In the early 2000s, celebrities all over Hollywood fell victim to a group of robbers who would raid their homes and take valuables, drugs, and other possessions. This group of teenagers was called the bling ring. They targeted celebrities like Paris Hilton, Orlando, Bloom, Rachel, Bilson, Lindsay Lohan, and Audrina Patridge, the members of the bling ring, who faced criminal court and were later convicted of theft for what they had done. This group victimized celebrities for almost a year, and they were only stopped in August 2009
The bling ring was so famous because of their audacity to read the homes of famous people and has lived in infamy in popular culture. Their crime spree was so famous that a decade later, some members who were out of prison, starred in a Netflix documentary, entitled, “The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist “
Now, HBO is going to come out with another documentary, featuring the ring leader of the Bling Ring, Rachel Lee. They recently released a trailer to give viewers a snippet of what’s to come. Lee is featured on the trailer giving an interview.
“Most people if they saw me on the street they’d be like, oh, she’s just a normal Person. But there’s always anxiety. What if they realize who I am and what I did with the bling ring?” Lee said in the trailer.
Rachel Lee is now free from prison after serving her sentence. She has been free for a decade now, and it seems she’s ready to speak on matters concerning the crime spree she participated in when she was 19 years old. Lee gave an interview with us weekly back in 2018 saying,
“As a teen, I was chasing love in all the wrong places, and by the time I realized, it was too late, and I was in prison…. I truly feel prison was a blessing in disguise – the best thing that ever happened to me. It made me realize you can only trust yourself at the end of the day.“
The motivation, for the crimes of the bling ring was narrated in the Netflix documentary, and Rachel has confirmed them again. “I didn’t like my world,“ Lee explained. “Going into a celebrity home and trying on their stuff, I was able to live in their world.“ based on Lee’s statement and the previous Netflix documentary, the bling ring was composed of teenagers who should have known better than to barge into people’s houses and rob them.
The crimes committed by the bling ring, held a mirror to society, especially on how we deal with celebrities. These people are so famous that we sometimes forget that they have their own lives too, and are entitled to their privacy. The bling ring violated the sacred space where celebrities can be themselves and feel safe without fear. It is a jarring lesson to us all that no matter how much we idolize Hollywood stars, we should still keep a level head and respect for them.