The adult industry and the mainstream Hollywood scene often intersect, and few executives are more familiar with that crossover than Dennis DeSantis.
The Brooklyn native, entrepreneur, philanthropist and seasoned veteran of nearly 30 years, who launched his career during the adult DVD era, has occasionally even been tabloid fodder himself. From his previous role as a partner in Eva Longoria’s restaurant, Beso, to Lindsay Lohan making headlines in one of his specialty cars, DeSantis has cultivated a network of famous friends while pursuing his career in the biz that’s notoriously based on the other side of the famous Hollywood hills, in the San Fernando Valley — aka “Porn Valley.”
A big key to our success is always having stock and always filling orders.
Today, as CEO of Cousins Group, DeSantis is recognized for applying his traditional adult business expertise to the pleasure industry, as well as for partnering with celebrities like Shanna Moakler — the model, actress, former beauty queen and Playboy playmate also noted for her early-2000s marriage to Blink-182’s Travis Barker.
“I’ve really seen Dennis come up in the world,” Moakler tells XBIZ. “When he first started out, I always knew he would be super successful — he’s so driven and ambitious. And sure enough, his company is hitting it out of the park with the Pink Pussycat line. Celebrities like Cardi B have even mentioned it. His company is professional and the quality of its products is outstanding. For me, giving that to my fan base was a no-brainer.”
Having first debuted a range of three Moakler-branded, medical-grade silicone rechargeable vibes, Cousins Group is now preparing to release strokers for her male fans.
“Being a Playboy playmate and an OnlyFans model, I have always wanted to have my own adult toy line,” Moakler gushes. “I’m excited to bring my products with my name and ambition to the public. I feel like we’re finally starting to come into a space where men and women can be more open and honest about intimate products. I think the days of pleasure being taboo and something to be embarrassed about are over.”
Though DeSantis and Moakler have been friends for more than 20 years, only over the past year has she ventured into his professional world, attending events like Vibe Expo.
“It’s so cool to go to the expo and see what everyone is bringing to the table, which was really mind-blowing because there are just so many incredible, top-notch products out there,” Moakler says admiringly. “I also got to meet so many people who, like Dennis, have these companies and are creating this space for adults. I met a lot of shop owners, and it’s great that they are out there and accessible for people.”
For his next project, DeSantis is tapping into another recognizable name: Chippendales. The male revue show that draws both female and male crowds is getting its own signature line of pleasure products.
“Everyone knows the name, and if you don’t know the name, you’ve at least seen the picture of the guys on the billboard with no shirts and a bow tie,” DeSantis says. “I’m very excited about that collection and building it out in the future.
Musing on his celebrity connections, DeSantis says that aspect of his life has snowballed over the years.
“You start making a couple of celebrity friends, and then begin meeting their friends, and then you start having relationships with people you met through them,” DeSantis explains. “I have my actor friends, whom I started becoming friends with 20 years ago, and who are now A-listers. They started with nothing, and as I grew, they grew too. They became famous actors, and I found great success in my industry.
“It’s almost like I’ve led two lives,” he reflects. “I had my Hollywood life, but I also had my adult life. It’s funny because all the Hollywood people want to be involved in adult life; they just don’t want people to know about it.”
A pivotal moment in DeSantis’ career came 30 years ago when he first ventured into the adult DVD industry. He launched his own business, DNA, two years later. The rise of adult content on the internet led DeSantis to yet another turning point: 11 years ago, he decided to launch Cousins Group with a focus on pleasure products and sex enhancement supplements.
Much like an aspiring Hollywood actor suddenly landing a starring role, Cousins Group’s Pink Pussycat sex enhancement supplement for women went viral on Facebook two years later.
“We didn’t try to promote it,” DeSantis recalls. “We were always just low-key, and it just took off. We were on ‘90-Day Fiancé’ and all these gossip sites.”
Without even being paid for an endorsement, Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B promoted Pink Pussycat on social media, and the brand’s popularity continued to blow up.
“Years later, it went viral again with TikTok videos that were part of the ‘Henny and honey’ trend, in which people were drinking Hennessy and mixing it with the Pink Pussycat honey,” DeSantis shares. “There were a bunch of viral videos of people cooking with it — making pork chops and basting it with honey.”
In addition to racking up billions of impressions online, Pink Pussycat sex-enhancement pills, gummies, shot drinks and honey also began being sold at hundreds of Spencer’s stores.
For DeSantis, having a standout brand is crucial for business survival in this day and age.
“What many people don’t realize is that I own the trademark,” DeSantis notes. “They just think a supplement company comes and goes, but owning the trademark means I could open clubs and stores.”
For the time being, however, he is sticking to pleasure products, growing the Pink Pussycat brand across multiple adult retail categories. More than 30 new items are on the way, including toys, lingerie, lubricant, a new throat spray and an antibacterial toy bag.
DeSantis expects that supplements and strokers will continue to be Cousins Group’s specialties.
“Guy toys sell a lot faster than women’s toys,” DeSantis observes. “When guys jerk off, they break strokers every week or two, and they get new ones. I’m getting reorders every week, primarily for supplements and strokers. We’re lucky enough to be in a position where we make stuff that sells.”
Also in Cousins Group’s lineup of sex enhancers is Gold Lion, available in his-and-hers honey formulas and pills, as well as an upcoming delay spray. Adding to his assortment of male-focused products, DeSantis also offers midrange-priced strokers modeled after body parts, including butts complete with a skirt. Cousins Group also recently debuted its Stroker Kings line of remote-controlled powered masturbators that vibrate and heat up.
“Now we have high-end, midrange and inexpensive strokers, but still all in the same field,” he explains.
Another major factor contributing to the success of any pleasure products manufacturer is always maintaining its goods in stock.
“Especially with supplements, if you go out of stock, retailers will replace you in the store with something new and then, if customers like that product, they stick to that and you’re pretty much out,” DeSantis cautions. “I think somebody was out of stock for months, and retailers gave us the shot, and then we just never got taken out of the stores. We always stay ahead with our inventory. A big key to our success is always having stock and always filling orders.”
This strategy is helping Cousins Group overcome the current global trade turmoil over rising tariffs.
“I’m not raising prices, and I’m also going to give discounts and free product during this time because I’m in a niche market,” he explains. “I own the company, but I also do the sales. I have a minimal overhead and a small staff, so I don't expect to be too affected by it.
“I’m more excited, motivated and conscious now,” he adds. “I will keep our bestsellers in stock and try to establish a budget that does not involve overspending.”
Whether launching bold collaborations or maintaining tight control of his product pipeline, DeSantis is not just keeping up with the market — he’s setting the pace.
