New A&E Docuseries Uncovers 'The Secrets Of The Bunny Ranch,' Revealing The Dark Side Of Dennis Hof

If you’ve ever wondered about the inner workings of the infamous Moonlite Bunny Ranch outside of Las Vegas, A&E’s new six-part docuseries, “Secrets of the Bunny Ranch” will give you the insight you’re seeking. 

The legal brothel, that was once glamorized by HBO’s series, “Cathouse,” held many secrets behind closed doors, including disturbing allegations of abuse and manipulation. Through emotional and informational interviews with former employees, viewers learn the secret side of working in Dennis Hof’s infamous brothel. 

Former sex worker at Moonlite Bunny Ranch, Shelly Dushell, recently sat down with The Blast ahead of the June 12 premiere of the docuseries to discuss what led her to work there, what happened behind closed doors, and how she feels about the experience and docuseries. 

Hof and his legal brothel, the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, rose to international fame thanks to the TV series, “Cathouse.” While the show painted a picture of nonstop partying, former sex workers reveal that life behind the scenes was far from glamorous in A&E’s “Secrets of the Bunny Ranch.” 

Dushell was featured in the first episode titled, “Smoke & Mirrors,” which gives a peek into the fact that working at the brothel appeared very different on the show than it actually was.

“In 2003, a tornado hit my house, and I had just gotten a divorce,” Dushell said in the series. “And when you have young children to take care of, I decided to go and work at the bunny ranch. I did what I had to do and that decision altered my life. Completely.” 

Dushell, who lived in Oklahoma at the time, further explained that her marriage was abusive and once she found the courage to leave, she tried everything to survive off of her real estate income but it was a struggle. When she found out prostitution was legal in Nevada, she thought that's something she could do to provide for her family.

"I sent photos in and was contacted immediately within an hour by Dennis Hof, and he wanted me to go out there," she told The Blast exclusively. "I treated it more like an escort, and I was the girlfriend experience, so I treated it like a date, just meeting the men."

“I heard about the Moonlite Bunny Ranch from a talk show,” she said in the first episode of the show, before they showed a clip of Tyra Banks’ talk show when she discussed the Bunny Ranch. “I remember seeing Dennis Hof. I think Air Force Amy was on the talk show with Dennis. And I was astounded. I had no idea that prostitution was legal anywhere in the United States.” 

She said she sent an email with a photo to the Bunny Ranch and Hof called her back “within two hours” saying he wanted her to go out there. 

“I flew out to Nevada. I was picked up by Dennis Hof at the airport, and Dennis told me that HBO was doing the show and he wanted me to do that,” she explained on the show. “He walked me in and there were cameramen there filming for the HBO show.” 

Her story only gets more shocking. 

She further explained that she saw the “ugly side” of Hof, but people watching the HBO show saw a very different Hof. 

"When I first got there, Dennis Hof took me out to a bungalow in the back and wanted to have sex with me the first night I arrived. And I hadn't been to the doctor yet. I wasn't clear, and he didn't want to use a condom," she told The Blast. "He expected sex right off the bat, and I felt obligated to do it."

When asked to be on the docuseries, Dushell originally said no.

"I had gained a bunch of weight, and I was embarrassed to go on television and reveal my weight gain. So that kind of kept me from wanting to do it. But also, I didn't want to open up that box again of being recognized in public," she shared.

"I finally said I would do it, and I wanted to tell my story after I thought about it. I thought it's important for people to know what really went on there."

Dushell shared that she still keeps in touch with some of the people she worked with at the Bunny Ranch. A few, who were featured on the original reality series were asked if they wanted to be in the docuseries, but they declined. Dushell said they moved on and are doing well.

The reality show only showed so much of what it was really like at the Bunny Ranch, so Dushell filled us in on some lesser known things.

"It was difficult with Dennis Hof to deal with him wanting to have sex with us, but other than that the experience was enriching," she said. "I met some very nice, incredible people while I worked there, both the girls and the customers."

She said that working there wasn't much different than "speed dating" but instead of meeting someone and going out for dinner, you're "instantly moving towards the bedroom and having sexual activity."

Once Dushell left the Bunny Ranch, after working there for about five years on and off, life changed drastically. She ended up getting engaged and pregnant soon after leaving.

"It was a man I had not met there. It was very difficult because he didn't like me being recognized. He didn't like the fact that I had worked there," she explained. "It bothered him greatly and contributed to our marriage falling apart after three years and two children."

Dushell lives a quieter life back in Oklahoma as a housewife and a mom now. She paints as a hobby, and never did get back into real estate because she was afraid of being recognized from "Cathouse."

Here more of Dushell's story in the first episode of A&E's "Secrets From The Bunny Ranch" when it premieres with back-to-back episodes tonight, Thursday, June 12 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.