Hundreds Bid Farewell To Murdered Publicist

Several hundred people attended a private funeral today for longtime movie publicist Ronni Chasen, who was shot to death in her Mercedes-Benz in Beverly Hills as she drove home from a movie opening party.

Closed to reporters, the funeral at a Culver City memorial park attracted a smattering of celebrities and a cross-section of the industry, one mourner said.

“They kept saying all of her clients were her friends,” said the man, Alan Silverman, in an interview with KNX radio.

Chasen, 64, was shot five times in the chest at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday near Whittier Drive and Sunset Boulevard, according to Beverly Hills police.

Police found Chasen’s black E350 crashed into a light pole on Whittier just south of Sunset, not far from the Beverly Hills Hotel. That route would have been on her way from the movie premiere to her home on Wilshire Boulevard near Westwood.

Chasen, a movie industry stalwart known for her Oscar-season campaigns, and known for her publicity work for some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and movie productions.

She also helped organize and recruit celebrities for the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Chasen spent the last night of her life working the room at a premiere after-party for the new movie “Burlesque,” promoting the work of a songwriter she represented.

Chasen worked on campaigns for more than 100 movies, including last year’s best picture Oscar winner, “The Hurt Locker,” as well as “Cocoon,” “Baby Boom,” “On Golden Pond” and the 1989 best picture winner “Driving Miss Daisy.”

According to friends, Chasen was married once and had divorced years ago. She had no children, but, friends said, counted her clients and fellow publicists as family.