Heidi Fleiss made a name for herself in the ‘90s when her upscale prostitution ring was uncovered in 1993, and now, the former Hollywood madam has traded in her den of working girls for a flock of parrots that fly freely about her home in small town Pahrump, Nev.
“It is weird,” Heidi admitted to Billy Bush and guest co-host Mark-Paul Gosselaar on Wednesday’s Access Hollywood Live, when asked if running an in-home bird rescue seems a strange change following her brothel heydays. “But it’s weird to be a Hollywood madam and it’s weird to, at 13, have a babysitting ring of 30 girls.
“I’m a weird person, I guess,” she added, smiling. “I’m not delusional where I think this is normal by any means.”
The 45-year-old has taken to rescuing Macaws (she currently houses 20 of the majestic birds cage-free in her home) and recently allowed cameras to document her life with the colorful creatures for a new Animal Planet special, “Heidi Fleiss: From Prostitutes to Parrots” in hopes of raising awareness for the birds.
“No one gives any money to birds — no one,” she told Billy and Mark-Paul, lamenting the lack of donations to the feathered species.
“I want people to understand and to really get a feel for these birds and what happened,” she later added. “They are extraordinary creatures. And hopefully [I will] make a difference with the plight of the Macaw.”
As for her personal health (Heidi’s battle with drug abuse was chronicled on Season 3 of “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew”), the 45-year-old admitted she has an affinity for crystal meth, but said devoting her passion to caring for her beloved birds is helping to stave off the temptation to sacrifice her sobriety.
“I love that white trash drug, that crystal meth — I love it,” Heidi candidly revealed after viewing a clip from her new special, where she is seen telling one of her birds about a craving for the drug. “My lungs, they’re pure. All they have is the smog of LA. I would never smoke it. My veins — oh, they’re pure.
“I would sniff it,” she explained. “Don’t ask me why. Disgusting.”
“Heidi Fleiss: Prostitutes to Parrots” airs on July 31 at 10 PM on Animal Planet.
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