Adrienne Shelly

Adrienne Shelly (born Levine; June 24, 1966 – November 1, 2006) was an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She gained recognition for her roles in independent films, particularly Hal Hartley's The Unbelievable Truth (1989) and Trust (1990). She later wrote, directed, and co-starred in Waitress (2007), which was released posthumously and later adapted into a Broadway musical.

On November 1, 2006, Shelly was found dead in her Manhattan office. Although her death was initially ruled a suicide, her husband, Andy Ostroy, pushed for further investigation. This led to the arrest of Diego Pillco, a 19-year-old construction worker, who confessed to the murder.

Pillco was sentenced to 25 years in prison without parole. Following her death, Ostroy established the Adrienne Shelly Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting women filmmakers. The foundation provides scholarships, production grants, finishing funds, and living stipends in collaboration with institutions such as NYU, Columbia University, and the Sundance Institute.

One notable grant recipient, Cynthia Wade, won an Academy Award in 2008 for her documentary Freeheld, which the foundation helped fund. Shelly's legacy is also honored by the Women Film Critics Circle, which presents the annual Adrienne Shelly Award to the film that "most passionately opposes violence against women." In 2021, Ostroy directed the HBO documentary Adrienne, which examines Shelly's life, career, and the impact of her death.