Writer and Director "Harley Mansfield" was actually Joel Bender, who began his career in mainstream B-movies two years later in Gas Pump Girls (1979) and also enjoyed a respected career as an editor, notably on TV's The Amazing Race. He denied his involvement in Joy for decades, but participated in an audio commentary and appears in a screening Q&A featured on the 2023 Blu-ray edition of the film, along with star Sharon Mitchell in both instances. The disc was released after his death in 2021.