What is Heidi Fleiss doing now? All about incarcerated Hollywood madam featured in Charlie Sheen documentary

Heidi Fleiss, who had earlier risen to prominence in the 1990s for running a pr*stitution ring, has now dedicated her time and efforts to rescuing birds. Fleiss has once again become a topic of conversation after being featured in the new Netflix documentary, aka Charlie Sheen, based on the life and career of actor Charlie Sheen.

According to The Guardian, Heidi Fleiss and Charlie Sheen have long been linked, as the Two and a Half Men actor was someone who allegedly frequented her establishment. She was convicted of federal charges of tax evasion and later sentenced to seven years in prison.

It was actually during her previous months-long trial for attempted pandering that Charlie Sheen had tested against her, which would lead to her eventual conviction.

More about Heidi Fleiss, as the former TV personality, is featured in the new Charlie Sheen documentary

Heidi Fleiss was born to Pediatrician Paul M. Fleiss and Elissa Ash, who was an elementary school teacher. According to reports, she and her siblings grew up in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. Not much is known about how she got into the business, but by the early 1990s, her popularity had grown, and according to reports, her clients allegedly included several big names from Hollywood.

Fleiss was first arrested in 1994 on several charges, one of which was attempted pandering. Her case went to trial, and she was convicted a year later, during which it was revealed that Charlie Sheen was allegedly one of the celebrities who visited her place of business. However, the conviction was later overturned.

In 1996, she was once again arrested for tax evasion, for which she was sentenced to seven years in prison, though she served only three at the Federal Correctional Institution in California. In her December 2024 interview with People Magazine, Heidi Fleiss opened up about her work rescuing birds, particularly macaws, and said:

"These birds have no other option other than to live in a cage, die in a cage. Once I realized this problem existed, I couldn't continue living my life without doing something about it. They're much smarter than us. They've taught me so much about life. They don't have to have taxes, divorce, addictions, cooked food, or smartphones to be happy."

Fleiss, who now lives in the rural town of Pahrump, Nevada, further added that it was her time in prison that helped her dedicate her life to a greater cause. She said:

"Maybe it had something to do with going to prison and knowing what it was like to live your life in a cage. I was scared to death in there every day."

After her release from prison, Heidi Fleiss was in a somewhat publicized relationship with actor Tom Sizemore. The couple had a tumultuous relationship. According to People Magazine, Sizemore was convicted of domestic violence charges in 2003 and sentenced to seventeen months in prison.

In her interview with Associated Press, Fleiss opened up about the incident involving the Saving Private Ryan actor and said:

“The whole thing is very ugly to me. I loved that man and I was very good to him, and what he did to me was wrong.”

In her 2024 interview with People Magazine, Heidi Fleiss further reflected on the mistakes of her past, saying:

"I've made mistakes, but I don't mind a hurdle. I don't mind that I screw up, or still have setbacks. I lived a life of adventure and excitement, but out of my whole life, the most beautiful thing I ever experienced was watching these birds not only go from solitary confinement but then adjust to freedom. Maybe even find a mate and raise a family."

Apart from her arrests in the 1990s, Fleiss was arrested in Nevada in February 2008 for driving under the influence and possession of drugs. She was later sentenced to one year of probation. According to People Magazine, she was also arrested in 2013, after it was found that she had access to more than four hundred marijuana plants, but as per the reports, she was not convicted.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, an HBO documentary on her life is currently in the works, but no details have yet been released regarding the project. Moreover, another project is being developed based on her life.

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According to The New York Post, a biopic starring Aubrey Plaza as Fleiss is also in development and is set to go into production later this year. But, in an interview with TMZ, Fleiss said that she is not ready to watch that film, saying that "the past is dead" to her, despite agreeing that Aubrey Plaza is the perfect person to play her.

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