HBO Max is going beneath the sheets for a new drama based on the life and times of Heidi Fleiss, the infamous and former ‘Hollywood Madam’ who ran a prostitution ring with a high-profile clientele. Maggie Cohn (The Staircase) is writing and executive producing the Heidi Fleiss drama for HBO Max, with Fleiss consulting.
As you may recall, Fleiss was arrested in 1993 on a series of prostitution charges. The media transformed Fleiss’ trial into a circus, splashing the proceedings across television and tabloid rags. Fleiss never revealed her client list, though many celebrities are suspected or confirmed to have used her services. Charlie Sheen once testified to using Fleiss’ service on multiple occasions.
Fleiss was convicted in state court, but the terms didn’t stick on account of the case being overturned after an appeals court ruled jurors had swapped votes to avoid a deadlock verdict. Fleiss was later convicted on federal tax evasion charges and served 20 months in prison for the crime.
To escape the spotlight, Fleiss moved to Nevada to open a brothel catering to women. The venture never came to pass, and Fleiss opened a parrot sanctuary (which explains why there are so many pictures of her with birds).
Fleiss’ life has already been explored through various media, including a 1995 documentary by Nick Broomfield and a 2004 USA Network movie, Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss, starring Jamie-Lynn Sigler as the ‘Hollywood Madam.’
In addition to writing two episodes of The Staircase, Cohn penned an episode of American Crime Story, two episodes of the Netflix drama Narcos: Mexico, and co-wrote the screenplay for Lou, the Netflix action drama starring Allison Janney and Jurnee Smollett.
Fleiss’ Hollywood dealings remain a fascinating topic in today’s Hollywood climate. While Fleiss will likely take her list of clients to the grave, she’s been photographed while canoodling with well-known celebrities in her prime. Have these individuals used her services? What secrets is she hiding in an age when confirmation of using her service could destroy someone’s career in a heartbeat? HBO Max wants to give the Heidi Fleiss drama a fresh coat of paint. Let’s see how the scandalous dealings look through a new lens, shall we?
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