It’s a story that’s etched into the collective memory of an entire generation, transcribed in gel pen on the back of a Maxfield receipt. Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist is the true-crime tale of a group of pilfering teenagers who quietly raided celebrity homes in the early aughts, often robbing them of thousands of dollars worth of clothing, jewelry, cash and personal items. In addition to being a three-part dive into one of the biggest celebrity scandals of early internet history, Bling Ring is a bright, shiny Lancôme Juicy Tube of nostalgic references, begging anyone who remembers their MySpace Top 8 to swipe some on.
If your 2000s vocab is a little rusty, have no fear: We’ve created the ultimate glossary to go along with your Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist viewing experience, an alphabetized list of every reference in the series. Consider each entry a friendly reminder of what life was like in the decade dominated by low-rise jeans. And whether your Sevens are molding in the back of your closet or you’ve just snagged your first pair — either way, the ’00s details are just too good to forget.
Also known as BlackBerry Messenger, BBM was the messaging application included on BlackBerry mobile devices. BBM debuted in 2005, and in Bling Ring, it’s the primary mode of communication between Alexis Neiers and Nick Prugo in the early days of their friendship. BlackBerry retired BBM in 2019, but it — and those double check marks — will live on in the hearts of elder millennials forever.
A 2013 film directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Emma Watson (who plays Nicki, based on Neiers), Israel Broussard (playing Marc, based on Nick Prugo) and more. The movie is based on the 2010 Vanity Fair article “The Suspects Wore Louboutins” by Nancy Jo Sales, which reported the true story told in Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist. The subjects depicted in the doc have varying opinions about both Coppola’s film and Sales’s article, and Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist marks the first time they’re publicly telling their story in their own words.
A luxurious suburban enclave north of Los Angeles, known for its multimillion dollar homes and celebrity residents like Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, The Weeknd and Drake.
Also known as the Religious Science movement or Science of Mind, the church was founded in 1927 by Ernest Holmes. Followers of the church (including Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist subject Andrea Arlington, as she describes in the series) share the belief that God is everywhere and in all things — even oneself. Bling Ring details how Arlington homeschooled her children according to the teachings of the church, which focus on manifestation and the metaphysical, as well as the self-help handbook The Secret.
An MTV reality show that first aired in 2000. The show followed ultrafamous celebrities as they invited viewers inside their multimillion-dollar homes on tours of all things lavish and luxurious. Cribs can almost be considered as originating some of the earliest influencer content, inspiring hundreds of behind-the-scenes YouTube and TikTok series that follow a similar format.
A popular MySpace user in the early aughts, Eden had more than 100,000 “friends” — one of whom was Nick Prugo. After posting a video and sharing with his followers that he’d be going out of town, Eden became the Bling Ring’s first victim. Eden says the group stole more than $40,000 cash from his family’s home.
An American cable channel focusing heavily on pop culture, celebrity-focused reality shows and movies. In 2010, E! Entertainment first aired Pretty Wild, the reality show that followed the lives of Alexis Neiers and her sister as they tried to make it in Hollywood.
When Bling Ring’s Alexis Neiers was trying her hand at acting, she accepted a number of roles along with her best friend Tess Taylor. Frat Party was one of them, and the movie’s IMDB description speaks for itself: “Duffy, a former campus king of one-night stands and kinky threesomes, has one final blowout on the night before his wedding. Before making it to the altar, he will have to survive Asian masseuses, horny ex-girlfriends, strip beer-pong, S&M booby traps, and the temptations of [an?] adult film superstar.” Needless to say, the film was not a hit.
First airing in 2006, The Hills is a reality spin-off of the wildly popular Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. The show followed Lauren Conrad along with supporting stars like Whitney Port, Audrina Patridge, Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt as they navigate life, work and love in Los Angeles.
One of the biggest stars of the early 2000’s, Lohan claimed fame with roles in The Parent Trap, Freaky Friday, Herbie Fully Loaded, Mean Girls and more. The Bling Ring squad infamously robbed her $10,000-a-month rental in the Hollywood Hills, and Lohan broke her lease and moved out immediately thereafter, forfeiting her three-month security deposit.
The brand behind one of the most iconic and sought-after handbag designers of the early 2000s. The Louis Vuitton pochette bag, with its deep chocolate brown color and gold LV monogram, is almost visually synonymous with the time period. In 2003, the classic LV brown monogrammed bags were reimagined by Takashi Murakami, who turned the brown logos into rainbow colors against a black or white canvas. It immediately became the “it” bag of the era, and one of the holy grail items to steal among the Bling Ring.
A luxury, avant-garde boutique in the heart of Los Angeles whose pricey merchandise has become de rigueur for the LA set, described in Bling Ring as the source for much of young Hollywood’s covetable handbags and clothing.
MySpace was the original social media platform, debuting in 2003. Members of the Bling Ring would often use MySpace, along with celeb gossip blogs, to suss out when potential targets would be out of town, planning their next score around status updates.
A teen drama from The WB about the lives of a close-knit, highly dramatic group of friends in the wealthy neighborhood of Newport Beach, Orange County. The show is referenced in Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist as an influence for some of its subjects to aspire to wealth — in other words, it was a fictionalized version of The Hills. In fact, the Bling Ring ended up burglarizing O.C. star Rachel Bilson’s home and stole her mother’s engagement ring, an event she’d later describe as “violating” and “intrusive.”
Paris Hilton’s infamous sex tape was part of the cultural zeitgeist that made Hollywood realize people were ravenous for up close and personal looks at the lives of celebrities, even in their most intimate moments — with or without their consent. Kim Kardashian’s sex tape would follow shortly thereafter.
A prolific actor best known for his role in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Bloom was one of the major A-listers whose homes the Bling Ring robbed together. They stole clothes as well as his vintage watch collection.
Considered the first true celebreality show, The Osbournes followed the domestic life of heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne and his family, including his wife, Sharon; daughter Kelly; and son Jack. The show’s success led to dozens of copycat programs, including Pretty Wild.
One of early 2000’s most influential Hollywood party girls, socialites and wearer of low-rise jeans. Hilton’s house was the first major celebrity home that the Bling Ring robbed of tens of thousands of dollars worth of her jewelry, clothing and cash.
Premiering in 2010 on E!, Pretty Wild is a reality show that chronicled the lives of Alexis Neiers, Gabby Neiers and Tess Taylor as they navigate the Hollywood social scene and try to become actors. Incidentally, the show’s filming coincided with the IRL events of the Bling Ring’s downfall.
A ritzy shopping destination in West Hollywood.
Colloquially known as The Valley, it’s described as being “one mountain away” from the wealthier parts of Los Angeles and it’s also where Nick Prugo grew up.
A 2006 self-help book by Rhonda Byrne based on a film of the same name. The Secret is based heavily on the law of attraction, which claims that thoughts and manifestations can directly change your life. Andrea Arlington was a big believer in The Secret’s teachings at the time of the events in Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist.
A reality show starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie that aired from 2003 to 2007. The concept behind the show was to send the pair — both wealthy socialites and known Los Angeles party girls — to do low-paying jobs and manual labor.
The headline of the original reported feature in Vanity Fair that helped elevate the story of the IRL Bling Ring to the national stage. The story was reported by journalist Nancy Jo Sales, and Alexis Neiers’ hysterical reaction to Sales’ piece is infamously captured in Pretty Wild. Fans will likely remember the infamous scene’s seven-word starter pistol: “Nancy Jo, this is Alexis Neiers calling.” The article was eventually adapted into a movie directed by Sofia Coppola.
A teen comedy created for Nickelodeon in 2005, the show focused on the lives of Zoey Brooks (Jamie Lynn Spears) and her friends as they attend a fictional boarding school in Southern California. Nick Prugo was an extra on the show.
