The Bling Ring – that's a phrase you might not have heard in a while. But that's about to change: buckle up and get ready for the revival of this hot Hollywood gossip from the late 2000s, as Netflix releases its three-part docuseries, The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist.
For those who need a refresh (or anyone a touch too young to remember this stellar bit of US pop culture history), The Bling Ring were a group of teenagers who hit headlines in 2008 and 2009 after a spell of breaking into, and robbing, big-name Hollywood stars, including the likes of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel Bilson, Audrina Partridge and Orlando Bloom. Some of the stars, including Rachel Bilson and infamously Paris Hilton, they burgled multiple times.
The group, who were subsequently caught in the act after Lindsay Lohan shared surveillance camera footage with TMZ, included Alexis Neiers, Rachel Lee, Diana Tamayo, Courtney Ames, Roy Lopez Jr and Nick Prugo. The group met at Indian Hills High school in Los Angeles. They were aided by Johnny Ajar, a former convict and boyfriend of Ames, who helped them resell their stolen goods. The saga has been fictionalised twice, in Sofia Coppola-directed 2013 crime film The Bling Ring (starring Emma Watson as Nicolette Moore - the character said to be based on Neiers – and Paris Hilton making a cameo as herself); and in a book of the same title by author Nancy Jo Sales, the same year.
By Ali Pantony, Charley Ross and Jabeen Waheed
View GalleryHowever, The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist is the first time we'll see a real-life documentary of the events, together with two members of the original Bling Ring, Alexis Neiers & Nick Prugo, taking part. This continues in the vein of true-crime shows like The Tinder Swindler & Bad Vegan, where convicted criminals cooperate with the channel to allow cameras to follow them on the show.
So, ahead of watching the show, let's take a look at what the real Bling Ring (include the two Netflix reality stars)…
The Bling Ring: Where are they now?
Alexis NeiersNeiers was filming an E! reality show, Pretty Wild, at the time of her arrest in 2009 – which was caught on camera. She did six months in jail followed by three years of probation, and ordered to pay a $600,000 fine to Orlando Bloom.
Together with starring in the new Netflix docuseries, Alexis is currently a “birth worker and space holder” according to her Instagram account – which has over 100k followers. Now 31, she changed her surname to take her husband's after marrying Evan Haines in 2012. The pair have three children together. However, Neiers filed for divorce last year after almost a decade with her husband, according to US Weekly.
Nick PrugoPrugo was sentenced to two years in prison following his role in the Bling Ring's crimes. He served one. Following his release, he appeared on Good Morning America in 2010, telling audiences, “I don't think any of us realised how severe it was until we actually got caught. He called the crimes “a shared responsibility. It wasn't just one person,” adding, “I'm trying to take responsibility for my part and just let the world know and the victims know I'm sorry.”
He is married, lives in Los Angeles and has been with his husband for six years. Like Neiers, he has changed his surname to his husband's: his married name is now Nick Nurgo.
In 2015, he was charged with ““stalking and soliciting rape” by celebrity facialist Dawn LaLuise, according to The Cut – and entered into a plea deal. The rape charge was later dropped, however he served 350 hours of community service and three years' probation for the stalking charges, according to Bustle. He now lives a quiet life and runs an online business together with his husband.
Rachel LeePegged as the group “ringleader” by Prugo, Lee – who already had a criminal history of theft, having been fined for shoplifting from Sephora together with Tamayo – was given the longest sentence of the group: four year in state prison for robbing Audrina Patridge's house. She served two years and was let out on parole in March 2013.
Diana TamayoTamayo was sentenced to three years in prison on probation. After this period, she disappeared from public life – going on to become a fitness instructor and to connect with her religion.
""Hi, I have chosen not to talk to any media because I want that to be in my past. But I will say that my life has changed. I’ve found God and starting to get my career with fitness and nutrition going. Thank you, have a beautiful day," she told The Daily Beast via phone in 2017. She is currently working on a screenplay for a TV drama, and before that she attended cosmetology school for hairstyling, according to Cosmopolitan UK.
Courtney AmesAfter receiving a sentence of probation and community service for her role in the teenage crime gang, Courtney studied psychology, speech and child development at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California. She has remained out of the public eye.
The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist is available to watch on Netflix now.
