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Scottish Sun
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
I was lured to infamous Bunny Ranch brothel by Love Island style show…vile star Hof choked girls & forced us into sex
Young girls flocked to become sex workers after watching the sexy models having 'fun' in the glossy TV show SECRET TORMENT I was lured to infamous Bunny Ranch brothel by Love Island style show…vile star Hof choked girls & forced us into sex WITH their model looks and stunning figures the young women giggling around the swimming pool and partying with champagne looked like they were having the time of their lives. But this reality TV hit was no Love Island. Advertisement 26 Dennis Hof pictured with three of his employees Credit: getty 26 The girls at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch looked like they were having fun and hanging out Credit: getty 26 Air Force Amy was one of the stand out stars in the show Credit: Splash 26 Cathouse acted as a 'recruitment' poster for young wannabes Credit: Rex Features The gloss and glamour of Cathouse, which aired from 2005 to 2014, hid a dark reality and the pink-painted paradise in the sunshine was actually a legalised brothel in Nevada called The Bunny Club Ranch. For girls like Dolly Hart, who grew up watching Cathouse, the intoxicating picture seved as a recruitment ad. 'Around the time that I caught a glimpse of the show, I was probably 11, 12,' she says. 'The girls looked like they were having fun. "There was a camaraderie amongst them. It seemed like you could make friends there. I was thinking, when I grow up I'm going to go there.' Advertisement In the six-part documentary, Secrets of Bunny Ranch, former employees reveal the truth behind glossy image promoted by publicity hungry owner, Dennis Hof in the show, claiming bullying, humiliation and sexual assault were the norm and that they felt trapped. 'I saw the velvet couch, the pink Bunny House on TV and thought it was so cute,' says Dolly. 'I was having trouble making friends as a first generation little Mexican girl, getting bullied and being labelled the ugly duckling. 'I didn't come from a privileged background and I saw these girls making money on the show and thought, 'Let's go for it.' Advertisement "The Cathouse made it seem like it was the Playboy mansion with bunny playmates playfully jumping on each other and tickle fighting. But it was nothing like that. 'Dennis is an intimidating predator who knew who he could coerce and manipulate. The last time he propositioned me for sex was at his birthday party. I created the notorious 'OnlyFans Playboy mansion' - I've made £39 MILLION in 2 years, it's better than being a waitress 26 Hof claimed he treated the girls fairly and was no 'pimp' Credit: Getty - Contributor 26 The brothel was based in Lyon County, one of the few counties in the USA which permits legalized prostitution Credit: getty Advertisement "He expected me to have a threesome with him and this other girl. I asked if I would be paid and he said no, it's my birthday. I refused.' Hof, born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1946, made good money selling time-shares before turning that business knowledge to buying and transforming The Bunny Ranch, taking prostitution out of the shadows and into the mainstream with his flair for publicity. TV and radio interviews led to the reality series Cathouse where everything at the brothel appeared to be professional and fun with the women treated fairly and respectfully by Hof, who the girls called 'Daddy.' 'I'm a businessman who supplies a place and an opportunity for ladies to work and we share the proceeds,' Hof liked to claim. 'The last thing I am is a pimp.' Advertisement Easy prey 26 Shelly Dushell, started working at the Bunny Ranch aged 30 after her house was destroyed by a tornado Credit: Crime+Investigation 26 Every Thursday evening prostitutes had an opportunity to buy new 'work clothes' from a salesman (Shelly pictured) Credit: getty 26 Shelly takes a cigarette break between clients Credit: Getty Shelly Dushell, who began working there at the age of 30 after her house was destroyed by a tornado and she had divorced her husband, has a very different view. Advertisement 'I saw the ugly side of Dennis but the world on Cathouse only saw the fun side of him because they didn't know the real Dennis. He was all about being violent.' After hearing Hof and one of his favourite girls at the ranch – known as Air Force Amy – talking about the brothel on TV, Shelly decided to apply. 'I sent an email with a picture of myself to the ranch and Dennis Hof himself called me back within two hours and said, 'I want you out here.' "I flew out and he picked me up at the airport and he told me that HBO was doing a show and he wanted me to be part of it. Advertisement 'He walked me in and there were cameramen filming there. Dennis took me out to the bungalow behind the building and wanted sex. He didn't want to wear a condom. I was absolutely horrified. Shelly Dushell "That was my first day at the ranch. I was afraid to tell Dennis no. No one cares if a prostitute gets raped. 'Dennis preyed upon the women that were the most easily victimised. I was afraid to not go along with what he wanted. "It was hard for me to resist Dennis in the first couple of years that I was there. Advertisement 'He liked that power and control over the girls and he was very violent when he had sex. He liked to slap and choke. It was hard to get him to stop.' Former Bunny Ranch cashier, Shonda, says: 'Dennis had a very active sex life with the working girls. "There were girls who would offer themselves to him and there were girls who didn't want to sleep with him but felt they had to. "He had a great presence on TV but behind closed doors, Dennis was a rattlesnake.' Advertisement 'Recruitment' ad for young girls 26 Air Force Amy looks through a box of tricks Credit: Getty 26 Air Force Amy, who features in the documentary, was a Cathouse star Credit: bridget bennett 26 Dolly Hart, revealed she grew up watching Cathouse wishing to go there Credit: Crime+Investigation 26 Ex-workers revealed Cathouse was a set up Credit: Crime+Investigation Advertisement A regular feature of the show saw the women happily running into the parlour whenever the bell rang, signifying a customer had arrived. There they would line up while he chose who he wanted. But their smiles hid their humiliation. This 'unscripted' TV series was very much not that. 'It wasn't a documentary. We were told what to do,' says Shelly, who claims she was paid $300 dollars for onscreen sex scenes and nothin for non sex scenes. 'The Cathouse show was set up. In the first scene I did they wanted the women to sit down with a bunch of clients, teaching them about good sex. Advertisement "But one of the men was not a client. I recognised him as Jesse Fillmer, a driver and bartender at the Ranch.' Jesse confirms: 'Everyone in the scene who was supposed to be a customer were actually friends of Dennis or people who worked at the Ranch. "The Cathouse was just basically a promotional video for the Bunny Ranch.' Shelly regrets being part of the fake image that encouraged young girls to be a part of the sex industry. Advertisement 'HBO definitely wanted it to look like it was a fun place to be and so I can see where it can be tempting for a young girl to watch the Cathouse show and think it would be something fun,' she says. 'But they don't understand the reality of it. They aren't seeing what it is really like behind closed doors with Dennis. 'I didn't know that young girls would come to work there who would never have thought of working there if they had not seen the show. "So, looking back, I should never have agreed to do it. It's just horrifying to think that girls so young would want to do that.' Advertisement Deep regrets 26 Dennis Hof, 72, owner of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, died at one of his brothels after a birthday party in 2018 Credit: Getty Images 26 Moonlite Bunny Ranch featured in HBO reality TV show Cathouse: The Series between 2005 and 2007 Credit:26 Alice Little revealed she would sneak downstairs to watch Cathouse when her parents went to bed Tom Hurwitz, Cathouse cinematographer, also came to regret his involvement. Advertisement 'Over the weeks that I worked there I realised that HBO never really wanted to dip further than just below the first public relations level. "Dennis groping people was a daily occurrence, and they pretended to like it,' he says. 'After the first season of Cathouse had been on the air, young women wanted to live in the glamorous image of it. "And so the show began to attract younger women to the Bunny Ranch. Advertisement "It became clear to me that we were part of the recruiting system and I did not feel good about it.' Another of these starry-eyed 'wannabes' was Alice Little. 26 Tom Hurwitz, Cathouse cinematographer, came to regret his involvement 26 Secrets of the Bunny Ranch, can be seen on Crime+Investigation on Wednesday, 25 June Credit: Crime+Investigation Advertisement 'Seeing something that was on late at night that my parents didn't really want me to watch… as a kid that only makes you more intrigued,' she recalls. 'They would go to bed and I would sneak out of my room, go downstairs and watch with the volume turned down low. "I thought it was the coolest thing, being paid to be gorgeous. It sounded amazing. So I decided I was going to go the Bunny Ranch.' As Cathouse became a huge hit, Hof was raking the money in and bought up a string of brothels nearby, transforming them into the model of the Bunny Ranch. Advertisement But he was eager to tell interviewers that he offered women the chance to earn a good living themselves. 'This is an opportunity for you either to make a lot of money in four or five years, invest it properly and never work another day in your life or to make a good amount of money in a short period of time every month so you can be with your kids and work on your writing or acting career or your studies,' he said. The brothel had a 50-50 split of profits with the women but they would had little left after being forced to pay for their accommodation along with laundry bills, clothes, make-up, condoms, lube and other subsidiaries. If they went days without being chosen by a client, their debts grew so many were constantly trying to pay off their tabs, effectively keeping them trapped there, as they couldn't walk away. Advertisement Wheel of doom 26 It was difficult for ex workers to rebuild their lives without 'extensive medical, psychological and psychiatric assistance' 26 Taina Bien-Aime´ said: 'Cathouse was glamorising the sex trade and pimps' Credit: getty 26 Ex-workers revealed no one became millionaires from the show Taina Bien-Aime was a former HBO Business Affairs Director before becoming an anti-sex trafficking activist. Advertisement 'Cathouse was glamorising the sex trade and pimps,' she says. 'It was not looking at the suffering of the women who are in these brothels. "On screen there is free-flowing alcohol, they are having fun, everybody's laughing, there's a pool. It's a beautiful marketing ploy to recruit young vulnerable women to try it out. 'It's a myth that they can become millionaires. And the moment they leave prostitution they are in abject poverty and it's very difficult for them to rebuild their lives without extensive medical, psychological and psychiatric assistance.' Rape claims 26 Jennifer O'Kane accused Hof of rape Advertisement 26 Rebekah Charleston, who worked at the Bunny Ranch, tried to stay away from Hof 26 Vince Neil, singer, assaulted Andrea Terry, a working girl at the Ranch Credit: wireImage Bekah Charleston, who worked at the Bunny Ranch, adds: 'There are many girls there who are falling into debt. And that's a position you don't want ever to be in at the brothel. "Because that means that whenever a customer finally does pick them, they have to do whatever he wants. No matter if they want to or not. Advertisement 'Dennis himself was notorious for 'partying', which meant having sex with whoever he wanted and not giving them any money. Whenever he was around in the parlour I would try to stay away from him.' Bekah was there when Vince Neil, lead singer of the heavy metal band, Motley Crue, came to visit Dennis in 2003. He was more angry than I had ever seen someone Andrea Terry Andrea Terry, a working girl at the Ranch, later filed a police report after an encounter with him. In the report she says, 'He tried to get me to touch his penis. I reminded him we had to pay before any sexual acts could take place. Advertisement "With such a rage in his eyes he grabbed me by the throat and pushed me against the window frame, holding me there, yelling at me, then yanked me down towards the bed. He was more angry than I had ever seen someone.' Bekah was upset by Hof's reaction to the violence. 26 Each prostitute from out of state works and sleeps in one of the brothel's 30 rooms during the entire duration of her stay Credit: Getty Images 26 Hof was accused of being violent with the girls Credit: Getty Images Advertisement 'Instead of Dennis Hof kicking Vince Neil out for assaulting one of his employees, he took him to the bar, bought him a drink and then paid for him to party with some other girl. I mean, they don't protect you. "In the end, the police actually charged Vince Neil and he pleaded no contest but if Dennis Hof had had his way, no one would have ever known.' Hof died in 2018 of a heart attack. Before his death several women who had worked at the Bunny Ranch accused him of rape, including Theresa Lowe and Jennifer O'Kane. He denied their allegations and never faced any charges, with authorities citing a lack of evidence. Advertisement Vince Neil, The Bunny Ranch and HBO did not respond to the producer's request for comment. Secrets of the Bunny Ranch, can be seen on Crime+Investigation on Wednesday, 25 June
The Irish Sun
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
I was lured to infamous Bunny Ranch brothel by Love Island style show…vile star Hof choked girls & forced us into sex
WITH their model looks and stunning figures the young women giggling around the swimming pool and partying with champagne looked like they were having the time of their lives. But this reality TV hit was no Love Island. Advertisement 26 Dennis Hof pictured with three of his employees Credit: getty 26 The girls at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch looked like they were having fun and hanging out Credit: getty 26 Air Force Amy was one of the stand out stars in the show Credit: Splash 26 Cathouse acted as a 'recruitment' poster for young wannabes Credit: Rex Features The gloss and glamour of Cathouse, which aired from 2005 to 2014, hid a dark reality and the pink-painted paradise in the sunshine was actually a legalised brothel in Nevada called For girls like Dolly Hart, who grew up watching Cathouse, the intoxicating picture seved as a recruitment ad. 'Around the time that I caught a glimpse of the show, I was probably 11, 12,' she says. 'The girls looked like they were having fun. "There was a camaraderie amongst them. It seemed like you could make friends there. I was thinking, when I grow up I'm going to go there.' Advertisement READ MORE IN DENNIS HOF In the six-part documentary, Secrets of Bunny Ranch, former employees reveal the truth behind glossy image promoted by publicity hungry owner, 'I saw the velvet couch, the pink 'I was having trouble making friends as a first generation little Mexican girl, getting bullied and being labelled the ugly duckling. 'I didn't come from a privileged background and I saw these girls making money on the show and thought, 'Let's go for it.' Advertisement Most read in The Sun "The Cathouse made it seem like it was the Playboy mansion with bunny playmates playfully jumping on each other and tickle fighting. But it was nothing like that. I created the notorious 'OnlyFans Playboy mansion' - I've made £39 MILLION in 2 years, it's better than being a waitress 26 Hof claimed he treated the girls fairly and was no 'pimp' Credit: Getty - Contributor 26 The brothel was based in Lyon County, one of the few counties in the USA which permits legalized prostitution Credit: getty Advertisement "He expected me to have a threesome with him and this other girl. I asked if I would be paid and he said no, it's my birthday. I refused.' Hof, born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1946, made good money selling time-shares before turning that business knowledge to buying and transforming The Bunny Ranch, taking prostitution out of the shadows and into the mainstream with his flair for publicity. TV and radio interviews led to the reality series Cathouse where everything at the brothel appeared to be professional and fun with the women treated fairly and respectfully by Hof, who the girls called 'Daddy.' 'I'm a businessman who supplies a place and an opportunity for ladies to work and we share the proceeds,' Hof liked to claim. 'The last thing I am is a pimp.' Advertisement Easy prey 26 Shelly Dushell, started working at the Bunny Ranch aged 30 after her house was destroyed by a tornado Credit: Crime+Investigation 26 Every Thursday evening prostitutes had an opportunity to buy new 'work clothes' from a salesman (Shelly pictured) Credit: getty 26 Shelly takes a cigarette break between clients Credit: Getty Shelly Dushell, who began working there at the age of 30 after her house was destroyed by a tornado and she had divorced her husband, has a very different view. Advertisement 'I saw the ugly side of Dennis but the world on Cathouse only saw the fun side of him because they didn't know the real Dennis. He was all about being violent.' After hearing Hof and one of his favourite girls at the ranch – known as Air Force Amy – talking about the brothel on TV, Shelly decided to apply. 'I sent an email with a picture of myself to the ranch and "I flew out and he picked me up at the airport and he told me that HBO was doing a show and he wanted me to be part of it. Advertisement 'He walked me in and there were cameramen filming there. Dennis took me out to the bungalow behind the building and wanted sex. He didn't want to wear a condom. I was absolutely horrified. Shelly Dushell "That was my first day at the ranch. I was afraid to tell Dennis no. No one cares if a prostitute gets raped. 'Dennis preyed upon the women that were the most easily victimised. I was afraid to not go along with what he wanted. "It was hard for me to resist Dennis in the first couple of years that I was there. Advertisement 'He liked that power and control over the girls and he was very violent when he had sex. He liked to slap and choke. It was hard to get him to stop.' Former Bunny Ranch cashier, Shonda, says: 'Dennis had a very active sex life with the working girls. "There were girls who would offer themselves to him and there were girls who didn't want to sleep with him but felt they had to. "He had a great presence on TV but behind closed doors, Dennis was a rattlesnake.' Advertisement 'Recruitment' ad for young girls 26 Air Force Amy looks through a box of tricks Credit: Getty 26 Air Force Amy, who features in the documentary, was a Cathouse star Credit: bridget bennett 26 Dolly Hart, revealed she grew up watching Cathouse wishing to go there Credit: Crime+Investigation 26 Ex-workers revealed Cathouse was a set up Credit: Crime+Investigation Advertisement A regular feature of the show saw the women happily running into the parlour whenever the bell rang, signifying a customer had arrived. There they would line up while he chose who he wanted. But their smiles hid their humiliation. This 'unscripted' TV series was very much not that. 'It wasn't a documentary. We were told what to do,' says Shelly, who claims she was paid $300 dollars for onscreen sex scenes and nothin for non sex scenes. 'The Cathouse show was set up. In the first scene I did they wanted the women to sit down with a bunch of clients, teaching them about good sex. Advertisement "But one of the men was not a client. I recognised him as Jesse Fillmer, a driver and bartender at the Ranch.' Jesse confirms: 'Everyone in the scene who was supposed to be a customer were actually friends of Dennis or people who worked at the Ranch. "The Cathouse was just basically a promotional video for the Bunny Ranch.' Shelly regrets being part of the fake image that encouraged young girls to be a part of the Advertisement 'HBO definitely wanted it to look like it was a fun place to be and so I can see where it can be tempting for a young girl to watch the Cathouse show and think it would be something fun,' she says. 'But they don't understand the reality of it. They aren't seeing what it is really like behind closed doors with Dennis. 'I didn't know that young girls would come to work there who would never have thought of working there if they had not seen the show. "So, looking back, I should never have agreed to do it. It's just horrifying to think that girls so young would want to do that.' Advertisement Deep regrets 26 Dennis Hof, 72, owner of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, died at one of his brothels after a birthday party in 2018 Credit: Getty Images 26 Moonlite Bunny Ranch featured in HBO reality TV show Cathouse: The Series between 2005 and 2007 Credit:26 Alice Little revealed she would sneak downstairs to watch Cathouse when her parents went to bed Tom Hurwitz, Cathouse cinematographer, also came to regret his involvement. Advertisement 'Over the weeks that I worked there I realised that HBO never really wanted to dip further than just below the first public relations level. "Dennis groping people was a daily occurrence, and they pretended to like it,' he says. 'After the first season of Cathouse had been on the air, young women wanted to live in the glamorous image of it. "And so the show began to attract younger women to the Bunny Ranch. Advertisement "It became clear to me that we were part of the recruiting system and I did not feel good about it.' Another of these starry-eyed 'wannabes' was Alice Little. 26 Tom Hurwitz, Cathouse cinematographer, came to regret his involvement 26 Secrets of the Bunny Ranch, can be seen on Crime+Investigation on Wednesday, 25 June Credit: Crime+Investigation Advertisement 'Seeing something that was on late at night that my parents didn't really want me to watch… as a kid that only makes you more intrigued,' she recalls. 'They would go to bed and I would sneak out of my room, go downstairs and watch with the volume turned down low. "I thought it was the coolest thing, being paid to be gorgeous. It sounded amazing. So I decided I was going to go the Bunny Ranch.' As Cathouse became a huge hit, Hof was raking the money in and bought up a string of brothels nearby, transforming them into the model of the Bunny Ranch. Advertisement But he was eager to tell interviewers that he offered women the chance to earn a good living themselves. 'This is an opportunity for you either to make a lot of money in four or five years, invest it properly and never work another day in your life or to make a good amount of money in a short period of time every month so you can be with your kids and work on your writing or acting career or your studies,' he said. If they went days without being chosen by a client, their debts grew so many were constantly trying to pay off their tabs, effectively keeping them trapped there, as they couldn't walk away. Advertisement Wheel of doom 26 It was difficult for ex workers to rebuild their lives without 'extensive medical, psychological and psychiatric assistance' 26 Taina Bien-Aime´ said: 'Cathouse was glamorising the sex trade and pimps' Credit: getty 26 Ex-workers revealed no one became millionaires from the show Taina Bien-Aime was a former HBO Business Affairs Director before becoming an anti-sex trafficking activist. Advertisement 'Cathouse was glamorising the "On screen there is free-flowing alcohol, they are having fun, everybody's laughing, there's a pool. It's a beautiful marketing ploy to recruit young vulnerable women to try it out. 'It's a myth that they can become millionaires. And the moment they leave prostitution they are in abject poverty and it's very difficult for them to rebuild their lives without extensive medical, psychological and psychiatric assistance.' Rape claims 26 Jennifer O'Kane accused Hof of rape Advertisement 26 Rebekah Charleston, who worked at the Bunny Ranch, tried to stay away from Hof 26 Vince Neil, singer, assaulted Andrea Terry, a working girl at the Ranch Credit: wireImage Bekah Charleston, who worked at the Bunny Ranch, adds: 'There are many girls there who are falling into debt. And that's a position you don't want ever to be in at the brothel. "Because that means that whenever a customer finally does pick them, they have to do whatever he wants. No matter if they want to or not. Advertisement 'Dennis himself was notorious for 'partying', which meant having sex with whoever he wanted and not giving them any money. Whenever he was around in the parlour I would try to stay away from him.' Bekah was there when Vince Neil, lead singer of the heavy metal band, Motley Crue, came to visit Dennis in 2003. He was more angry than I had ever seen someone Andrea Terry Andrea Terry, a working girl at the Ranch, later filed a police report after an encounter with him. In the report she says, 'He tried to get me to touch his penis. I reminded him we had to pay before any sexual acts could take place. Advertisement "With such a rage in his eyes he grabbed me by the throat and pushed me against the window frame, holding me there, yelling at me, then yanked me down towards the bed. He was more angry than I had ever seen someone.' Bekah was upset by Hof's reaction to the violence. 26 Each prostitute from out of state works and sleeps in one of the brothel's 30 rooms during the entire duration of her stay Credit: Getty Images 26 Hof was accused of being violent with the girls Credit: Getty Images Advertisement 'Instead of Dennis Hof kicking Vince Neil out for assaulting one of his employees, he took him to the bar, bought him a drink and then paid for him to party with some other girl. I mean, they don't protect you. "In the end, the police actually charged Vince Neil and he pleaded no contest but if Dennis Hof had had his way, no one would have ever known.' Hof died in 2018 of a heart attack. Before his death several women who had worked at the Bunny Ranch accused him of rape, including Theresa Lowe and Jennifer O'Kane. He denied their allegations and never faced any charges, with authorities citing a lack of evidence. Advertisement Vince Neil, The Bunny Ranch and HBO did not respond to the producer's request for comment. Secrets of the Bunny Ranch, can be seen on Crime+Investigation on Wednesday, 25 June
New York Post
11-06-2025
- 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.'
CBS News
07-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
North Texas private school headmaster gives her perspective on school choice vouchers
CBS News Texas is dedicated to keeping you informed on the current state of education in Texas with a new segment called "The Learning Curve." You can watch "The Learning Curve" every weekday morning during CBS News Texas Mornings at 6 a.m. If you have something education-related you would like us to look into, send us an email at texaseducations@ . If Texas' proposed school choice bill is passed, it could send shockwaves through private and public schools. With the bill , most students would receive just over $10,000, with higher amounts available for those with disabilities. Homeschooling families could receive up to $2,000. The money would come from state tax dollars, with lawmakers proposing to allocate $1 billion from Texas' budget surplus for the program. If passed, the program would go into effect during the 2026–2027 school year, giving the Texas Comptroller's Office one year to implement the logistics and educate the public. Still, opposition remains , particularly from rural lawmakers who fear the measure could siphon funds away from public schools. Deborah Hof, headmaster at Selwyn School, an independent day school in Argyle, recently sat down with CBS News Texas to talk about how the program would impact her students. Selwyn School is K-12th grade and has 135 students enrolled. Lacey Beasley : From a bird's eye view, how do you see this potentially impacting Selwyn? Hof : You know, that's a really good question because I don't know. As far as I can tell from the legislation I've read so far, it seems like it's going to be really a small number of kids. I'm not anticipating an influx of applicants. I think this, no matter how well this legislation is written, is going to be confusing for a long time. Beasley : Some students could get $10,000 with [the vouchers]. There's also the question of, would tuition rise along with that? Would those kind of cancel out? Hof : I'm certainly not going to talk about other private schools because I promise you, I've heard the conversation as well. The answer for Selwyn is absolutely not. That is not the goal. The goal is not to use public tax money to raise our tuition. Beasley : Would Selwyn consider declining the vouchers? Hof : Absolutely. Without a doubt. The way the law is written [it] says this is about giving parents choice. It's not about the state deciding what curriculum is used. Very few, I'm not going to say none, I think it might be none, but very few independent schools take any state or federal money, and we're not going to take any money if it means that we have to sidestep our mission. And when we finally get a decision and we can read every single word in the legislation, we can make an informed decision. I think you're going to find that more private schools say no than you think. Beasley : How do you think this will impact public education? Hof : OK, so this is a little more personal and a little less professional. I don't know how else to say that. It a little bit breaks my heart. I said earlier, I'm going to say it again. Public schools have to be fabulous for any of us to be fabulous. And so, as I think it through, I can't imagine how it's not going to hurt the public schools.
Web Release
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Web Release
Panel Discussion at AUB Explores Lebanon's Presidential Elections and Statehood Aspirations Through the Lens of Chehabism
Hof: 'I think the life, the experience, and the leadership of President Fouad Chehab can provide inspiration and guidance' The Good Governance and Citizenship Observatory (GGCO) at the Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship, at the American University of Beirut (AUB), recently hosted a webinar titled 'Lebanon's Presidential Elections and Statehood Aspirations: Revisiting Chehabism.' Opening the session, Dr. Simon A. Kachar, founding director of GGCO at AUB, set the stage by highlighting that, 'the political landscape of Lebanon has long been characterized by a delicate balance of sectarian interests and institutional dysfunction. In light of the election of President Joseph Aoun, this panel will engage with the potential for state-building and governance reform in the country,' he said. 'Central to this exploration is the legacy of late President Fouad Chehab and his vision of a unified, law-abiding nation during his presidency between 1958 and 1964, commonly referred to as Chehabism.' Dr. Kachar emphasized that President Aoun's inaugural address 'echoed a vision of urgent reform, emphasizing the need for a citizenship-based approach to governance, a departure from Lebanon's entrenched sectarian political system.' He explained that the panel's purpose was to explore whether Lebanon can realistically overcome its systemic dysfunction and advance toward genuine institutional reform. The discussion featured two distinguished panelists: Frederic C. Hof, senior fellow at Bard College's Center for Civic Engagement, and Lamia Moubayed, president of the Institute of Finance Basil Fuleihan. 'This is a very tough time for Lebanon,' said Moubayed, 'although with the prospects of the election of President Aoun and the new prime minister and government in place, the hopes and expectations are high.' She raised a critical question: Can President Aoun's vision of a unified and law-abiding nation be translated into concrete reforms and action, given the economic, financial, and social crises Lebanon is emerging from, as well as deeply entrenched political resistance? Moubayed also questioned how Fouad Chehab's legacy might be leveraged to rebuild public trust and mobilize the necessary resources to overcome the country's dire situation. Hof expressed cautious optimism, 'I am very hopeful that Lebanon under new leadership is moving in a new and positive direction,' he stated. 'I think the life, the experience, and the leadership of President Fouad Chehab can provide inspiration and guidance in the difficult years to come.' He added, 'Lebanon seems at the moment to have good leadership. But that leadership currently lacks the resources needed to produce significant results on the ground.' Hof stressed that the new government faces the monumental task of rebuilding from scratch. 'This government needs to start from zero, after decades of corruption, cronyism, and incompetence. No doubt there are some very capable and decent civil servants, despite a system that doesn't recruit or promote based on merit.' He noted the deterioration and chronic underfunding of Lebanon's civil service as well as the state's failure to deliver basic services. 'These things will not be corrected overnight,' he said, adding that Lebanese voters will expect tangible progress in areas like economic recovery, post-war reconstruction, and essential services. 'Financial resources will be needed, but having the right people in the right administrative positions is also crucial.' The panel also delved into the qualities of principled public leadership, emphasizing the importance of integrity, competence, and a spirit of public service. Discussions explored the need to reengage technical expertise across vital sectors. One recommendation emphasized the value of direct communication between the country's leadership and the public. 'If we revisit the principles of Chehabism, and critically analyze the strategies that he put in place, we see that this is what he did. He tried to instill trust again,' Moubayed said, in response to Hof's point on how today's president and prime minister might use platforms such as social media to demonstrate their integrity and communicate a clear governance agenda and plan directly to the people of Lebanon. The conversation also highlighted the importance of both modernizing and reforming existing institutions—and creating new ones with a forward-looking outlook—capable of attracting fresh talent and funding. Another crucial topic was Lebanon's relationship with the international community. The panel questioned what tools Lebanon could use to re-engage international stakeholders and development institutions, particularly as past attempts to solicit international financial support have been met with reluctance. The panel explored what kind of narrative Lebanon must project to regain the confidence of the international community including financial institutions. The discussion also touched on Lebanon's geopolitical challenges, including ongoing instability along its southern border and the situation on its northern and eastern borders with Syria. These challenges, panelists noted, add significant complexity to Lebanon's path forward. In a broader context, the panel reflected on global dynamics, including the rise in violent conflicts and growing concerns over the erosion of multilateralism. In this climate, the panelists considered how Lebanon might still pursue an agenda of peace and sustainable development. The webinar concluded with an interactive Q&A session, providing participants with the opportunity to engage directly with the panelists.
