Nevada Brothel Owner Dennis Hof's Cause Of Death Revealed

The cause of death of brothel owner and politician Dennis Hof, who died October 2018, was revealed Thursday. Hof was a candidate for Nevada's 36th Assembly District when he died, and had won the election posthumously.

The 26-page autopsy report by the Clark County Coroner said Hof suffered from diabetes and obesity. Hof was celebrating his birthday at his Love Ranch, one of the brothels he owned, when he was found dead. The report stated that he died of "natural causes" and his heart attack was caused by “atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease.”

A video statement released by the Nye County Sheriff’s office said the toxicology reports were received last week and showed a traces of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol—a psychoactive compound in marijuana) and sildenafil, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction.

Hof was 72 years old when he died on Oct. 16, 2018, and was found by adult film star Ron Jeremy. Jeremy called 911 and when the first responders reached the scene, they declared Hof dead and “no foul play was suspected,” according to the Nye County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant David Boruchowitz.

Hof had reportedly spent the previous day with one of the women who worked for him. However, when he didn’t respond to her texts after 12:50 p.m., she asked Jeremy to go and check on him. Jeremy found Hof lying face up and naked in a room at the brothel.

Other than the Love Ranch, Hof also owned six other brothels in Nevada, which is the only state in the U.S. that allows brothels to be operated legally. Just a month after his death, Hof also won the election for Nevada’s 36^th Assembly District. The district includes rural communities and several huge expanses of desert in the southern part of Nevada.

Hof's name was on the ballot, despite his death, since it was too late to change the ballots that were printed and mailed. GOP officials had asked Republicans in the state to cast their ballot for Hof so the seat was retained by the Republican Party.

County officials appointed Gregory Hafen II, another Republican, to replace him, Fox News reported after he won the election.

Hof claimed that President Trump was the reason he ran for the state legislature. Post his successful primary campaign, Hof spoke to the media and said, “It’s all because Donald Trump was the Christopher Columbus for me. He found the way and I jumped on it.” He also called himself the “Trump of Pahrump” during the campaign.

Hof was known for his role in the adult reality series on HBO called “Cathouse” which tracked the professional lives of the workers at the Moonlite BunnyRanch, one of the brothels he owned. The series ran from 2005 to 2008 and had 21 episodes.

He had also written a book called “The Art of the Pimp” which was a play on Trump’s book “The Art of the Deal.”

There were allegations of sexual assault made against him by several women but he was never charged due to insufficient evidence.