fame
Patrick’s early life was a blend of cultures: her mother was Thai, her father an American Army doctor. When her mother returned to Thailand, ten-year-old Linda relocated with her dad to the San Francisco area, where weekend classes at Barbizon Modeling School nudged her toward fashion. By fourteen she had signed with Elite Model Management and spent two high-pressure years shooting commercials in Tokyo. Returning stateside at sixteen, she earned a GED, studied nursing and microbiology at Boise State University, and qualified as an EMT—skills she once said gave her a “Plan B” if modeling failed. Eventually the camera called again; a test shoot for Playboy led to pictorials in Penthouse and, soon after, her screen debut. The switch was less about instant fame than about controlling her image and finances at a time when few performers owned their work.
Trivia
- Height & moniker: At 5 ft 9 in, she picked “Tera” because the spelling was distinctive and “Patrick” in homage to a beloved family friend.
- Gamer cameo: She became a selectable fighter in the video game Backyard Wrestling 2 and voiced herself in the Saints Row 2 expansion Ultor Exposed.
- Hollywood moments: Patrick popped up in Will Ferrell’s ice-skating comedy Blades of Glory (2007) and in Everlast’s music video “I Can’t Move.”
- Business streak: Long before fan platforms were mainstream, she negotiated ownership of her content, launched a talent agency with then-husband Evan Seinfeld, and licensed her likeness for comic books and action figures.
- Awards cabinet: Beyond her Hall-of-Fame inductions, Patrick has collected AVN, XRCO, Hot d’Or, NightMoves, and XBIZ trophies—covering everything from Best New Starlet to Crossover Star of the Year.
Family Life
Patrick married musician-actor Evan Seinfeld in Las Vegas on January 9, 2004. The pair were a high-profile duo—co-starring on E! specials, producing films together—until an amicable split in 2009.
In February 2012 she welcomed daughter Sophia Evelia Acosta with special-effects artist Tony Acosta, whose résumé includes 300 and Man of Steel. Motherhood inspired Patrick to slow her travel schedule and explore writing, hosting, and public-speaking gigs.
Since 2018 she has divided her time between Los Angeles and northern Italy, where she revealed she wed an Italian defense attorney—a move she says offered Sophia “quiet beaches and real gelato instead of red-carpet flashes.”
Associated With
- Evan Seinfeld: Former husband and creative partner; together they launched Teravision and a boutique talent agency.
- Tony Acosta: Father of her daughter and long-time backstage supporter, known for crafting movie monsters more than walking red carpets.
- Jenna Jameson & Stormy Daniels: Fellow early-2000s icons who, like Patrick, pushed for performer-owned studios and mainstream crossover deals.
- Will Ferrell & Everlast: Patrick’s mainstream cameos linked her to these entertainers, widening her audience beyond traditional adult-film followers.
- Penthouse founder Bob Guccione (post-humously): His magazine crowned her Pet of the Month, a title Patrick credits with opening doors to brand partnerships worldwide.
