Defne Joy Foster
- February 2, 2011
- 35 years
About Defne Joy Foster
Defne Joy Foster, 35, Turkish actress, presenter and VJ.
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60 Seconds Life Story

Defne Joy Foster was a vibrant American-Turkish actress, presenter, and VJ who left a lasting impression on
Defne Joy Foster
d. 2011
60 Seconds: Defne Joy Foster's Life Story
An overview of the life, career, and untimely death of American-Turkish television personality Defne Joy Foster.
Transcript
Defne Joy Foster was a vibrant American-Turkish actress, presenter, and VJ who left a lasting impression on Turkish television. Born in Adana to a Turkish mother and an American father, she grew up in İzmir. Her career began as a VJ for Kral TV before she transitioned into acting on various television series. By 2011, she was a contestant on the popular show Yok Böyle Dans, where she finished in fourth place. In 2008, she married Yasin Solmaz and together they welcomed their son, Can Kılıç, in 2009. Tragically, on February 2, 2011, Foster passed away at the age of 35 in Istanbul. An autopsy confirmed her death was caused by cardiac arrest resulting from asthma and a combination of alcohol and medication. Her sudden death remains a significant moment in Turkish media history.
Play the illustrated life story above, or read the full biography on this page.
Visual credits: Generated illustration by The Deaths Archive (Generated illustration, not a photograph) · RicardoVallejos / Pixabay (Pixabay Content License) · eBay item "CBS TV Ticket - JO STAFFORD- classic musical variety 1954 from KNXT studios Part of a collection of vintage television and radio tickets I am offering. Most are in very good shape with some minor wear - see scan." photo (Public domain) · Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by AeronPrometheus. (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Generated illustration by The Deaths Archive (Generated illustration, not a photograph) · Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Full Biography
|Defne Joy Foster (September 2, 1975 – February 2, 2011) was an American-Turkish actress, presenter and VJ.
Biography
Defne Joy Foster was born in Adana, Turkey. She was born to her Turkish mother Hatice from İzmir, Turkey and American father Steve. Defne (occasionally rendered as "Daphne" or "Daphné" in some sources) did her studies in Alsancak primary school and at İzmir Özel Fatih Lisesi, a private school, also in İzmir. Foster married Yasin Solmaz in 2008 and gave birth to only child of couple, male, Can Kılıç in 2009.
Death
Foster was found dead at her friend Kerem Altan's apartment in Istanbul on February 2, 2011. She was thought to have died from respiratory difficulty and a heart attack. The results of her autopsy was cardiac arrest caused by asthma and consumption of alcoholic drinks with medication. In February 2015, Kerem Altan was sentenced to two months in prison for waiting over two and a half hours after Foster fell unconscious before calling emergency services, however his sentence was suspended shortly after. Altan's statements were also contradictory to the forensic investigation. According to the investigators there was a total of four people in the house on the night of Foster's death, while Altan stated he and Foster were the only people home. Furthermore, according to Altan's testimony he did not have a sexual act with Foster during the night yet Foster's bottom underwear were found near the bed.
In 2016, further investigation into her death revealed that Kerem Altan was the only person whose testimony was taken by the police despite the taxi driver who brought the two home and the neighbor saying they had heard fighting and screams. A Ahmet Altan has been arrested in 2016 and the case has been reopened into the death of Foster, while a travel ban is placed on Kerem to prevent him from fleeing the country.
Career
Foster first appeared on TV screens as a VJ on Kral TV and later went into acting on various TV series. She last participated in Yok Böyle Dans, the Turkish version of Dancing with the Stars, where she finished 4th, having been eliminated in January 2011.
Television
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defne_Joy_Foster
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
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