The most recent Netflix documentary series revisits the controversial “Bling Ring,” exploring the circumstances surrounding the infamous celebrity home invasions in 2008 and 2009.
The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist, a three-part docuseries, opens with ringleader Nick Prugo explaining how he and co mastermind Rachel Lee got their start in illicit operations.
Prugo recalls how when he met Lee at school, the popular girl’s outgoing personality helped him come out of his shell. Prugo claims that when he moved to Calabasas, California, he felt like an outcast because his mother drove him to school in a Honda rather than a Mercedes or Range Rover.
In the documentary, Prugo asserts that she and Lee first broke into a car after leaving a party one night.
Prugo recalls, “Rachel walked over to a car and pulled on this door handle, perhaps in jest, and it opens. “She just seemed so carefree and unconcerned. I was in fear. I believed we would be discovered and end up in trouble. It was undoubtedly terrible. So, you know, we ended up with all these credit cards. The following day, we went shopping.”
Prugo claims he had never stolen before meeting Lee, but claims he fell into the habit very soon.
I didn’t want to give up the confidence it provided me, says Prugo.
He asserts that Lee would hang out of the passenger window and pull on the car doors to check if they would open every time the two of them left a party. She would look through the car for valuables if they did.
According to Prugo, “it was always the wealthy neighborhoods and the very costly cars that seemed to be unlocked.”
Prugo also disclosed that Eden Shizzle, an old acquaintance of his, was the victim of the first home invasion he and Lee committed. Shizzle announced on MySpace that he and his family were taking a vacation, and Prugo identified a potential victim.
Shizzle himself appears on screen and claims it was between $30,000 and $40,000. Prugo claims he and Lee stole roughly $8,000 from Shizzle’s parents’ safe, while Shizzle thinks it was closer to $100,000.
Prugo decided to step it up and rob celebrities after their first heist.
The things these celebrities owned, not the celebrities themselves, were what we were more interested in, according to Prugo.
Prugo also disclosed that Eden Shizzle, an old acquaintance of his, was the victim of the first home invasion he and Lee committed. Shizzle announced on MySpace that he and his family were taking a vacation, and Prugo identified a potential victim.
Shizzle himself appears on screen and claims it was between $30,000 and $40,000. Prugo claims he and Lee stole roughly $8,000 from Shizzle’s parents’ safe, while Shizzle thinks it was closer to $100,000.
Prugo decided to step it up and rob celebrities after their first heist.
The front door was locked the second time they went, but they discovered a key beneath the mat and used it to get inside. For potential future robberies, they took the key with them.
We frequently visited Paris’ house, he claims. It resembled our own personal ATM,
Prugo claims he never felt bad despite the fact that the teenagers were stealing thousands of dollars from the celebrity.
On-screen, Prugo explains, “I didn’t feel like there was a victim.” “The value of this woman is in the millions. We didn’t even believe she would be aware.”
More famous people, including Lindsay Lohan, Orlando Bloom, and Audrina Patridge, would be robbed by Prugo and Lee in the future. They would recruit other members for their criminal organization, including Alexis Neiers (now Alexis Haines), who also makes an appearance in the documentary to provide her perspective.
The remaining members, Tess Taylor, Diana Tamayo, Courtney Ames, and Roy Lopez, are not included in the documentary.
Netflix is currently offering The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist for streaming.