Fifty Shades of Grey director James Foley passes away from brain cancer
Synopsis
James Foley, director of Fifty Shades sequels and key Madonna collaborator, has died at 71 after a long battle with brain cancer, his publicist confirmed on May 8, 2025
James Foley, the filmmaker best known for directing Fifty Shades Darker, Fifty Shades Freed, and the 1987 Madonna-led comedy Who’s That Girl, has died at the age of 71 following a prolonged illness. According to his publicist, Foley passed away peacefully in his sleep earlier this week after years of battling brain cancer. The news was confirmed on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
Beyond his work in cinema, Foley also left a mark on the music industry. He directed several of Madonna’s most memorable music videos during the 1980s, including Live to Tell, Papa Don’t Preach, and True Blue, under the pseudonym Peter Percher. He was also chosen as the best man at her 1985 wedding to actor Sean Penn.
Foley's journey into filmmaking began after he earned degrees from New York University and the University of Southern California. His career took a significant turn thanks to a coincidental meeting early on. In a past interview, he shared that while in his final year of film school, he and a housemate hosted a party for fellow students, where they showed their short films on a white wall. A woman interested in his roommate came to the party—she was also being pursued by director Hal Ashby.
Foley explained that Ashby had called the woman and asked if he could come along to the student gathering. When Ashby arrived, he happened to catch Foley’s film being projected. Foley later said that Ashby complimented the work and expressed genuine interest, even suggesting he was forming a company to support emerging filmmakers. He asked Foley what kind of project he’d want to create and encouraged him to write and direct something of his own.
Foley’s early break led to a decades-long career that spanned genres, styles, and artistic mediums. His passing marks the loss of a director who played a significant role in both film and pop music culture.