By the age of 13, Sassoon began rebelling and piercing her nose and styled her hair in a purple-and-white mohawk.

[6] Against her parents' wishes, Sassoon dropped out of Beverly Hills High School at the age of 14 to pursue a modeling career.

Vidal Sassoon demanded that Catya return to Los Angeles where she was admitted to the Betty Ford Center.

[9] Shortly before she was set to leave for a lucrative modeling assignment in Japan, Sassoon met 18-year old Luca Scalisi, the son of an Italian film producer.

She made her film debut in the role of "Feather", a "somewhat trashy teen-ager" in the 1985 drama, Tuff Turf.

[10] Sassoon later revealed in an interview with Joan Rivers that she had suffered a drug induced heart attack while undergoing treatment for her addiction.

In 1993, Sassoon landed the lead role in the Roger Corman-produced martial arts film Angelfist, directed by Cirio H. Santiago.

[12] On December 31, 2001, Sassoon and her husband attended a New Year's Eve party at the Los Angeles home of socialites Mary and Gregory Sabatani.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Sassoon was found dead of a suspected drug overdose at the Sabatani home around 9:00 the following morning.

[14] Sassoon's funeral was held on January 4, after which she was buried next to her grandmother at Eden Memorial Park Cemetery in Mission Hills, California.