Ronald Jeremy Hyatt (born March 12, 1953)
is an American former
pornographic actor
A pornographic film actor or actress, pornographic performer, adult entertainer, or porn star is a person who performs sex acts on video that is usually characterized as a pornographic film. Such videos tend to be made in a number of distinct ...
, and actor.
Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", Jeremy was ranked by
''AVN'' at No. 1 in their "50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list.
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
Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...
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.
He was initially jailed awaiting trial, but in January 2023, a judge found him mentally unfit to stand trial due to "incurable neurocognitive decline";
[ he was released to a private residence in November 2023.
]
Early life
Ronald Jeremy Hyatt was born in Queens
Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
, New York City,[ to a middle-class Jewish family from ]Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
.[ His father, Arnold (born 1918), was a physicist and professor at Queens College, CUNY, and his mother a book editor] who had served in the O.S.S. during World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, as she spoke fluent German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
and French.
He graduated from Benjamin N. Cardozo High School.[Hart, John]
"The Hedgehog Shoots For Legit"
, ''The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'', 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''." After high school, Jeremy attended Queen's College, CUNY
The City University of New York (CUNY, pronounced , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven ...
, where he majored in theater and education as an undergraduate and completed a master's degree.
Pornographic film career
Jeremy left the teaching profession (he called it his " ace in the hole") to pursue a legitimate acting career on Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
. He said that he learned then what it was like to be broke, making no money as an actor who "starved Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
". He soon found work posing for ''Playgirl
''Playgirl'' is an American magazine that has historically featured pictorials of nude and semi-nude men alongside general interest, lifestyle, celebrity journalism, and original fiction. For most of its history, the magazine printed monthly a ...
'' after his then-girlfriend submitted his photo to the magazine. He utilized this opportunity as a springboard into the adult film industry, which he viewed as a reliable means of supporting himself.
Jeremy had the nickname "The Hedgehog" bestowed upon him by fellow porn actor William Margold
William Margold (October 2, 1943 – January 17, 2017) was an American pornographic film actor and porn film director.
Known as Bill Margold, he was a former director of the Free Speech Coalition and was a co-founder of X-Rated Critics Organi ...
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
Hypothermia is defined as a body core temperature below in humans. Symptoms depend on the temperature. In mild hypothermia, there is shivering and mental confusion. In moderate hypothermia, shivering stops and confusion increases. In severe ...
. 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
A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introduction. The ...
, 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.
Jeremy is listed in the ''Guinness Book of World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
'' for "Most Appearances in Adult Films"; his entry on the Internet Adult Film Database
The Internet Adult Film Database (IAFD) is an online database of information pertaining to the sex industry, pornography industry: Pornographic film actor, actors, Pornographic film actor, actresses, Film director, directors, Pornographic film s ...
lists more than 2,000 films in which he has performed, and an additional 285 films which he directed
Direct may refer to:
Mathematics
* Directed set, in order theory
* Direct limit of (pre), sheaves
* Direct sum of modules, a construction in abstract algebra which combines several vector spaces
Computing
* Direct access (disambiguation), a ...
. By way of comparison, John Holmes, the next highest-ranked male star on the AVN Top 50 porn stars, has 384 acting credits listed on the IAFD.
One joke that made the rounds within the industry at the time was "the kinkier acts some actresses would not perform were bestiality, sadomasochism
Sadism () and masochism (), known collectively as sadomasochism ( ) or S&M, is the derivation of pleasure from acts of respectively inflicting or receiving pain or humiliation. The term is named after the Marquis de Sade, a French author known ...
, and sex with Jeremy" because he had an atypical appearance for a porn star.
In 2006, Jeremy began a series of debates on pornography opposing Pastor Craig Gross, founder of anti-pornography
Reasons for opposition to pornography include religious objections, moral values, feminist concerns, as well as harmful effects, such as pornography addiction and erectile dysfunction. Pornography addiction is not a condition recognized by th ...
website XXXchurch.com, visiting various U.S. and Canada college campuses as part of the "Porn Debate Tour".
Non-pornographic appearances
Film
Outside the adult film industry, Jeremy worked as a "special consultant" for the 1986 film ''9½ Weeks
''9½ Weeks'' is a 1986 American erotic drama film, directed by Adrian Lyne, and starring Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke. Basinger stars as a New York art gallery employee who has a brief yet intense affair with a mysterious Wall Street bro ...
''. He appears in the 1996 horror film '' They Bite'' in a role making a film-within-a-film (''Invasion of the Fishfuckers'') – another horror film, both in the same vein as '' Humanoids from the Deep''. He also served as a consultant on the 1997 film ''Boogie Nights
''Boogie Nights'' is a 1997 American drama film written, directed, and co-produced by Paul Thomas Anderson. It is set in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley and focuses on a young nightclub dishwasher who becomes a popular star of pornographic ...
''—which chronicled the emergence of the fictional porn star Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), formerly known by his stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, producer, and former rapper. Mark Wahlberg filmography, His work as a leading actor, leading man spans the Comedy film, come ...
, loosely inspired by the life of porn star John Holmes, who had been a co-worker of Jeremy's)—and the movie '' The Chase'', in which he has a small cameo as a news cameraman. He played the monster "Blisterface" in ABC's children's show '' Bone Chillers''. He also appeared in the 1999 film ''The Boondock Saints
''The Boondock Saints'' is a 1999 Vigilante film, vigilante Action film, action thriller film written and directed by Troy Duffy in his list of directorial debuts, feature directorial debut. Starring Willem Dafoe, Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman R ...
'', played a bartender in 2002's ''Spun
''Spun'' is a 2002 American black comedy crime drama film directed by Jonas Åkerlund from an original screenplay by William De Los Santos and Creighton Vero, based on three days of De Los Santos's life in the Eugene, Oregon drug subculture. I ...
'' and acted in 2003's ''Zombiegeddon
''Zombiegeddon'' is a 2003 American Comedy horror, horror comedy film directed by Chris Watson. It stars Ari Bavel, Paul Darrigo, Felissa Rose, Edwin Neal, Linnea Quigley, Tom Savini, and Uwe Boll. It was distributed by Troma Entertainment, It wa ...
''. He was an extra in ''Ghostbusters
''Ghostbusters'' is a 1984 American supernatural comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. It stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler, three eccentric ...
'', played a male strip-club announcer in '' Detroit Rock City'', and had a cameo in '' Killing Zoe'' and in the porn spoof, ''Orgazmo
''Orgazmo'' is a 1997 American superhero sex comedy film written, directed and edited by Trey Parker and produced by Matt Stone, Jason McHugh, and Fran Rubel Kuzui. It stars Parker, Stone, Dian Bachar, Robyn Lynne, and Michael Dean Jacobs ...
''. In addition, he appeared in several productions released by Troma Entertainment
Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production company, production and film distributor, distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz (producer), Michael Herz in 1974. They are the longest running independent film ...
, such as ''Terror Firmer
''Terror Firmer'' is a 1998 American comedy horror film directed by Lloyd Kaufman, written by Douglas Buck, Patrick Cassidy, and Kaufman, and starring Will Keenan, Alyce LaTourelle, and Kaufman. The film was produced by the Troma Entertainmen ...
'', '' Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV'', '' Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead'' and '' Tales from the Crapper''.
He was the subject of a feature-length biographical documentary, '' Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy'', released in 2001 and widely distributed on DVD by mainstream retailers. In that same year he is briefly seen in the heavy metal band Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released ten full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of sounds, all in their main style of industrial met ...
's DVD '' Digital Connectivity''. In 2003, Jeremy appeared as himself in, and lent his name to, the comedy film ''Being Ron Jeremy'', a parody of ''Being John Malkovich
''Being John Malkovich'' is a 1999 American surrealist fantasy comedy drama film directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman, both making their feature film debut. The film stars John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, and Catherine Keener, wit ...
''. Jeremy is a frequent interviewee in documentaries about the porn industry, or related subjects such as '' Fuck: A Fuckumentary''.
He was featured in the music video "The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle" by A Day to Remember
A Day to Remember is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Ocala, Florida, in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denney and drummer Bobby Scruggs. They are known for their amalgamation of metalcore and pop-punk. The band currently consists of voca ...
in 2007 from their CD entitled ''For Those Who Have Heart''. In 2007, he appeared in the comedy film ''Finishing the Game
''Finishing the Game'' is a 2007 mockumentary film directed by Justin Lin focusing on Bruce Lee's final movie ''Game of Death'' (1972), which was unfinished at the time of his death. Shot in 18 days, ''Finishing the Game'' comically satirizes th ...
'' as himself. Jeremy starred in 2008 in the erotic horror film ''I Am Virgin'', which was released in 2010.
Jeremy has a cameo in '' Crank: High Voltage'', playing himself as a protester angry at the low salaries porn stars get. Another 2009 cameo was in "Stripper: Natasha Kizmet". He once again appears as himself in the 2009 release '' One-Eyed Monster'', a horror film parody predicated on the premise that an alien force takes over Jeremy's penis and begins killing people in the woods.
Jeremy is the Lead Antagonist/League Owner in the sports comedy ''Tetherball: The Movie'' and appeared in the western comedy '' Big Money Ru$tla$'' featuring Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989, ICP's best-known lineup consists of rappers Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (originally 2 Dope; Joseph Utsler). Insan ...
in 2010.
Television
In 1980, Jeremy competed on the game show '' Wheel of Fortune'', using his real last name, as Ron Hyatt. Among his winnings was a trip to Mazatlán
Mazatlán () is a city in the Mexican list of states of Mexico, state of Sinaloa. The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding , known as the Mazatlán Municipality. It is located on the Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast across from th ...
.
Jeremy appeared in the second season of ''The Surreal Life
''The Surreal Life'' is an American reality television series that records a group of celebrities as they live together for a limited number of weeks. Initial seasons took place in Glen Campbell's former mansion in the Hollywood Hills for two w ...
'', during which he developed a close friendship with Tammy Faye Bakker
Tamara Faye Messner (née LaValley, formerly Bakker ; March 7, 1942 – July 20, 2007) was an American evangelist. She co-founded the televangelist program ''The PTL Club'' with her husband Jim Bakker in 1974. They had hosted their own puppet-s ...
despite her devout Christianity and disapproval of pornography, and returned to the franchise for the ninth season of '' The Surreal Life: Fame Games'', in which he finished second to Traci Bingham on the season finale, which aired on March 25, 2007. Jeremy also appeared in a segment on Comedy Central's ''Chappelle's Show
''Chappelle's Show'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedians Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show and starring in the majority of its sketches. Chappelle, Brennan, and Michele Armour were ...
''. Additionally, he made appearances on Penn and Teller
Penn may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Penn'' (film), 1954 Tamil film starring Vyjayanthimala
* ''Penn'' (TV series), a 1991 Tamil mini-series
* ''Penn'' (TV series), a 2006 Tamil-language soap opera
* '' The Penn'', or ''The Stylus'', ...
's '' Bullshit!'' in episodes regarding penis enlargement
Penis enlargement, or male enhancement, is any technique aimed to increase the size of a human penis. Some methods aim to increase total length, others the shaft's girth, and yet others the glans and foreskin size. Techniques include surgery, ...
and circumcision
Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. T ...
. In 2005, he appeared on the UK reality TV show, '' The Farm''. Jeremy also made a brief cameo on ''Lewis Black's Root of All Evil
''Lewis Black's Root of All Evil'' is an American television series that premiered on March 12, 2008, on Comedy Central and was hosted by comedian Lewis Black. The series was produced by Scott Carter and written by David Sacks. Sometimes there ...
'', in the episode "YouTube VS Porn", in a short segment where people on the street were shown a video of hardcore pornography, and Jeremy was the only one disgusted by the video.
Jeremy was seen in the ''Robot Chicken
''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animation, adult stop motion, stop-motion animated sketch comedy television series created by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich for Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult Swim. The twelve-minute ...
'' episode, "A Piece of the Action", in which he was voiced by Michael Benyaer
Michael Benyaer is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his roles as Bob in the Canadian CGI series ''ReBoot'' and Hadji Singh in season one of '' The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest''.
Career
On playing Hadji, Benyaer stated, " eis one of the ...
. In the episode, he and several others parody ''The Surreal Life'' and ''The Lord of the Rings
''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book ''The Hobbit'' but eventually d ...
''. The segment lampoons his penis size by having his character unseat a knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity.
The concept of a knighthood ...
on horseback
Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the u ...
using nothing but his erect penis. Jeremy appeared as himself in the 2001 ''Family Guy
''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, following Super Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. Th ...
'' episode "Brian Does Hollywood
The third season of ''Family Guy'' first aired on the Fox network in 22 episodes from July 11, 2001, to November 9, 2003, before being released as a DVD box set and in syndication. It premiered with the episode "The Thin White Line" and finishe ...
", in which he is a presenter at an adult industry award show in which Brian Griffin
Brian Griffin is a fictional character from the American animated sitcom ''Family Guy''. He is one of the main characters of the series and a member of the Griffin family. Created, designed, and voiced by Seth MacFarlane, he is an anthrop ...
is a nominee. Comedian Kathy Griffin
Kathleen Mary Griffin (born November 4, 1960) is an American comedian and actress who has starred in television series, comedy specials and has released multiple comedy albums. In 2007 and 2008, Griffin won Primetime Emmy Awards for her rea ...
went on a date with him in the third season of her reality show, '' Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List''. Jeremy has also appeared in a part on the Comedy Central show '' Tosh.0.''
In 2003, Jeremy appeared on ''The Frank Skinner Show
''The Frank Skinner Show'' is a television chat show hosted by comedian Frank Skinner, which lasted nine series on British television between 1995 and 2005.
As well as celebrity interviews, the shows includes an initial stand-up routine, vario ...
'' and performed a duet ("I Got You Babe
"I Got You Babe" is a song performed by American pop and entertainment duo Sonny & Cher and written by Sonny Bono. It was the first single taken from their debut studio album, '' Look at Us'' (1965). In August 1965, the single spent three weeks ...
") with former Cabinet minister Mo Mowlam
Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam (18 September 1949 – 19 August 2005) was a British Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician. She was the Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Redcar (UK Parliament constituency), Redcar f ...
. Jeremy appeared on ''Chappelle's Show
''Chappelle's Show'' is an American sketch comedy television series created by comedians Dave Chappelle and Neal Brennan, with Chappelle hosting the show and starring in the majority of its sketches. Chappelle, Brennan, and Michele Armour were ...
'' as himself in a spoof called "What if the Internet was a real place?", in which he asks Dave Chappelle if he would like to see some of his films. Jeremy also appeared as a guest commentator on the Fox News Channel
The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American multinational conservative news and political commentary television channel and website based in New York City, U.S. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is ow ...
late-night news and comedy talk show ''Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld
''Red Eye'' (also known as ''Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld'' from 2007 to 2015 and ''Red Eye w/ Tom Shillue'' from 2015 to 2017) is an American late-night/early-morning satirical talk show on Fox News, which aired at 3:00 a.m. ET Tuesday throug ...
'' in 2007. In the "Super Karate Monkey Death Car" episode of ''Newsradio
''NewsRadio'' is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from March 21, 1995, to May 4, 1999, focusing on the work lives of the staff of a New York City AM news radio station. It had an ensemble cast featuring Dave Foley, Stephen R ...
'', Jeremy can be seen sitting in the audience at Jimmy James's reading, along with Brian Posehn
Brian Posehn (; born July 6, 1966) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, voice actor, musician, and writer. After numerous appearances as a television guest star, Posehn acquired his first major recurring role in HBO's '' Mr. Show with Bob a ...
. Jeremy appeared in '' Tosh.0'' as the falling prom girl's date. Jeremy appeared on '' Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations'', as himself, in Bourdain's "Food Porn" (Season 5) and "Food Porn 2" (Season 6) episodes. Jeremy appeared on '' Silent Library'' in 2010. In the show, he was the "Mystery Creature" that was concealed underneath a sheet in a cage, the contestant has to feed him carrots while being blindfolded.
Music
Jeremy has appeared in videos by Sublime, Mercury Rev
Mercury Rev is an American rock band formed in 1989 in Buffalo, New York,
with Moby
Richard Melville Hall (September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, disc jockey, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "amo ...
, Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989, ICP's best-known lineup consists of rappers Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (originally 2 Dope; Joseph Utsler). Insan ...
, Kid Rock
Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), known professionally as Kid Rock, is an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter. After establishing himself in the Music of Detroit#Hip-hop, Detroit hip-hop scene, he broke through into m ...
, LMFAO
LMFAO (an initialism for Laughing My Freaking Ass Off) was an American electronic dance music duo consisting of Redfoo and Sky Blu (rapper), Sky Blu. Redfoo is the youngest son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and Nancy Leiviska. Sky Blu ...
, Everclear, Sam Kinison
Samuel Burl Kinison ( ; December 8, 1953 – April 10, 1992) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. A former Pentecostal preacher, he performed stand-up routines that were characterized by intense sudden tirades, punctuated with his distin ...
, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 as a merger of local bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" line-up consisted of vocalist Axl R ...
, Mad Yellow Sun, Los Umbrellos, XXX Rottweiler Hundar (Icelandic), the Radioactive Chicken Heads, A Day To Remember
A Day to Remember is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Ocala, Florida, in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denney and drummer Bobby Scruggs. They are known for their amalgamation of metalcore and pop-punk. The band currently consists of voca ...
, Escape The Fate, Christina Linhardt, Necro, Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords are a New Zealand musical comedy duo formed in Wellington in 1998. The band consists of multi-instrumentalists Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. Beginning as a popular live comedy act in the early 2000s, the duo's c ...
, My Darkest Days, Armin Van Buuren, Loud Luxury, The Meices, and Steel Panther
Steel Panther is an American comedic glam metal band from Los Angeles, California. Fronted by lead singer Michael Starr, the band formed in 2000 as Metal Shop and was also known as Metal Skool before adopting the name Steel Panther in 2008. The ...
. In addition, he released a rap single called "Freak of the Week" which peaked at 95 on the ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' rap charts; a music video for this was also produced. Jeremy introduced Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
ska punk band Big D and the Kids Table
Big D and the Kids Table is a ska punk band formed in October 1995 in Boston, Massachusetts, when its members converged in college. Their first release was on their own Fork in Hand Records label, but have since teamed with Springman Records a ...
at the 2011 and 2013 Vans Warped Tour in Carson, California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, and Ventura, California, respectively, and also appeared in their new video for the song "One Day". In 2001, he made a small appearance in industrial/groove
Groove or Grooves may refer to:
Music
* Groove (music)
* Groove (drumming)
* The Groove (band), an Australian rock/pop band of the 1960s
* The Groove (Sirius XM), a US radio station
* Groove 101.7FM, a former Perth, Australia, radio station
...
metal
A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
band Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released ten full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of sounds, all in their main style of industrial met ...
's DVD '' Digital Connectivity'', where he welcomes the viewer, in the "'' Digimortal''" portion of the DVD, "to the world of Fear Factory". In 2008, Brooklyn rap artist Necro featured Ron as well as Jack Napier, Rebeca Linares
Rebeca Linares (born 1983) is a Spanish pornographic film actress and Penthouse (magazine), ''Penthouse'' Pet.
Biography
Born in San Sebastián in the Basque Country Autonomous Community of Spain, At the age of 4, she moved to Barcelona with he ...
, and several others for the videos "Who's Ya Daddy" and "I Wanna F**k". In 2011, he appeared in LMFAO
LMFAO (an initialism for Laughing My Freaking Ass Off) was an American electronic dance music duo consisting of Redfoo and Sky Blu (rapper), Sky Blu. Redfoo is the youngest son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and Nancy Leiviska. Sky Blu ...
's music video for the song "Sexy And I Know It
"Sexy and I Know It" is a song by American duo LMFAO from their second and final studio album, '' Sorry for Party Rocking''. It was released as the third single from the album on September 16, 2011. The song was written by Stefan Kendal Gordy, ...
". In 2011, he also appeared on the rap group Bankrupt Records album ''Double Vision'' on the skit "The Ron Jeremy Call".
In 2012, he appeared in Canadian rock band My Darkest Days music video for their song "Casual Sex
Casual sex is sexual activity that takes place outside a romantic relationship and implies an absence of commitment, emotional attachment, or familiarity between sexual partners. Examples are sexual activity while casually dating, one-nig ...
". In 2013, he appeared in the music video for the song " This Is What It Feels Like" by DJ Armin van Buuren.
Video games
Jeremy was featured as a playable character in the 2003 video game ''Celebrity Deathmatch'' video game
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
. His image was used as a fairy in the 2004 video game '' Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude'', in which he gives tips and advice to the main character. Jeremy also stars in the 2008 video game '' BoneTown'' as the king of Bonetown and sex god. Jeremy appears in the 2011 video game ''Postal III
''Postal III'' is a third-person shooter video game developed by Trashmasters and Running with Scissors, and published by Akella. It was released for Microsoft Windows in December 2011 as the third game in the ''Postal'' series and sequel to '' ...
'' as Raul Chomo, the mayor of the fictional town of Catharsis, Arizona
Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
.
Video
Jeremy appeared in a series of viral video
Viral videos are video, videos that become popular through viral phenomenon, a viral process of Internet sharing, primarily through video sharing websites such as YouTube as well as social media and email.Lu Jiang, Yajie Miao, Yi Yang, ZhenZhon ...
spoofs for video sharing website Heavy.com. The videos lampooned include Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...
, lonelygirl15
''lonelygirl15'' is an American science fiction thriller web series created by Miles Beckett, Mesh Flinders, Greg Goodfried, and Amanda Goodfried. It was independently released on YouTube from June 16, 2006, to August 1, 2008, and was also bri ...
, Little Superstar and others. In 2007 he had a cameo appearance in "The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle" video, by the band A Day to Remember
A Day to Remember is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Ocala, Florida, in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denney and drummer Bobby Scruggs. They are known for their amalgamation of metalcore and pop-punk. The band currently consists of voca ...
. In addition, Jeremy appeared on an episode of '' Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show'', titled "Pamous Movie Star".
In January 2009, Jeremy appeared with David Faustino
David Anthony Faustino (; born March 3, 1974) is an American actor who played Bud Bundy on the Fox sitcom '' Married... with Children''. He has also voiced animated characters for Nickelodeon, including Mako on ''The Legend of Korra'' and Heli ...
(Bud Bundy from ''Married... with Children'') in an episode of Faustino's show ''Star-ving
''Star-ving'' is a comedy web series of episodes running eight to ten minutes, based very loosely on the life of David Faustino from '' Married... with Children''. His co-star is Corin Nemec, who played the title character in '' Parker Lewis Ca ...
'', which airs on Crackle, as does the '' Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show''. In June 2009, he did a cameo in the music video "10 Miles Wide" by Escape The Fate, along with Dennis Hof
Dennis Leroy Hof (October 14, 1946 – October 16, 2018) was an American businessman and politician. He owned seven Prostitution in Nevada, legal brothels in Nevada, most notably the Moonlite BunnyRanch. Hof was also a Republican Party (United S ...
and other adult video performers. In December 2010, Jeremy starred in the Break.com video ''Tron Jeremy'', a parody of the film '' Tron: Legacy''. In October 2013, Jeremy appeared in Bart Baker
Bart Baker (born May 5, 1986) is an American social media personality, musician, and comedian. He is best known for making Parody, parody videos of notable songs, for which ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' dubbed him one of the most prolific ma ...
's parody of Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus ( , born Destiny Hope Cyrus, November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and director. Regarded as a contemporary pop icon, Cyrus has been recognized for her evolving artistry and image reinventions. She is ...
's "Wrecking Ball
A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a Crane (machine), crane, that is used for Demolition, demolishing large buildings. It was most commonly in use during the 1940s and 1950s. Several wrecking companies claim to have inve ...
".
Books
Jeremy released his memoir, titled ''Ron Jeremy: The Hardest (Working) Man in Showbiz'', in February 2007. The book was published by HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...
.
Businesses
In June 2009, Jeremy and business partner Paul Smith opened Ron Jeremy's Club Sesso, a swingers nightclub located in the financial district of downtown Portland, Oregon
Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
. The club was closed on June 20, 2015, over legal problems with the city.
Jeremy is also involved in the marketing of a line of rum "Ron de Jeremy" to which he lent his name ("ron" being Spanish for "rum"). Television ads for the rum featuring Jeremy proclaim that it's rum "Ron Style".
Personal life and health
On January 29, 2013, Jeremy drove himself to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, Tertiary referral hospital, tertiary, 915-bed teaching hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre, academic health science center located in Los Angeles, California. Part of the Cedars ...
after experiencing severe chest pain. Doctors discovered an aneurysm
An aneurysm is an outward :wikt:bulge, bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also b ...
near his heart and he was operated on the following day.[''Ron Jeremy Released From Hospital'']
AVN, February 20, 2013. Retrieved February 20, 2013. Three weeks later, he was released from the hospital.
It was reported in early 2023 by ''The Daily Beast
''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc.
It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...
'' that Jeremy suffered from "severe dementia", as determined by mental health experts who evaluated him following his arrest.
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
Exxxotica Expo is an American annual three-day adult-themed event produced by 3XEvents. First held in 2006, Exxxotica has featured some of the most recognized names in the adult industry, including Jenna Jameson, Tera Patrick and Katie Morgan.
...
national adult conventions permanently banned Jeremy from their shows in October 2017 after a June 2017 social media campaign by webcam model Ginger Banks
Ginger Banks is an American webcam model, pornographic actress and sex worker advocate.
Career
Banks started webcamming in 2010 at the age of 19 while studying chemical engineering. Initially, Banks was ashamed to disclose her career and lied ...
. Due to the allegations, the Free Speech Coalition
The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) is a non-profit industry trade group, trade association of the sex industry in the United States. Founded in 1991, it opposes the passage and enforcement of obscenity laws and many censorship laws (with the excep ...
, an industry trade group, rescinded its Positive Image Award, which it had presented to him in 2009. In November 2017, adult performer Jessica Drake gave an interview to ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'', and commented regarding the allegations surrounding Ron Jeremy: "I have viewed on Jeremyas the missing stair
The missing stair is a metaphor for a person within a social group or organization who many people know is untrustworthy or otherwise has to be "managed", but around whom the group chooses to work by discreetly warning newcomers of their behavior ...
in the adult community."
In June 2020, Jeremy was charged with four counts of rape and sexual assault by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. Jeremy was accused of raping a 25-year-old woman at a home in West Hollywood
West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757.
History
Most historical writings about West Hollywood be ...
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
The Rainbow Bar and Grill is a bar and restaurant on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, United States, adjacent to the border of Beverly Hills, California. Its address is 9015 Sunset Boulevard.
The bottom level of the building is ...
where Jeremy was a regular. Owner of Golden Artists Entertainment, Dante Rusciolelli, announced they were dropping Jeremy as a client following the charges. On June 27, Jeremy pleaded not guilty to all charges. Jeremy posted his response to the charges on Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
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."
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
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD), officially the County of Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, is a law enforcement agency serving Los Angeles County, California. LASD is the largest sheriff's department in the United States a ...
had received 30 new allegations of forcible rape and groping against Jeremy involving incidents that took place in Los Angeles County since 2000.
In August 2020, Los Angeles prosecutors filed 20 further counts against Jeremy, including charges of rape, sexual assault, sodomy
Sodomy (), also called buggery in British English, principally refers to either anal sex (but occasionally also oral sex) between people, or any Human sexual activity, sexual activity between a human and another animal (Zoophilia, bestiality). I ...
, 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. 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
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood ...
. Six other women accused Jeremy of sexually assaulting them inside a West Hollywood
West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757.
History
Most historical writings about West Hollywood be ...
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. On August 25, 2021, he was indicted on a total of 30 sexual-assault counts involving 21 women.
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
Ginger Banks is an American webcam model, pornographic actress and sex worker advocate.
Career
Banks started webcamming in 2010 at the age of 19 while studying chemical engineering. Initially, Banks was ashamed to disclose her career and lied ...
and Tana Lee, premiered in November 2021.
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, and was subsequently transferred to a mental health facility.
On January 17, 2023, Jeremy was found by the judge to be mentally unfit to stand trial due to "incurable neurocognitive decline". 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, with a progress report hearing scheduled for May 8, 2023. Per California law, the Los Angeles district attorney's office stated that Jeremy can be committed for up to two years.[ 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.
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. 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 compenstation after Jeremy was found not competent to stand trial.
]
Filmography
Awards
* 1983 AFAA Award – Best Supporting Actor (''Suzie Superstar'')
* 1984 AFAA Award – Best Supporting Actor Award (''All the way in'')
* 1986 AVN Award
The AVN Awards are List of movie awards, film awards sponsored and presented by the American trade magazine ''AVN (magazine), AVN'' (''Adult Video News'') annually to honor achievements in the global Sex industry, adult entertainment industry. ...
– Best Supporting Actor—Film (''Candy Stripers II'')
* 1991 AVN Award – Best Supporting Actor—Video (''Playin' Dirty'')
* 2004 AFWG Award – Crossover Performer of the Year
* 2004 FICEB Award – Best Actor (''The Magic Sex Genie'' – International film group)
* 2006 F.A.M.E. Award
The Fans of Adult Media and Entertainment Awards (or F.A.M.E. Awards) were created in 2006 by ''Genesis (magazine), Genesis'', Adam & Eve (company), Adam & Eve, WantedList, Playboy Radio and ''AVN (magazine), AVN'' as a means for the general ...
– Favorite Adult Actor[Alt URL]
See also
* Golden Age of Porn
The term "Golden Age of Porn", or "porno chic", refers to a 15-year period (1969–1984) in commercial American pornography, in which sexually explicit films experienced positive attention from mainstream cinemas, movie critics, and the genera ...
* '' Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy''
Bibliography
* Published February 2007.
References
External links
*
*
*
Ron Jeremy profile in ''The New York Observer''
Audio Interview w/ 'The Rafferty/Mills Connection' (2009)
World News, Jennifer Abbott, Director interviews Ron Jeremy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jeremy, Ron
1953 births
Living people
Jewish American male actors
American male pornographic film actors
Participants in American reality television series
Pornographic film actors from New York (state)
Male actors from Queens, New York
Queens College, City University of New York alumni
Contestants on American game shows
People from Bayside, Queens
American stand-up comedians
American male comedians
21st-century American comedians
Jewish American comedians
Jewish male comedians
People detained in psychiatric hospitals
People stripped of awards
21st-century American Jews
Comedians from Queens, New York
Jewish American film people
Best Supporting Actor AVN Award winners