The pair quickly became inseparable, and Edie became Warhol's muse and the star of many of his art films, such as Poor Little Rich Girl and Vinyl. Their brief relationship lasted under a year, ending in disputes over Edie's roles in the artist's films.

Warhol died in Manhattan at 6:32 a.m. on February 22, 1987, at age 58. According to news reports, he had been making a good recovery from gallbladder surgery at New York Hospital before dying in his sleep from a sudden post-operative irregular heartbeat.

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.”

Warhol's mass-produced art was controversial because it challenged widespread assumptions about art as a form of personal expression and about the value of originality.