Nancy Seltzer, Longtime Publicist to Music and Film Icons, Dead at 79

Nancy Seltzer, a veteran Hollywood publicist who represented some of the biggest names in entertainment, has died. She was 79.

Seltzer died Thursday in Los Angeles following a brief hospital stay. A cause of death was not disclosed. The news was confirmed in an announcement shared on Garth Brooks’ website.

Brooks, whom Seltzer represented for decades, paid tribute to her in a statement, calling public relations “the hardest job in show business” and praising her for handling every situation “with the utmost class.”

Over the course of her long career, Seltzer represented a wide range of high-profile clients across film, music, literature and opera. Her roster included Brooks, late actor Sean Connery, author Danielle Steel, opera singer Joyce DiDonato and Spanish tenor Placido Domingo.

She also worked with numerous Hollywood stars, including Whitney Houston, Julia Roberts, Bette Davis, Nicole Kidman, Johnny Depp, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Ian McShane, Stana Katic, Annette Bening, Kathy Bates and Tom Wilkinson.

Seltzer ran the boutique firm Nancy Seltzer & Associates, which operated offices on both the East and West coasts. She began her public relations career in New York before eventually relocating full-time to Los Angeles.

In addition to representing individual talent, Seltzer played a major role in awards-season campaigns. She previously oversaw the Oscars red carpet and worked on Academy Award campaigns for acclaimed films including Amadeus, Misery, The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, The Shawshank Redemption and Dead Man Walking.

Her film publicity work also extended to major titles such as Pirates of the Caribbean, All That Jazz, Splash, RoboCop, This Is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally…, A Few Good Men, Scream, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Good Will Hunting and Finding Forrester.

Seltzer was widely respected in Hollywood for her discretion, professionalism and longevity in an industry known for rapid change.