Julia Lazar Franco

Widely famous as the wife of American actor Tom Franco, the late Julia Lazar Franco remained in a marital relationship with him until she died in 2014. Aside from being known for her husband's works, Julia had a versatile career; she was a singer, a manager, and a founder of 23Monkeytree. Moreover, she shared the directorship of the Firehouse Art Collective with her beau.

Early Life & Family Of Julia Lazar Franco

Born on November 7, 1957, in Vienna, Austria, Julia Lazar is the only daughter of Imra Lazar, a movie director, and Marika Nag, an artist. An Austrian by nationality, Lazar hailed from Hungarian-Austrian descent. From her mother, she received her artistic calling & excelled in drawing & painting.

While in Austria, she studied Painting and Life Drawing at the Academy of Fine Arts. Moreover, she briefly pursued fashion at Hetzendorf Modeschule.

In the 80s, Lazar Franco moved to the United States & was a member of an artistic community in California.

Career As A Singer & Spiritual Journey

While living in California for ten years, Julia, aside from artistic endeavors, took her singing passion & was the lead singer of a local rock band, Exit. By the 90s, Lazar Franco moved to India in the quest for spirituality; she learned yoga & cooking there while working in an ashram (a place for the religious retreat).

Although it was her duty to do the kitchen while at the ashram, Julia became obsessed with cooking, so she went to Paris and studied at Le Cordon Bleu's culinary institute.

In the 2000s, she returned to the United States & then worked as Food Service Manager at SYDA Foundation.

Met Husband Tom Franco At Ashram- Married Life & Children

Julia Lazar Franco was in a decade-long relationship with Tom Franco but married for only a few months until her death in 2014. Franco is the brother of well-known Hollywood stars David and James Franco; the latter is the Golden Globe winner with acclaimed works in the Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), and Oz the Great and Powerful (2013).

Reportedly, Julia and Tom met in 2003 at an ashram in Bay Area California; while the Basket Case 2 actor ran family retreats, she was helping with the cooking then. Thanks to their shared interest in spiritual connection, the duo's chemistry lit up & began dating soon after.

The couple secretly engaged throughout their 11 years of relationship but never shared a child. And after Julia was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 2014, they married on July 28, 2014, a month before she died.

Before Tom, she was already in a marital relationship with then-husband Richard Schönherz & welcomed a daughter named Dawn, who is now married to filmmaker Ramon Rigoni & shares a son Rafael.

Since her death, Franco has already moved on; in 2015, he married his second wife, Iris Torres, a film producer. Irish and Tom completed their marriage ceremony, witnessed by family members in 2021.

Tom Franco and Iris Torres have been sharing their blissful married life with no news of misunderstandings or conflicts. No rumors are spreading about their divorce, and they strive to share more years. 

Died At 56- Cause Of Julia Lazar Franco's Death

On August 25, 2014, Julia Lazar Franco died at 56. The cause of her death was complications from liver failure from hepatitis C, end-stage liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Moreover, she reportedly had kidney disease. Earlier month in 2014, she was diagnosed with Hepatitis C & was hospitalized in ICU at UCSF Hospital.

A memorial of Julia was held on August 31 of that year.

How Much Was the Net Worth Of Julia Lazar Franco?

At the time of her death in 2014, Julia Lazar had an estimated net worth of close to $1 million, similar to Sam Troughton. Most of her earnings come from her multiple careers as a singer, cook & yoga teachings. Reportedly, she was the founder & director of the company named 23Monkeytree, which aimed to deliver green food-cuisine products.

Moreover, she shared the directorship of Firehouse Art Collective in Berkeley, California, with her husband, Tom Franco, its founder. As of now, Tom reportedly has a $500,000 net worth- aside from his art career,  he made a considerable sum through on-screen projects.

Please stay tuned with us for more exciting articles: ArticleBio.