LONDON — U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 has scheduled its two-part documentary “The Rise and Fall of Ron Jeremy” to air Monday, Aug. 15, with both episodes available on Channel 4 platform All4.com once the first episode has aired.
According to a statement from Channel 4, the documentary will tell “the inside story of Jeremy's 40-year porn career, revealing how his alleged crimes were eventually brought to light” and features archival footage as well as “insider testimony” and “exclusive access to the women accusing him.”
In the first episode, the statement notes, “Jeremy shoots to fame during the 1970s and the ‘Golden Age’ of porn. He's funny, smart and likeable, but rumors swirl that he assaults his co-stars. British porn star Lianne Young — who performed as Billie Britt — says Jeremy assaulted her at a party in full view of other people.”
In the concluding episode, “Jeremy has crossed over into the mainstream: making Hollywood friends, becoming a reality star and selling his own range of rum. But his alleged offending becomes more prolific.”
The documentary was produced by BriteSpark Films, which is part of the Argonon media group, and commissioned by Channel 4 factual senior commissioning editor Anna Miralis. It was produced by Lisa Charles and directed by Storm Theunissen, with Nick Godwin and Tom Porter serving as executive producers and international sales handled by Abacus Media Rights.
The Channel 4 documentary was originally produced under the title “Downfall of the Porn King: The Ron Jeremy Story.” A competing U.K. project titled “Ron Jeremy: Fall of a Porn Icon” aired on the BBC in November 2021.
Ron Jeremy Still Incarcerated, Under Psychiatric Review
As XBIZ has been reporting, Jeremy is currently awaiting trial in Los Angeles, where he has remained in jail since his arrest in June 2020.
After an August 2021 grand jury indictment, Jeremy pled not guilty to 12 counts of forcible rape, seven counts of forcible oral copulation, six counts of sexual battery by restraint, four counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object, two counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious or asleep person and one count each of lewd act upon a child under the age of 14 or 15, sodomy by use of force and assault with intent to commit rape.
On July 26, a psychiatric expert for the defense issued a report asserting that Ron Jeremy is not competent to stand trial in Los Angeles for multiple sexual assaults and rapes.
The Los Angeles County district attorney's office has also hired its own psychiatric expert, who will produce another report assessing Jeremy’s competency.
The criminal case has been at a standstill since presiding Judge George Lomeli's March 17 decision to suspend proceedings after he received reports from Goldfarb and the bailiff that the defendant was “incoherent” and could not be transported to court.
Judge Lomeli then referred the case to a mental health courthouse for a decision on Jeremy’s ability to stand trial. The judge recommended that psychiatrists on each side conduct evaluations to determine competency.
The case has been postponed until Oct. 3.
Last year, XBIZ published an exclusive detailed account of the 21 accusations that form the Los Angeles County district attorney's case against Jeremy. It remains the only comprehensive journalistic account of the testimonies given before the grand jury in August 2021.
Main Image: Ron Jeremy (Photo: Channel 4/BriteSpark Films)
