Back in the day, cigar smoking was only for men. (So were a lot of other things.) Men smoked in clubs and on golf courses, and never with women. Those days are over! Today, women enjoy cigars and confidently proclaim it to the world. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Demi Moore, Carmen Electra, and other female celebs smoke cigars on TV and in the movies. Women are all over social media striking sexy poses with cigars. In real life, women smoke cigars at parties, on patios, and in their own homes. 

Cigar smoking can give a woman a boost of confidence, lending a look that is both tough and sexy at the same time. Who doesn’t want that?

Famous Actresses who Smoke Cigars

The evolution of women as cigar smokers goes back to the equal rights movement of the early 20th Century. American women cut their hair short and wore androgynous clothes. And they started smoking cigars when they socialized.  

Marlene Dietrich

Women around the world idolized Marlene Dietrich, an icon of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She was glamorous, a feminist, and a cigar smoker. In the 1910s, feminists showed their equality with men by smoking cigars, and Dietrich did as much as possible to be seen smoking hers. Dietrich told a reporter, “[A] cigarette is a neurosis, a cigar is a friend.” She appeared in numerous films with her friend, a cigar, including Touch of Evil by Orson Wells. 

Raquel Welch 

Early in her career, Raquel Welch landed a role in the movie One Million Years B.C. in which she had all of three speaking lines. But the studio used the image of Welch in a doe-skin semi-bikini for their movie posters, which became best-selling memorabilia overnight—and turned Welch into an international sex symbol.

While that was the first of many pin-up posters of Welch, perhaps one of the sexiest images of her is from the cover of a 2001 issue of Cigar Aficionado, which did a feature story on the actress (and which you can still read online). And this is a mere three years after her third place ranking on Playboy’s “100 Sexiest Stars of the Twentieth Century.” (See, we totally did get it for the articles.)

In fact, you still can get a print of that cover on Pinterest or Amazon. We bet your favorite cigar lover, either male or female, would like that for a gift!

Marlene Dietrich talking about smoking a cigar
Image by Canva.com

Mia Farrow

Actress Mia Farrow, one of the leading ladies of the 1980s, smoked habanos on and off screen for decades. While some of the boomers might recall her smoking a cigar in Woody Allen’s 1983 film Zelig, Farrow’s cigar fame stretches back to 1967, when newspapers published a photo of her smoking during a news conference in Berlin. 

So what’s the big deal? At the time, cigars were still considered taboo for women, and Farrow’s purposeful puffing in front of the camera was just one way to rebel against the male-dominated movie industry. (Notable, her short hair in the film Rosemary’s Baby was a similar power move lauded by feminists at the time.)

Farrow’s favorite type of cigars are reportedly thin-gauged cigars with light intensity. So, if you want to walk in the footsteps of an icon, you could select a nice habano from our collection of smokes, and maybe put on a little Sinatra in the background to boot. 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus 

Have you seen actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus smoking cigars on Seinfeld? (If not, you could make a game out of spotting her smoking while watching Seinfeld on Netflix, which is streaming every episode until at least 2026.) In one scene, Jerry Seinfeld and Julia’s character, Elaine, try Peruvian cigars. Elaine proclaims, “These are terrible!”…and then continues smoking. Yes, Louis-Dreyfus smokes cigars in real life, too. 

Demi Moore

Actress Demi Moore started smoking in 1989 while married to Bruce Willis, who also smoked cigars. Seven years later, Cigar Aficionado featured her on its cover with the headline “Demi Moore’s Secret Passion.” 

“I like a mild cigar. And I like it not to be too large. I have small hands and a small head, and I don’t want a cigar that’s bigger than both of those parts of my body,” Moore says.

She keeps a humidor in her trailer on movie sets. “I keep it stocked with a variety of cigars, ones I like and ones I have available for other people,” the actress revealed.

Carmen Electra

Carmen Electra has been an international sex symbol since the 1990s. Her breakthrough came in 1998 when she was cast in the TV show Baywatch. One of her favorite ways to flirt with the camera is holding a big fat cigar. She recently posted a photo on Instagram in which she is dressed up like a 90s glamor girl and she is holding a cigar.

What led Electra to start smoking cigars? It wasn’t anything as high-minded as being a feminist. At first, Electra went out in public holding cigars, but not smoking them. Women look good holding cigars, she said. Then she tried a cigar at a party and decided to go all in.

Female Cigar Smokers Who are Singers

Many female artists embrace their roles as activists and ambassadors. Feminism is a core part of Madonna’s brand, for example. She challenges male dominance and female stereotypes. And she has smoked cigars for decades. In 1994, Madonna smoked a cigar on The Late Show with David Letterman. Coming back from a commercial break, Letterman told the audience, “Madonna and I are just sittin’ around, smoking cigars and swapping recipes.” 

In 2019, at age 60, Madonna released her album, Madame X. The album depicts the artist dressed as a bride, wearing bright-red lipstick, and smoking a cigar. 

 

We hear Madonna likes Cuban habanos. If she were stopping by Flying Cigar we would offer her a Southern Draw Firethorn Habano Rosado. The Firethorn blend is draped with a double-fermented Habano-Rosado wrapper with Cuban seed fillers at the core. These habanos are sweet and spicy with notes of roasted nuts, cocoa, and caramel. Madonna would love them. 

Other female singers who smoke cigars include:

  • Ciara
  • Shakira
  • Rihanna
  • Aubrey O’Day
  • Vanessa Williams

Trending Today

Social media has made it possible for every woman to become a celebrity. Look for #cigarlady on Instagram and see the sexy way women are holding cigars between their lips or fingers. Some say the cigar ladies of Instagram have become today’s celebrity cigar smokers. Who are we to argue?
Given how socially acceptable cigar smoking is for women, you might feel inclined to give them a try. The Flying Cigar Company carries cigars that are perfect for beginners… ones that are not too strong and have excellent flavor. You can experiment with slim cigars or chunky ones. Soon, you might be like Demi Moore, giving guests one type of cigar and keeping her favorites for herself.

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