Audrina Patridge, a well-known reality star, recently shared a harrowing experience on the Broad Ideas with Rachel Bilson & Olivia Allen podcast. She recounted the frightening moment when she locked herself in her closet after becoming a target of the infamous Bling Ring burglars.
The Bling Ring, a group of five Los Angeles teenagers and 20-somethings, went on a crime spree from 2008 to 2009, targeting celebrities like Patridge and Bilson. Patridge revealed that the burglars stole several items from her home, including her aunt’s vintage Chanel watches and other precious heirlooms.
Feeling violated and terrified, Patridge recalled how she returned home from an Oscars party to find her belongings missing. She described the unsettling experience of realizing that someone could still be inside her house. This led her to lock herself in her closet, fearing for her safety until the police arrived.
The invasive nature of the robberies deeply affected both Patridge and Bilson. Bilson even decided to move out of her house after experiencing multiple break-ins. Patridge, on the other hand, sought refuge with her mother in Orange County to escape the trauma of the incident.
Notable celebrities targeted by the Bling Ring include Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Orlando Bloom. The group managed to steal approximately $3 million worth of belongings and cash. The ringleader, Rachel Lee, was sentenced to four years in prison but served only 16 months. Other members of the group also faced varying prison sentences.
The real-life story of the Bling Ring has been the subject of various movies and docuseries, including Lifetime’s The Bling Ring, the Sofia Coppola-directed film The Bling Ring, HBO’s The Ringleader: The Case of the Bling Ring, and Netflix’s The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist. The impact of this Hollywood crime spree continues to reverberate in popular culture.
