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Ron Jeremy

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ron Jeremy
Jeremy in 2009
Born
Ronald Jeremy Hyatt

(1953-03-12) March 12, 1953 (age 73)
Queens, New York, U.S.
Other names
  • R. J.
  • David Elliot
  • Big Daddy
  • The Hedgehog
  • Ronnie
EducationQueens College, City University of New York (BA, MA)
Occupations
Years active1977–2018
Height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)

Ronald Jeremy Hyatt (born March 12, 1953)[1] is an American former pornographic actor and actor.[2][3]

Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", Jeremy was ranked by AVN at No. 1 in their "50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list.[4] Jeremy has also made a number of non-pornographic media appearances, and director Scott J. Gill filmed a documentary about him and his legacy, Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy, released in 2001.

Jeremy was accused of sexual assault more than a dozen times between 2017 and 2020, for incidents stretching back to 2004. Upon further investigation, in August 2021, he was indicted on 30 sexual-assault counts involving 21 victims including 12 counts of forcible rape.[5][6] He was initially jailed awaiting trial, but in January 2023, a judge found him mentally unfit to stand trial due to "incurable neurocognitive decline";[7] he was released to a private residence in November 2023.[8]

Early life

Ronald Jeremy Hyatt[3] was born in Queens, New York City,[1] to a middle-class Jewish family from Russia and Poland.[9][1] His father, Arnold (born 1918),[10] was a physicist and professor at Queens College, CUNY, and his mother a book editor[11] who had served in the O.S.S. during World War II, as she spoke fluent German and French.[12]

He graduated from Benjamin N. Cardozo High School.[13] After high school, Jeremy attended Queens College (part of the City University of New York), where he majored in theater and education as an undergraduate and completed a master's degree.[14][15][16]

Pornography career

Dennis Hof, Heidi Fleiss, and Jeremy at the Adult Video Network Convention in Las Vegas, 2006

Jeremy left the teaching profession (he called it his "ace in the hole") to pursue a legitimate acting career on Broadway. He said that he learned then what it was like to be broke, making no money as an actor who "starved Off-Broadway". He soon found work posing for Playgirl after his then-girlfriend submitted his photo to the magazine.[17] He utilized this opportunity as a springboard into the adult film industry, which he viewed as a reliable means of supporting himself.[18] Initially using his surname Hyatt, he later changed to using his middle name Jeremy as his professional name, as his grandmother Rose (listed in the telephone directory as R Hyatt) was receiving nuisance phone calls after the Playgirl spread was published.[19]

Jeremy had the nickname "The Hedgehog" bestowed upon him by fellow porn actor William Margold in 1979 after a situation on the set of the porn film Olympic Fever. Jeremy flew in from New York to shoot the movie. Expecting warm California weather, he wore only a T-shirt and shorts and brought no additional clothing. During the long motorcycle ride to the set, located near Lake Arrowhead, in the California mountains, the weather deteriorated to blizzard conditions, which chilled him to the point of near hypothermia. Upon arriving at the set, Jeremy was immediately whisked away to thaw out in a hot shower. When he finished, his skin had taken on a pinkish hue from the temperature extremes, and all the many hairs on his body were standing on end. Margold's comment upon seeing Jeremy at that moment was "You are a hedgehog, my friend. A walking, talking hedgehog." Contrary to popular belief, the nickname had nothing to do with his weight, as he was quite physically fit at the time.[20]

Jeremy is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for "Most Appearances in Adult Films";[21] his entry on the Internet Adult Film Database lists more than 2,000 films in which he has performed, and an additional 285 films which he directed.[22] By way of comparison, John Holmes, the next highest-ranked male star on the AVN Top 50 porn stars,[4] has 384 acting credits listed on the IAFD.[23]

One joke that made the rounds within the industry at the time was "the kinkier acts some actresses would not perform were bestiality, sadomasochism, and sex with Jeremy" because he had an atypical appearance for a porn star.[3]

In 2006, Jeremy began a series of debates on pornography opposing Pastor Craig Gross, founder of anti-pornography website XXXchurch.com,[24] visiting various U.S. and Canada college campuses as part of the "Porn Debate Tour".[25][26]

Personal life

Jeremy and Stormy Daniels at Jeremy's birthday party in March 2007

On January 29, 2013, Jeremy drove himself to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after experiencing severe chest pain.[27] Doctors discovered an aneurysm near his heart and he was operated on the following day.[27][28] Three weeks later, he was released from the hospital.[28]

It was reported in early 2023 by The Daily Beast that Jeremy suffered from "severe dementia", as determined by mental health experts who evaluated him following his arrest.[29]

Sexual assault allegations

More than a dozen women have publicly accused Jeremy of sexual assault. Several of the allegations relate to his appearances at fan conventions, alleging that he would grope and insert his fingers into attendees without their consent. The organizers of the Exxxotica national adult conventions permanently banned Jeremy from their shows in October 2017 after a June 2017 social media campaign by webcam model Ginger Banks.[30][31][32] Due to the allegations, the Free Speech Coalition, an industry trade group, rescinded its Positive Image Award, which it had presented to him in 2009.[33] In November 2017, adult performer Jessica Drake gave an interview to Rolling Stone, and commented regarding the allegations surrounding Ron Jeremy: "I have viewed [Ron Jeremy] as the missing stair in the adult community."[34]

In June 2020, Jeremy was charged with four counts of rape and sexual assault by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.[35][36] Jeremy was accused of raping a 25-year-old woman at a home in West Hollywood in May 2014. He also allegedly sexually assaulted two women, ages 33 and 46, on separate occasions at a West Hollywood bar in 2017, and is accused of raping a 30-year-old woman at the same bar in July 2019. Many of the alleged assaults occurred at the Rainbow Bar and Grill where Jeremy was a regular.[6] Owner of Golden Artists Entertainment, Dante Rusciolelli, announced they were dropping Jeremy as a client following the charges.[37] On June 27, Jeremy pleaded not guilty to all charges. Jeremy posted his response to the charges on Twitter saying: "I am innocent of all charges. I can't wait to prove my innocence in court! Thank you to everyone for all the support."[38]

Three days after Jeremy was initially charged, prosecutors said they had an additional 25 allegations of misconduct involving Jeremy had been made, 13 of which had occurred in Los Angeles County. Subsequently, six additional women who worked in the adult entertainment industry came forward stating that Jeremy had raped or abused them. In July 2020, a law enforcement official confirmed that the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department had received 30 new allegations of forcible rape and groping against Jeremy involving incidents that took place in Los Angeles County since 2000.[39]

In August 2020, Los Angeles prosecutors filed 20 further counts against Jeremy, including charges of rape, sexual assault, sodomy, and forcible penetration by foreign object. The charges involved 12 different women ranging in age from 15 to 54 years old in incidents from 2004 to 2020. One woman stated that Jeremy sexually assaulted her at a party in Santa Clarita in June 2004 when she was 15.[40] The most recent incident is said to have occurred on January 1, 2020, when a 21-year-old woman said that Jeremy sexually assaulted her outside of a business in Hollywood. Six other women accused Jeremy of sexually assaulting them inside a West Hollywood bar he frequented, and another woman said that he assaulted her in the bar's parking lot. Jeremy, who originally had bail set at $6.6 million when first charged in June, was placed into custody at Twin Towers Correctional Facility.[41][42] On August 25, 2021, he was indicted on a total of 30 sexual-assault counts involving 21 women.[5]

The BBC documentary Ron Jeremy: Fall of a Porn Icon charting the history of allegations against Ron Jeremy and featuring interviews with some of Ron Jeremy's alleged victims, including porn actresses Ginger Banks and Tana Lee, premiered in November 2021.[43][44]

On March 17, 2022, Jeremy's trial was suspended pending a mental health examination, after Jeremy was reported to be "incoherent" and unable to recognize his own lawyer,[45] and was subsequently transferred to a mental health facility.[46]

On January 17, 2023, Jeremy was found by the judge to be mentally unfit to stand trial due to "incurable neurocognitive decline".[7] On February 8, 2023, Jeremy was committed to a state mental health facility in California after being found incompetent to stand trial on rape and other charges,[47][48] with a progress report hearing scheduled for May 8, 2023.[49] Per California law, the Los Angeles district attorney's office stated that Jeremy can be committed for up to two years.[48] While waiting in jail for assignment to a state medical facility for months on November 17, 2023, a judge granted a request to release Jeremy to a private residence where he will receive care.[50]

On August 21, 2023, a lawsuit was filed by two women against the Rainbow Bar and Grill. The women alleged that employees knew Jeremy sexually assaulted women there, including themselves, and allowed him to do so.[51] On April 15, 2025, it was announced that a global settlement was reached with at least nine women who were suing the Rainbow Bar and Grill. Many of Jeremy's accusers will receive financial compensation after Jeremy was found not competent to stand trial.[52]

In media

Awards

See also

Bibliography

  • Jeremy, Ron; Spitznagel, Eric (2007). Ron Jeremy: The Hardest (Working) Man in Showbiz. New York: HarperEntertainment. ISBN 978-0-06-084082-2. OCLC 70046039. Published February 2007.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Jeremy & Spitznagel 2007, p. 15
  2. ↑ "Adult star Ron Jeremy tries his hand at comedy at Ricochet". Miami.com. October 17, 2012. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Ravo, Nick (April 2, 1997). "My Dinner with Ron: A chat with the improbable, ubiquitous porn star Ron Jeremy, poised on the brink of mainstream success – or so he thinks". Salon. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  4. 1 2 "AVN: The 10 Top Porn Stars of All Time". Adult Video News. January 2002. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved December 24, 2006.
  5. 1 2 "Adult Film Star Indicted on Rape, Other Sexual Assault Counts | Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office". da.lacounty.gov. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  6. 1 2 Dillon, Nancy (December 1, 2021). "Ron Jeremy Gets New May 2 Trial Date in Los Angeles County Rape Case". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Ron Jeremy: US porn star declared unfit for sex crimes trial". BBC News. January 18, 2023. Archived from the original on January 18, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  8. ↑ Al-Arshani, Sarah. "Judge rules that adult film star Ron Jeremy can be released to private residence". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 15, 2025. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  9. ↑ "That Jewish Porn Star". Beliefnet.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  10. ↑ Dillon, Nancy (January 31, 2013). "Ron Jeremy's dad says porn star in 'holding pattern,' on respirator after heart aneurysm". nydailynews.com. Archived from the original on August 27, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  11. ↑ Naomi Pfefferman (November 30, 2001). "A Nice Jewish Porn Star". Jewish Journal. Archived from the original on April 30, 2008. Retrieved January 31, 2007.
  12. ↑ "Insane" Wayne Chinsang. "Ron Jeremy interview". tastes like chicken. Archived from the original on November 16, 2006. Retrieved January 31, 2007.
  13. ↑ Hart, John. "The Hedgehog Shoots For Legit" Archived December 25, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, The Village Voice, Accessed December 6, 2007. "Long before Hollywood called, Jeremy was just another Bayside kid who enjoyed afternoons playing on his favorite tree outside his home on Bell Boulevard. He attended Benjamin Cardozo High School, where he appeared in theatrical productions like Oklahoma. One of his fellow cast members was Reginald Vel Johnson, who went on to fame in the Die Hard movie series and TV's Family Matters."
  14. ↑ Mooney, Jake (July 6, 2017). "What Do Jerry Seinfeld, Paul Simon, 'Ugly Betty' and Ron Jeremy Have in Common?". City Room. Archived from the original on July 18, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  15. ↑ Dorff, E. N.; Ruttenberg, D. (2010). Jewish Choices, Jewish Voices: Sex and Intimacy. Book collections on Project MUSE. Jewish Publication Society. p. 149. ISBN 978-0-8276-0955-6. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  16. ↑ Berlind, William (March 13, 2000). "Porn Star Ron (The Hedgehog) Jeremy Tries to Make It in Legit Movies". Observer. Archived from the original on July 18, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Meet Ron Jeremy". Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy. Maelstrom Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 24, 2006. Retrieved December 25, 2006. Ron's career began in 1978 when a girlfriend of his sent his nude photo to Playgirl magazine for its 'Boy Next Door' feature.
  18. ↑ Cory Stulce (July 8, 1998). "13 Inane Questions with the reigning king of adult cinema: Ron Jeremy". The Alestle. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Archived from the original on February 21, 2007. Retrieved December 25, 2006.
  19. ↑ Sachs, Andrea. "Ron Jeremy: My Life as a Porn Star". Time.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2025. Retrieved May 21, 2026.
  20. ↑ Jeremy & Spitznagel 2007, pp. 67–71
  21. ↑ "Being Ron Jeremy". Amazon. March 15, 2005. Archived from the original on February 11, 2012. Retrieved December 25, 2006.
  22. ↑ Ron Jeremy at the Internet Adult Film Database
  23. ↑ John Holmes at the Internet Adult Film Database
  24. ↑ "XXX Church.com The #1 Christian Porn Site". Xxxchurch.com. Archived from the original on March 5, 2007. Retrieved March 8, 2007.
  25. ↑ "The Porn Debate". Porn Debate. Archived from the original on January 6, 2018. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  26. ↑ Jacob Watta (November 7, 2006). "Jeremy, Gross to grapple with issue of pornography". Accent. The Penn. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved December 25, 2006.
  27. 1 2 "Porn Star Ron Jeremy in LA Hospital After Aneurysm". ABC News. AP. January 31, 2013. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  28. 1 2 Ron Jeremy Released From Hospital, AVN, February 20, 2013. Archived April 24, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved February 20, 2013.
  29. ↑ "Ron Jeremy's Rape Trial to be Scrapped Over Porn Star's 'Severe Dementia'". The Daily Beast. January 8, 2023. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  30. ↑ Dickson, EJ (November 15, 2017). "Inside Ron Jeremy Sexual Misconduct Allegations". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  31. ↑ Snow, Aurora (October 31, 2017). "Porn's Two Biggest Male Stars Stand Accused of Serial Sexual Assault. Where's the Outrage?". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on October 31, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  32. ↑ Teitel, Emma (November 2, 2017). "Condemnation of sexual assaults can't be selective: Teitel". The Toronto Star. Archived from the original on November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
  33. ↑ "Porn Star's 'Image Award' Revoked Amid Sexual Assault Claims". NBC Southern California. March 13, 2017. Archived from the original on November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  34. ↑ Dickenson, EJ (November 15, 2017). "Inside Ron Jeremy's Sexual Assault Allegations". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 27, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  35. ↑ "Adult film star Ron Jeremy charged with four counts of sexual assault". Los Angeles Times. June 23, 2020. Archived from the original on June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  36. ↑ "Adult Film Star Charged With Sexual Assault of 4 Women". Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  37. ↑ Coote, Darryl (June 24, 2020). "Adult film star Ron Jeremy charged with sexually assaulting 4 women". UPI. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  38. ↑ Moreau, Jordan (June 27, 2020). "Porn Star Ron Jeremy Pleads Not Guilty to Sexual Assault Charges". Variety. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  39. ↑ "Porn star Ron Jeremy charged with 20 more counts of sexual abuse in L.A. County". Los Angeles Times. August 31, 2020. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  40. ↑ McDonald, Scott (August 31, 2020). "Ron Jeremy accused of sexually assaulting 15-year-old girl among 20 new allegations". Newsweek. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  41. ↑ McDonald, Scott (August 31, 2020). "Ron Jeremy Accused of Sexually Assaulting 15-year-old Girl Among 20 New Allegations". Newsweek. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  42. ↑ Tapp, Tom (August 31, 2020). "Ron Jeremy Facing 20 New Charges Of Sexual Assault Against 13 Women – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 1, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  43. ↑ "Fall of a Porn Icon is a thrilling reinvention of the true crime doc – review". The Independent. November 12, 2021. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  44. ↑ Ron Jeremy: Fall of a Porn Icon, BBC News, December 11, 2021, retrieved August 22, 2022
  45. ↑ Queally, James (March 17, 2022). "Case against Ron Jeremy suspended after lawyer questions porn star's mental health". Los Angeles Times.
  46. ↑ "Ron Jeremy transferred to mental health facility after 'breakdown' in jail". Toronto Sun. March 18, 2022. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  47. ↑ Steinbuch, Yaron (February 8, 2023). "Porn star Ron Jeremy committed to mental hospital". New York Post. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  48. 1 2 Broadway, Danielle (February 8, 2023). "Porn star Ron Jeremy committed to state mental hospital". Reuters. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  49. ↑ Paul, Larisha (February 8, 2023). "Ron Jeremy Declared 'Not Competent' to Stand Trial for Rape, Committed to Mental Health Facility". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 6, 2024. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  50. ↑ Queally, James (November 17, 2023). "Former porn actor Ron Jeremy to be released to 'private residence' with rape case frozen, health deteriorating". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  51. ↑ "Sunset Strip's Rainbow Bar let Ron Jeremy assault women in its bathroom, lawsuit alleges". Los Angeles Times. August 29, 2023. Archived from the original on September 12, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  52. ↑ Dillon, Nancy (April 15, 2025). "Ron Jeremy Accusers Reach Global Settlement with Rainbow Bar". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 14, 2025. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
  53. 1 2 "Rame awards list". Rame.net. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2007.
  54. 1 2 "Past AVN Award Winners". Avnawards.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2008. Retrieved December 31, 2007.
  55. ↑ Acme Andersson (June 7, 2004). "Adam Film World 2003 Award Winners Announced". AVN. Archived from the original on December 31, 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  56. ↑ "2004 Award winners & nominees". Archived from the original on October 11, 2004. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  57. ↑ "Barcelona International Erotic Film Festival (2004)". IMDb.com. Archived from the original on April 9, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
  58. ↑ Peter Warren (June 24, 2006). "About the 2006 FAME Awards". AVN. Archived from the original on June 24, 2006. Retrieved June 24, 2007. Alt URL Archived December 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  59. ↑ "John Stagliano, Belladonna to Join Hustler Walk of Fame". AVN. March 22, 2012. Archived from the original on August 30, 2025. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
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