Former porn star Ron Jeremy has faced a surprising twist in his trial. A judge declared him »incompetent to stand trial« regarding several rape and sexual assault charges against him after reviewing two medical reports, both of which concluded that Jeremy suffers from »incurable neurocognitive decline.«
Over the course of two decades, more than a dozen women have come forward accusing Jeremy of rape, sexual assault and other misconduct. Some of these allegations were made in connection with his appearances at fan conventions, where he allegedly groped and sexually assaulted female attendees without their consent. In response to these allegations, Jeremy was permanently banned from nationwide organized erotic trade shows such as Exxxotica in October 2017. The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) also revoked its 2009 Positive Image Award from him.
In June 2020, Jeremy was indicted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on four counts of rape and sexual assault, and in August 2020 he faced 20 additional charges of rape, sexual assault, sodomy, and forcible penetration with a foreign object. The allegations were made by twelve women, ranging in age from 15 to 54, and involved events between 2004 and 2020. Three days after Jeremy’s initial arraignment, prosecutors received 25 additional allegations, with six women in the adult industry stating he raped or abused them. Los Angeles County police received 30 new allegations against Jeremy related to rape and molestation incidents in Los Angeles County since 2000.
Ron Jeremy has been in the adult industry for more than three decades. He left his teaching job to pursue an acting career on Broadway, but soon found jobs in the adult industry after his then-girlfriend submitted his photo to Playgirl magazine. Jeremy saw the adult film industry as a reliable way to make a living and used the opportunity as a launchpad for a decades long career. With over 2,000 films as a performer and 285 films as a director, he is in the Guinness Book of Records for the most appearances in adult films.
Jeremy has responded to the allegations by pleading not guilty, writing on Twitter, »I’m innocent of all charges. Can’t wait to prove my innocence in court! Thanks to everyone for the support.«
Now that Jeremy’s trial can’t take place, the actor probably won’t have to worry about spending the rest of his life in prison. However, he will not be able to restore his reputation either.