Rachel Lee, the alleged ringleader of the so-called Bling Ring, is finally breaking her silence in a new HBO documentary aptly dubbed, The Ringleader: The Case of the Bling Ring.
It’s the first time Lee is giving her side of the story since she was part of a group of teens that broke into the homes of celebrities from October 2008 until August 2009, resulting in multiple arrests in 2010. In a preview of the documentary, out Oct. 1 on HBO, Lee opens up about the anxiety that’s followed her all these years later.
“Most people, if they saw me on the street they’d be like, ‘Oh she’s just a normal person,'” she says in the documentary’s trailer. “But there’s always anxiety — ‘What if they realize who I am and what I did with the Bling Ring?'”
Speaking out for the first time, Lee explains what drove her to life of crime.
“I didn’t like my world,” she explains in the doc. “Going into a celebrity home and trying on their stuff, I was able to live in their world.”
According to the synopsis, The Ringleader “examines the motivations of Lee and a group of her friends who broke into celebrity homes in Hollywood to ransack and steal, exploring the possible reasons behind her actions including mental health issues and addictions, as well as the climate of celebrity excess that fueled the teens, recontextualizing the events behind the sensational headlines.”
Among the homes the group targeted included those of Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bilson and Lindsay Lohan.
Last October, Bilson invited Alexis Haines, née Neiers, and Gabby Neiers — sisters who were a part of the Bling Ring — on her podcast, Broad Ideas, to explain themselves. Bilson admitted that she had “super conflicting feelings” about sitting down with the sisters, but the actress said she ultimately came to terms with the idea because “to be grown up and actually have real conversations is more important than harboring any awkwardness, animosity, any negative feelings that might come along with it.”
The HBO doc is directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Erin Lee Carr. She’s also a producer, alongside Dani Sloane. Sandi Tan, Dan Cogan, Liz Garbus, Jon Bardin and Kate Barry serve as executive producers. Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller and Sara Rodriguez serve as executive producers for HBO.
The Ringleader: The Case of the Bling Ring drops Oct. 1 on HBO and it’ll also be available to stream on Max.
RELATED CONTENT: