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‘Variety Confidential’ True Crime Podcast Shows How Sex and Drugs Ended Hollywood’s Once-Promising Producing Duo
Don Simpson reigned over Hollywood in the 1980s. For decades, he wielded his power in the industry to continue his nefarious ways.
Around town, the studio executive-turned-producer’s addiction to sex workers and drugs was no secret — and for decades, he wielded his power in the industry to continue his nefarious and erratic ways. Simpson’s rise and fall in the filmmaking world, as well as the demise of his partnership with Bruckheimer is explored in “’80s Hits and ‘80s Excesses,” the fourth episode of Variety and iHeart Podcasts’ true crimepodcast “ Variety Confidential.” Host Tracy Pattin and co-host Matt Donnelly, Variety ’s senior entertainment and media writer, examine how Simpson rose through the ranks at Paramount and became known for creating box office successes, like “Flashdance,” “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Top Gun.” High-grossing films brought Simpson great influence in Hollywood, which he used to fuel his drug abuse and dependency on women, particularly sex workers, later becoming known as one of the biggest clients of the infamous Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss. Donnelly describes Simpson as “someone who was accused of sexual assault, was a known drug abuser and had frequent angry outbursts that caused fear among his staff and even his friends,” later adding, “He was an incredibly lucrative movie cash machine, and even if you look at how long it took the relationship with Bruckheimer to deteriorate, I think that this, given the time and the incredible success, it was very hard to say no or to turn away from someone like Don with his influence and clearly his relationships with filmmakers.”
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