When a heartless construction worker killed Shelly and staged her murder to look like a suicide, he not only broke the heart of her beloved husband but that of the actress’ 2-year-old daughter.
Sophie was only 2 when her mom, Adrienne Shelly, passed on and would have been too little to remember the strange circumstances surrounding the death of her beloved mom at only 40 years.
Yet, nearly two decades later, the Beautiful 18-year old is a replica of her mom, and together with her dad, Andy Ostroy, have worked together to keep Shelly’s legacy alive through a foundation in her name.
Shelly was an actress and film producer, with movies such as “I’ll Take You There” and “Waitress” To her name. She had been stressing for years over her inability to balance acting and her personal life.
So her movie. “Waitress” The book became so relatable on so many levels. It depicted the life of a professional luscious dessert maker who spent most of her time trying to figure out an Escape from the prison she was unhappy in her marriage and her abusive husband.
Seven-year-old Sophie Ostroy listens to her father Andy Ostry speak at the Adrienne Shelly Memorial Garden dedication ceremony at Abingdon Square Park, New York City on August 3, 2009.
Shelly felt the movie was very similar to her real life. Despite her happy marriage to Andy Ostroy, Shelly struggled to balance work and motherhood. Ostroy SubmittedPeople:
“The central theme of the film is what Adrienne felt in her own life, This story is about a woman who is afraid. It’s about a woman who has real challenges and fears in life.”
But her worries were temporary and her outlook changed when she brought her daughter home to her in 2004. She felt so fulfilled that she was able both to be a mom and continue working on her film.
Sophie Ostroy attended the 10th anniversary gala of The Adrienne Shelly Foundation at The Angel Orensanz Foundation in New York City on December 5, 2016.
Shelly would let her daughter crawl on the floor of her apartment while she was filming. It brought her joy like no other. Shelly’s husband said that Shelly was delighted to finally achieve her goals.
She was living her dream and doing what she loved – making films, had a supportive husband by her side and a daughter she was incredibly in love with.
In a moment of rage, Ostroy called [Pillca] an animal for taking the life of a woman who had so much to offer to society.
Two years later, however, the construction worker would endanger this dream. Shelly was working on a movie in her Greenwich Village apartment. Her door was open.
19-year-old Diego Pillca came in to steal from her, but Shelly spotted him, and when she threatened to call the police, Pillca killed her and made it look like suicide.
55 today. Always loved, always missed…#AdrienneShelly pic.twitter.com/iUi6poPpog
— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) June 24, 2021
But he later pleaded guilty. Shelly’s parents were in pain like never before. Ostroy and his little girl were devastated. He recalls the day’s news:
“It was the worst thing that could ever happen.”
During Pillca’s trial, Ostroy spoke up about the hurt that Pillca had caused his family. In a moment of rage, Ostroy called him an animal for taking the life of a woman who had so much to offer to society.
Soon after her death, the marketing executive started “The Adrienne Shelly Foundation is in In memory of his wife, This foundation was created to support female filmmakers.
Ostroy believes that this is Shelly’s wish, so the Foundation honors her memory by allowing women to benefit from it.