Ron Jeremy To Be Declared Unfit for Sexual Assault Trial Because of Dementia

Former adult film star Ron Jeremy, indicted on more than 30 counts of sexual assault, is expected to be declared unfit for trial on Tuesday because he is suffering from “severe dementia.”  

The Los Angeles Times broke the story earlier this month ahead of the official decision.

“My first reaction, I was kind of numb,” Lianne Young, one of the former film stars who accused Jeremy of assaulting her, told the Times. “It’s going to come down to public opinion now, and public opinion has looked at Ron like a god.”

Others point to the fact that several women had to come forward publicly with harrowing allegations for a trial that’s now on hold. But adult industry professionals told VICE News that the case will nonetheless mainstream important conversations about consent within the industry and beyond. 

“I don’t think (Jeremy) being declared mentally incompetent is going to embolden anyone except for the men who are already looking for an excuse for their own behavior,” performer Ginger Banks told VICE News. “You would have to be intentionally obtuse to think he’s innocent.”

In 2020, Jeremy, whose legal name is Ronald Jeremy Hyatt, was charged with multiple counts, including forcible rape, forcible penetration with a foreign object, sexual battery, and forcible oral copulation, after four women came forward with rape allegations. In the months that followed, dozens more women came forward with allegations that Jeremy abused them at parties, on film sets, and at adult industry conventions. 

Jeremy, 69, was ultimately indicted on more than 30 count of sexual assault—including 12 counts of rape—spanning more than twenty years and involving 21 women and girls between the ages of 15 and 51. Jeremy pleaded not guilty to all allegations in Los Angeles in 2021.

The trial was set to begin last year, but Jeremy’s defence lawyer reportedly walked into a courtroom last year and Jeremy didn’t recognize him. Mental health experts employed by both sides of the case determined Jeremy has severe dementia and would not be fit for a fair trial. 

“To very much a degree he and his legacy have already been in essence tarnished, even without the conviction,” said Corey Silverstein, a lawyer who specialises in the adult industry. “This guy, before all these allegations came out, was (revered) as one of the most popular male adult performers of the generation, and that's not the case anymore.” 

It’s nonetheless a difficult outcome for those who came forward, Silverstein said. 

“It is extremely hard for someone in the adult entertainment industry to come forward to begin with,” Silverstein added. “For a lot of these victims, this is now the trauma: You had the trauma of going through what he allegedly did, and now you have the trauma because he will never actually be tried.”

Industry professionals told VICE News that even though they’re disappointed with the outcome, they believe the criminal justice system is acting appropriately, and the case nonetheless shines a light on sexual assault within a broader #MeToo context.

“The news about Ron Jeremy’s trial feels like a lose-lose to me. I don’t think it was the outcome that anybody was hoping to see,” performer Siri Dahl told VICE News. “Even it’s not fair to survivors, if it’s legally the right thing to do, then I guess that’s what will have to happen.” 

Banks first called out Jeremy about five years ago by exposing companies that were still working with him. She’s since spoken out against the sexual assaults Jeremy allegedly committed, and published a video on YouTube compiling all the allegations against him. 

For Banks, the public allegations against Jeremy have mainstreamed conversations about consensual sex in the adult industry—and debunk harmful stereotypes that sex workers can’t be victims of sexual assault. “Being in a sexually charged environment does not give you automatic consent. There is no justification for rape,” Banks said. 

In fact, Banks said her experience with law enforcement has been largely positive, with officers explicitly telling her that “It doesn’t matter what your job is. You deserve consent and bodily autonomy.” 

“The more we educate people, the more things will change. I have hope for the future because with every bad thing that happens, something good comes out of it,” Banks said. “I know this will get people talking.”

Banks said good things have already come out of similar conversations, and pointed to the fact that the last few years have seen major improvements when it comes to consent on film sets. Some companies even have “performer advocates” that make sure performers have everything they need, and, for example, that performers are only choked for a safe amount of time, she said. Consent forms are also trending. 

“That didn't happen 10 years ago,” Banks said. “People didn't talk about consent ten years ago, and those conversations have spilled into porn industry.”

There’s a chance Jeremy could face trial one day, but it’s unlikely. When people are deemed unfit for trial they can sometimes return to court later if and when their condition improves. But dementia is an incurable, degenerative disease.

“As long as he's in this condition, a criminal case against him cannot proceed because he's unable to participate,” said Silverstein. “It doesn't sound like he's going to get any better.”

He will now likely be placed in a state-run institution, which, according to Silverstein, is punishment in and of itself. “This is going to be a mixture of him in a jail cell and a medical institution. He was basically taken off the streets for the rest of his life,” Silverstein said.