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New York Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Sex worker stars of HBO's ‘Cathouse' expose ugly truth of living at Nevada's notorious Moonlite Bunny Ranch: ‘Disgusting and horrific'
The stars of 'Cathouse' are clawing back. Two decades after the headline-hitting HBO docuseries brought prostitution into America's living rooms, sex workers who appeared on the show are accusing its producers of exploitation and misrepresentation. 'Cathouse,' which began airing in June 2005, took a lighthearted look at the lives of employees at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, a legal brothel in Mound House, Nevada. An instant ratings smash, it ran for two seasons and spawned 10 specials. Advertisement The prurient program portrayed the world's oldest profession as empowering and depicted the brothel as a makeshift sorority house where glamorous gal pals bonded by profiting off of horny, harmless, men. But the reality, exposed in the six-part special 'Secrets of the Bunny Ranch,' premiering June 12 on A&E, was far more sinister. The documentary paints a picture of desperate women humiliated, intimidated and manipulated by the brothel's notorious owner, Dennis Hof, who was later accused of rape by a former employee. Advertisement 12 Dennis Hof, the notorious owner of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, had a starring role in HBO's controversial 'Cathouse.' David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images 12 Hof is seen with women from HBO's 'Cathouse' at the Exotic Erotic Ball in the mid-2000s. WireImage Several women who worked at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch claim 'Cathouse' tacitly encouraged young female viewers to pursue a career in prostitution, buoyed by the show's fun and fizzy tone. 'It enticed these young girls and we did get a lot of them,' 'Cathouse' star Shelly Dushell told The Post. 'As soon as they turned 18, [they] were trying to work there… I mean, the show really was good for recruiting.' Advertisement 'I would say to HBO and 'Cathouse' [producers] shame on you,' former Bunny Ranch employee Bekah Charleston declared in an interview with The Post. 'Shame on you for making something look glamorous and fun when that's not the reality,' she added. 'It wasn't glamorous and fun. It is disgusting and horrific work in the middle of nowhere.' HBO did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 12 Shelly Dushell worked at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch for several years starting in 2004. She was one of the lead stars on 'Cathouse.' A&E Advertisement 12 Bekah Charleston is among the women who are speaking out in A&E's 'Secrets of the Bunny Ranch,' set to premiere this week. A&E A powerful pimp Hof had a starring role on 'Cathouse.' In the mid-2000s, at the time of the show's airing, he was portrayed in mainstream media as a pioneering entrepreneur getting rich in light of legalized prostitution. But far from being a benevolent boss, the Bunny Ranch was more like Hof's house of horrors, with employees saying they lived in fear of him. He was just was a disgusting, vile human being that just profited off of other people's backs and bragged about it.' Bekah Charleston, former employee of Dennis Hof Dushell told The Post that Hof, who owned six other legal brothels, regularly pressured her into sex. 'Dennis wanted to sleep with me the first night that I got there,' she claimed. 'I didn't say no to him, so I wasn't raped, but I was put in a position where I felt like I could not say no to him…. So I just went along with it and I thought, 'OK, well, maybe he makes all the girls do this,' and I was right.' 'For the most part, he tried out most of the girls that would let him,' she added. 'And then he apparently he did it even when girls didn't want him to.' 12 Dushell with Hof, rapper Mr. Mixx and porn star Ron Jeremy in 2004. Getty Images Advertisement 12 Hof owned seven legal brothels, including the Moonlite Bunny Ranch. The notorious businessman died in 2018. Bloomberg via Getty Images Per The Las Vegas Review Journal, Hof was accused of raping a prostitute at one of his brothels in 2005. He was also accused of sexually assaulting women in 2009 and 2011. Hof ran as a Republican candidate for the Nevada Assembly in 2018. He died of a heart attack in October of that year, but his name was left on the ballot at elections the following month. He was posthumously elected to the seat. 'If Dennis had lived, he probably would have ended up in prison because of all the accusations he had against him,' Dushell said of the pimp-turned-politician. Advertisement 12 Two working girls getting ready for their next clients at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch in on 'Secrets of the Bunny Ranch,' several employees claim that Hof financially exploited them. He allegedly underpaid numerous workers, stripping them of their agency and effectively keeping them confined to the remote brothel. Charleston, who worked briefly at the Bunny Ranch in the early 2000s, told The Post that some of the employees were trapped there 'for years at a time without leaving.' Advertisement 'I was the only person at that time that I remember who actually had my own vehicle there,' she shockingly stated. As for Hof: 'He was just was a disgusting, vile human being that just profited off of other people's backs and bragged about it.' 12 Despite being a lead star in the hit HBO series, Dushell says she was only paid a few thousand dollars for her appearance in Bunny Ranch has released a statement regarding the new A&E special, stating: 'As the documentary series 'Secrets of the Bunny Ranch' has not yet aired, and we have not been provided with an advance copy, it would be premature for us to address any specific allegations without first reviewing the actual content and claims being made. That said, we note that allegations against Mr. Hof are not new.' Advertisement 'During his lifetime, Mr. Hof publicly addressed and denied similar accusations through official statements and media responses, including detailed rebuttals available on his website,' the statement continued. 'We find it particularly concerning that these matters are being revisited now, when Mr. Hof is no longer alive to personally respond to or defend himself against any claims. The timing raises serious questions about fairness, as the accused party cannot provide their perspective or defense.' Empowerment or exploitation? Hof wasn't the only one making a pretty penny from the Moonlite Bunny Ranch. 'Cathouse' quickly became a ratings smash for HBO, garnering millions of curious viewers. Dushell became one of the show's stars and was immediately recognized in public — but fame didn't come with a fortune. 'HBO wasn't much better than a pimp, because I was barely paid anything,' she claims in the 'Secrets of the Bunny Ranch' documentary. 12 Dushell says she was paid between $300 and $350 per sex scene on 'Cathouse.' In total, she estimates she earned around $2,000.12 Dushell, now 50, is speaking out on 'Secrets of the Bunny Ranch.' A&E 'I made between $300 and $350 per sex scene,' Dushell further explained to The Post. 'And that was all they paid me for.' 'I got actual pay stubs from HBO and W-2s mailed to me and it was exciting to get an envelope that said 'HBO' on it with a paycheck, but the paycheck was just a few hundred dollars, so it was pretty embarrassing to be honest with you,' she said. 'They didn't pay me for just normal scenes, and it was just a ridiculously low amount of money. People seeing me on TV thought that I had gotten rich,' Dushell added. A different time 'Cathouse,' premiered a year after HBO aired the finale of 'Sex and the City' — another envelope-pushing series in which women unabashedly discussed their sexual proclivities and activities. In the mid-2000s, pop culture seemingly promoted sex positivity at every turn, making it seem that women were profiting from their provocative pursuits, from Britney Spears in her raunchy video clips to Paris Hilton in her infamous sex tape. But in the wake of the #MeToo movement, many women are reassessing how much agency that era actually brought about. 12 Hof at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch in 2013. The brothel is still in operation. Bloomberg via Getty Images For posterity, the New York Post's 2002 review of the original 'Cathouse,' which is referenced in 'Secrets of the Bunny Ranch,' has aged far better. 'There hasn't been a portrayal of hookers this one-dimensional and phony since 'Pretty Woman,'' our acid-tongued TV critic Linda Stasi savagely wrote. 'Cathouse' is no longer available on HBO platforms. 'Even when we were filming it, I knew it wasn't a true representation,' Dushell admitted to The Post, saying the HBO show omitted the gritty reality of life at the brothel. 'They wanted to sell the show, they wanted to make money off the show, and they wanted to make money off the girls having a great time. They just didn't want to show the ugly side of it,' she further says in 'Secrets of the Bunny Ranch.' Despite the veneer of glamour and empowerment that 'Cathouse' presented, many of the employees were desperate women who had fallen on hard times. In the 'Secrets of the Bunny Ranch' special, Dushell reveals that she was sexually abused as a child, saying: 'I probably would never have thought about working at the Bunny Ranch if I hadn't had an old man touching me when I was a little, bitty kid.' Charleston, meanwhile, told The Post that she was a teenage runaway when she got into prostitution. 'The vast majority of people that find themselves in prostitution are disenfranchised people that come from impoverished backgrounds, homelessness, the foster care system,' she said. 'I mean, I was a runaway kid living on the streets, vulnerable and hungry and so I think it's really important to keep that in mind.' 12 Charleston told The Post she was a teenage runaway when she got into prostitution. A&E Several years after leaving the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, Charleston was arrested for tax evasion and served 13 months in federal prison. It was later determined she had been a victim of sex trafficking and was granted a full pardon by President Trump in 2020. She has obtained both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree and is now a public speaker raising awareness about human trafficking. Both she and Dushell also want to raise awareness about not believing everything you see on TV. ''Cathouse' did exploit the girls,' Dushell said. 'I really expected more from HBO. They came across with a great show, though. I mean, people loved it. It just wasn't real.'
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
How to watch 'Secrets of the Bunny Ranch' online from anywhere
Too many impressionable young women believed the hype around HBO series "Cathouse" and thought that it might be a great place to hang out and party 24/7, new A&E docuseries "Secrets of the Bunny Ranch" reveals the distressing truth behind the goings-on at the legal brothels run by Dennis Hof in Nevada... Here's how to watch "Secrets of the Bunny Ranch" online from anywhere with a VPN. ► Date: "Secrets of the Bunny Ranch" premieres on Thursday, June 12 at 9.00 p.m. ET/ 6.00 p.m. PT on A&E.• U.S. — A&E via Sling• CAN — A&E / StackTV• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN risk-free More than 20 former employees and Hof's associates speak on camera for the first time reveal a world of bullying, humiliation, manipulation, murder, sexual assault including rape and the media firestorm around the near-death experience of former professional basketball player Lamar Odom after a reported $75,000 for a four-day party binge with two prostitutes. The docuseries includes never-before-seen footage and personal photos of former sex workers and exposes a far more complicated and sinister legacy for the owner of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch than the carefree image portrayed on television up to this point and the political posturing of the self-styled "Trump of the Pahrump" (keep reading for details of how his political career ended). Read on to find out how to watch "Secrets of the Bunny Ranch" online and from anywhere. "Secrets of the Bunny Ranch" premieres in the U.S. on Thursday, June 12 at 9.00 p.m. ET/ 6.00 p.m. PT on A&E with a two episode premiere. This can be accessed with one of the best TV antennas, a cable TV package or a live TV streaming platform like Sling TV, Fubo, Hulu with Live TV or YouTube TV. Americans abroad can catch the show on their usual domestic streamer via a good VPN. We recommend NordVPN. Sling TV gives you live TV at an affordable price. The Sling Blue package includes more than 50 channels including ABC, Fox and NBC (in select cities), AMC, A+E, Food Network, HGTV, Lifetime and USA. You can get 50% off right now! If "Secrets of the Bunny Ranch" isn't available where you're currently located, that doesn't mean you have to miss out on this show while you're away from home. With the right VPN (virtual private network), you can stream the show from anywhere. We've evaluated many options, and the best VPN you can get right now is NordVPN. It meets the VPN needs of the vast majority of users, offering outstanding compatibility with most devices and impressive connection speeds. You can try it risk-free for 30 days if you take advantage of NordVPN's no-quibble money-back guarantee. There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN. We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast and it has top-level security features too. With over 7,000 servers, across 110 countries, and at a great price too, it's easy to recommend. Get 70% off NordVPN with this deal Using a VPN is incredibly simple. 1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite. 2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting the U.K. and want to view a U.S. service, you'd select a U.S. server from the location list. 3. Sit back and enjoy the show. Head to your streaming service app — so A&E, for example — and watch "Secrets of the Bunny Ranch" online from wherever you are in the world. "Secrets of the Bunny Ranch" also premieres in Canada on Thursday, June 12 at 9.00 p.m. ET/ 6.00 p.m. PT on A&E. It will be available to stream the following day via the STACKTV add-on with Prime Video. A Prime membership costs CA$9.99 each month, and a Stack TV subscription costs CA$14.99 on top. However both offer free trials to new users if you want to try the services out. Outside Canada right now? We recommend using NordVPN so you can keep up with "Secrets of the Bunny Ranch". Unfortunately, at the time of writing, "Secrets of the Bunny Ranch" has no release date in the U.K.. However, Americans and Canadians on vacation in the U.K. can still catch the reality TV show by using NordVPN. In a similar vein to the U.K., there is no confirmed release date for "Secrets of the Bunny Ranch" in Oz. North American viewers on vacation Down Under can use a VPN to stream "Secrets of the Bunny Ranch" just as they would back home. We recommend NordVPN. Dennis Hof - Self (Owner of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch and a central figure in the series) Madam Suzette - Self Deanne "Air Force Amy" Salinger - Self Isabella Soprano - Self Shelly Duschel - Self Brooke Taylor - Self Sunset Thomas - Self Jennifer O'Kane Lawrence - Self Paris Envy - Self Dolly Hart - Self TJ Moore - Self Season 01 Episode 01: "Smoke & Mirrors" - Dennis Hof and his brothel, the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, skyrocketed to fame with the HBO series "Cathouse"; while life on the show was portrayed as one giant party, former sex workers say that behind the scenes, brothel life is anything but glamorous. (Thursday, June 12) S01 E02: "Here, Pretty Kitty" - Millions of young girls watched "Cathouse" on TV, thinking that legal prostitution could be a shortcut to money and fame; new recruits quickly discovered that the reality is a world of manipulation, intimidation, abuse and debt bondage. (Thursday, June 12) S01 E03: "The Predator" - In order to escape her abusive husband, a woman flees to the Bunny Ranch, thinking that legal brothels are safe; to her horror, her journey becomes even darker and more twisted than she could have ever imagined. (Sunday, June 19) S01 E04: "The Cathouse Murders" - The world was shocked when a young Bunny Ranch brothel worker was brutally murdered in Oklahoma City. As police searched for answers, brothel owner Dennis Hof saw a media opportunity. (Sunday, June 19) S01 E05: "The Lamar Odom Party" - When a former LA Lakers star arrived at a Nevada brothel to get away from it all, what should have been a fun party turned into a drug-fueled nightmare for everyone involved. (Sunday, July 6) S01 E06: "Too Close to the Sun" - Trying to stay in the spotlight, brothel owner Dennis Hof ran for political office. But dark secrets threatened to destroy him and his legacy. (Sunday, July 26) He died in 2018. The owner of several legal brothels in Nevada and author of "The Art of the Pimp", the 72 year old Hof ran as a Republican for the 36th District seat in the Nevada Assembly, the lower house of the state legislature in 2018 and, although he had died the previous month, beat his Democratic opponentby a 68.3% to 31.7% margin. We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
