Dennis Hof Passes Away

Dennis Hof Passes Away

LAS VEGAS — Dennis Hof — the owner of a number of Nevada brothels, TV show star and candidate for the state Legislature — has died. He was 72.

Hof passed away at his Love Ranch South brothel Tuesday morning, according to the Nye County Sheriff’s Office. His death occurred two days after his birthday.

Hof was known nationwide for his role in the HBO series "Cathouse," which documented the lives of the workers in his half-a-dozen Nevada brothels.

Hof started his brothel business with his purchase of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch in 1992. Nye County officials recently closed the Love Ranch South brothel which was reopened after a win in court.

The always-quotable Hof ran a successful campaign in the primary election for an Assembly seat and was facing Democrat Leisa Romanov in the November general election. At times, Hof called himself the “Trump of Pahrump,” after the city he heralded from.

Nevada officials said ballots with Hof's name have already been printed and mailed to voters but signs will be posted at polling places notifying voters that the candidate has died.

Marc Randazza, who represented Hof as legal counsel, said that “Dennis was a man from another age, dropped into our time.”

“For all his bombast, if you got to know the man, he was not just the persona you saw on TV and in the press,” Randazza told XBIZ. “He was a genuinely kind man — who saw it as his duty to make sure that everyone around him was always taken care of, and that they had a hell of a time.

“He was a true warrior for freedom and liberty — taking on causes that would likely provide little benefit to himself, but that were ‘the right thing to do’ from a First Amendment perspective.   

“At least he lived a hell of a life. An uncommon life.  And, to the extent anyone believes in an afterlife, I can assure you, that the other side just got a hell of a lot more fun.”

Hof spent last night at a birthday celebration at the Pahrump Nugget and was in fine health. Pahrump, where Hof owned the Love Ranch, is located north of Las Vegas.

Hof had travelled earlier in the day from Reno with adult icon Ron Jeremy and former madame Heidi Fleiss. Fleiss noted that the three had a “good time” during the eight-hour drive.

“Dennis was joking about Ron’s health and how he needed to take better care of himself,” Fleiss said. “We were all making fun of Ron and just generally life.”

Last night, Fleiss, Jeremy and others celebrated with Hof at a campaign rally in Pahrump.

Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who attended the party, said he was astounded to hear about Hof's death and called it "shocking."

The former sheriff said Hof was in good spirits when Arpaio left the party around 10 p.m. He was asked by Hof to speak at the party.

According to the Daily Mail, Jeremy went to wake up Hof about 11 a.m. and found him unresponsive.

Fleiss said: "Dennis was really excited about the future. I’m devastated about his death. I’m still in shock over it."

At post time, no cause of death has been determined. The Clark County Coroner will conduct an autopsy.

Related:  

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Justices Alito, Thomas Invoke Victorian-Era Morality Law, Raising Censorship Concerns

Several national publications reported this week on widespread concern among Free Speech advocates after U.S. Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas repeatedly invoked during a hearing the infamous segregation-era law the Comstock Act, which was the cornerstone of U.S. censorship of sexual material from the 1870s until the 1970s.

TeamSkeet Releases 1st Installment of 'Ripe for the Taking'

TeamSkeet has released the first installment of its latest feature, "Ripe for the Taking," starring TeamSkeet March AllStar Scarlett Alexis.

Skinfluential Management's FansFuel Acquires Fanwire

FansFuel has acquired creator account management tool Fanwire.

Pineapple Support Appoints Kasey Kei as Brand Ambassador

Pineapple Support has appointed veteran performer and content creator Kasey Kei as its latest brand ambassador.

Nebraska AV Bill Moves Forward Despite Privacy, Free Speech Concerns

Nebraska’s unicameral Legislature has given first-round approval to LB 1092, the state’s version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.

Eva Maxim, Katrina Colt Headline 'Cumming to LA' From Cherry Kiss

Eva Maxim and Katrina Colt star with Vince Karter in 2021 XBIZ Europas Female Performer of the Year Cherry Kiss' "Cumming to L.A.," from Evil Angel.

AEBN Celebrates 25th Anniversary

The Adult Entertainment Broadcast Network (AEBN) is celebrating its 25th year in business this week.

Performers in Meta Blacklisting Lawsuit Seek to Preserve Antitrust Claims

Adult Performance Artists Guild board officers Alana Evans, Kelly Pierce and Ruby have informed a California court that, although they want to drop their lawsuit claiming that Meta conspired with OnlyFans to blacklist rival premium fan platforms’ talent, they may still pursue antitrust claims in the future.

Skylar Snow Headlines 'Infidelity 4' From Sweet Sinner

Skylar Snow toplines "Infidelity 4," the latest release from Mile High Media studio brand Sweet Sinner.

Serenity Cox Stars in 'Enjoy It' From MILFY

Serenity Cox stars with Alberto Blanco in "Enjoy It," from Vixen Media Group studio imprint MILFY.

Show More