Former members of the infamous Hollywood heist gang known as the Bling Ring, Alexis Christine Haines (Neiers) and Nicholas "Nick" Prugo, were only teenagers when they got involved in high-profile burglary cases of A-list Hollywood stars, including Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, and Lindsay Lohan, among others.
Bling Ring was a seven-member gang of young adults in their teens and 20s accused of robbing high-profile Hollywood celebrities of expensive clothing items, cast, and other personal belongings.
The burglars, namely Rachel Lee, Prugo, Neiers, Diana Tamayo, Courtney Ames, Johnny Ajar, and Roy Lopez Jr., would strategically break into their houses and steal all they could.
An upcoming Netflix docuseries, The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist, will have Alexis Haines and Nick Prugo, convicted thieves, give first-hand accounts of the events that transpired all those years ago and the impact it had on their personal as well as professional lives.
It airs on September 21, 2022. Audrina Partridge, an alleged victim of the heists in question, will also appear in the docuseries.
Here's everything to know about Alexis Haines and Nick Prugo and their involvement in the burglaries as part of the Bling Ring squad.
Between 2008 and 2009, the Calabasas gang known as the Bling Ring broke into the houses of Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel Bilson, and other celebrities. They stole roughly $3 million in cash and valuables, largely from Hilton.
Two of the Bling Ring members, Nick Prugo (Norgo) and Alexis Haines (Neiers), will be featured in the upcoming three-part Netflix documentary series.
Alexis Christine Haines
Alexis Haines is the daughter of Mikel Neiers, a renowned director and cinematographer known for his work such as NBC's Friends. Her mother Andrea is a former Playboy model.
Together with her unofficially adopted sister Tess Taylor, Neiers began her acting and modeling career when she was 16 years old. She reportedly stated that her career helped her to "sustain [her] drug habit."
They were somewhat successful in their endeavors, as Neiers got a role in a low-budget movie directed by producer Dan Levy. She made her debut as an E! Network TV personality by featuring in Pretty Wild alongside her mother and sisters Gabby and Tess Taylor.
Neiers was arrested when she was only 18 years old for her involvement in the Bling Ring robberies. She entered a no contest plea in court and was given a sentence of 180 days in jail and three years of probation, along with a $600,000 restitution payment. She previously struggled with substance abuse and became a drug and alcohol counselor while at the recovery facility.
She married Canadian businessman Evan Haines in 2012, and the couple have two children. Since then, she has written a book called Recovering from Reality, launched a podcast that goes along with it, and co-taught courses with her mother. Sources state that the couple have filed for divorce and are moving their separate ways.
Nick Prugo (Norgo)
Former child actor Nick Prugo was a member of the gang and actively participated in the entire operation to rob high-profile celebrities. He had previously intended to become an actor, and had even landed a minor role in the 2003 television quasi-documentary Little Lost Souls: Children Possessed.
However, he gave up acting while still in school and started associating with Rachel Lee, who according to Prugo was the Bling Ring's leader. Sources state that Prugo and Lee carried out their first home invasion together while in 10th grade. They allegedly stole $8,000 in cash. The two would often steal cash and credit cards from open cars. Prugo later claimed that he was "stealing for drugs."
Prugo and Lee stole from Paris Hilton in 2008, stealing designer clothes, jewelry, and cash from her house. He, along with other Bling Ring members, then broke into the homes of Audrina Partridge, Rachel Bilson, Orlando Bloom, Brian Austin Green, Megan Fox, and Lindsay Lohan, stealing items worth millions.
Authorities were tipped off about their wrongdoing in August 2009, which led to Prugo's arrest. He eventually confessed. Investigator Brett Goodkin made a statement, saying:
"He confessed to crimes we didn’t even know he committed."
He was given a two-year jail term after entering a no-contest plea for the thefts. In 2010, after completing his one-year prison term, Nick Prugo shared his angle on the Bling Ring case with the world via ABC News.
Five years later, he was arrested again on stalking and s*xual assault charges, for which he was sentenced to 350 hours of community service and three years' probation.
To learn more about the infamous Hollywood burglars, tune in to The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist on Netflix this Wednesday, September 21, 2022.