Lamar Odom’s past is a ‘cesspool of trauma,’ he says: ‘I don’t know what made me relevant now’

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Lamar Odom says he experienced a near-fatal overdose in October 2015 at a Nevada brothel, resulting in 12 strokes and six heart attacks. His doctors have called his survival a miracle.

It’s crazy to think the Love Ranch is actually gone now – they tore it down! But even after all this time, Lamar Odom is still with us, which is something, honestly.

Lamar Odom, a former Los Angeles Lakers player and ex-husband of Khloé Kardashian, shares his experiences in the latest episode of Netflix’s “Untold” documentary series. Titled “The Death and Life of Lamar Odom,” the episode, which debuted on Tuesday, also features interviews with Kardashian, former coach Phil Jackson, and others who witnessed his medical emergency on October 13, 2015.

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I recently sat down with director Daniel Goldhaber, writer Isa Mazzei, and the incredible Barbie Ferreira, and we talked about a fascinating challenge: how do you update a classic horror film for modern audiences without losing what made it scary in the first place? They really wrestled with the ‘moral peril’ of making it smarter, more nuanced – essentially, how far do you go when revisiting something so iconic?

The 46-year-old former athlete told Sports Illustrated, in a Monday interview, that he hadn’t actually seen the event yet. He explained, ‘I lived it, so there’s no need to watch it.’

Lamar Odom, recently completing a month of rehab in February, claims the 2015 incident wasn’t simply an overdose, but a deliberate attempt to harm him.

As soon as I finalized my divorce, I decided I needed to change my life and have some fun. I’d always seen the Bunny Ranch advertised on TV, but I realized I didn’t want to use drugs as part of that. It’s strange to think about how a single choice, whether big or small, can completely change your life and affect the people you care about most.

Dennis Hof, who recently passed away and owned the famous Bunny Ranch brothel – the setting for HBO’s “Cathouse: The Series” – also owned several other brothels in Nevada. In October, Lamar Odom traveled to Hof’s Love Ranch, located in Crystal, about 80 miles from Las Vegas.

According to Richard Hunter, the former manager of the Love Ranch, it was unusual for any well-known celebrity – especially anyone famous – to be openly seeking access to the brothel. He believes the story of celebrities frequenting the ranch was largely a fabrication created by Dennis Hof.

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According to Hunter, Lamar Odom started reaching out to some of the women from the Love Ranch through Instagram. He added that, given Odom was a professional athlete, there were much simpler ways to connect with people than traveling an hour into the desert to spend several days at a brothel like the Love Ranch.

I recall that as time went on, either he or someone with him reached out to the brothel, requesting a car to come get him. It became clear he was actually there when he gave them his location. The driver then called the Love Ranch to confirm his passenger was indeed Lamar Odom. Hunter explained they housed guests who were spending a significant amount of money in a separate house behind the main brothel.

In a recent interview with USA Today, Odom described his experience at the Love Ranch – which was torn down in November 2024 following the 2018 death of its owner – as feeling like an attack. He believes someone tried to harm him, but failed, and wonders if they might still try.

Whether he was successful or not, Lamar Odom famously overdosed on a combination of alcohol and drugs, including supplements for erectile dysfunction. He maintains that cocaine was not part of the overdose.

In the episode, Kardashian revealed her divorce from Odom happened after a difficult intervention. She was told she had to give him an ultimatum: he either go to rehab for three months or she would file for divorce. Surprisingly, Odom responded by saying he just wanted his passport and to end the marriage.

She explained that she’d been hesitant about the divorce, saying, ‘I realized I didn’t want it.’ She added that those present had encouraged her to express those feelings.

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Dakota Mortensen, who appears on Hulu’s ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives,’ has been in the news recently due to accusations of domestic abuse made by his former girlfriend, Taylor Frankie Paul.

Although Odom and Kardashian had already signed divorce papers, the divorce wasn’t finalized, meaning Kardashian could still cover Odom’s health insurance and make medical decisions for him as his wife and next of kin. When Odom suffered a collapsed lung, Kardashian’s close friend and Odom’s Lakers teammate, Kobe Bryant, rushed to her side in Nevada to help her decide if he should have surgery. Despite doctors giving him only a small chance of survival – around 10% – she authorized the procedure.

Odom survived his health crisis and recovered at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Sadly, Bryant died in a helicopter accident less than five years afterward.

Following Lamar Odom’s overdose, Khloé Kardashian stayed by his side in the hospital and temporarily paused their divorce, which had been finalized in 2016. The documentary reveals that when Odom woke up from his coma, he was severely debilitated, needing daily dialysis for six hours and unable to control his bodily functions. As he described it, the experience was incredibly humbling, especially considering his past success as a two-time champion. He went from being a celebrated athlete to needing help with basic tasks, like having his diaper changed.

He was 35 years old when, the following summer, he caused a scene at LAX airport. Witnesses saw him drinking beer and whiskey quickly in the Delta lounge, and he was subsequently removed from a flight right before it took off because he was drunk and vomiting.

Entertainment & Arts

Alex Duong, a 42-year-old comedian and actor, has passed away. After years of hard work performing at the Comedy Store and pursuing his career, he was finally starting to achieve success, and was also a father.

After experiencing a dozen strokes and six heart attacks following his time at the Love Ranch, what advice would Lamar Odom give to his younger self?

He explained to Sports Illustrated that avoiding his vulnerabilities was key, and for him, that meant staying away from drugs, as he struggled with addiction. He acknowledged this tendency might have been inherited from his father, but stressed the importance of taking responsibility. He believes it’s pointless to blame others, and that you simply have to make the most of your abilities – and he felt confident in his skills and game strategy.

I always try to focus on becoming the best player I can be, and honestly, anyone who tries to offer me drugs or alcohol – anything like that – probably isn’t a real friend. I’ve learned it’s super important to choose my friends carefully, because they can really impact my life, both on and off the court.

Odom wasn’t certain why Netflix chose to feature his story now, but he hopes sharing it will help others struggling with addiction.

I was just chatting with my girlfriend on the drive over, and I realized how deeply this whole experience has affected me – it honestly feels like being stuck in a really awful, painful situation. I keep trying to move past it, but the story keeps pulling me right back in. Still, I truly believe I’m stronger than this, and I really hope sharing what happened can help others. It’s not just about the story itself, but showing everyone that we can overcome things like addiction and tough times in life.

He joked to Sports Illustrated that his time with Netflix was financially rewarding. But he added that everything happens for a reason and he wasn’t sure why he was getting attention now.

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2026-03-31 23:02