Hollywood Scandals of 2000: Mark Hughes, Darcy LaPier, and Debra Winger

Darcy LaPier, the former wife of Jean-Claude Van Damme and billionaire Ron Rice, became the widow of Herbalife founder Mark Hughes following his death on May 21, 2000, at his Malibu mansion, according to published reports. Hughes, the 44-year-old founder of the diet empire, was found dead in his $25 million home after mixing liquor with anti-depressants during a four-day binge, according to police records.

The Rise and Fall of Herbalife’s Founder

Mark Hughes built his fortune over 20 years by hawking diet products through late-night infomercials, featuring customers standing on podiums to announce miraculous transformations. According to published accounts, a substantial portion of the corporation’s profits relied on an Amway-like sales model that turned average Joes into commission-based salespeople. At the time of his death, Hughes was actively attempting to take Herbalife private again after it had gone public in preceding years, while simultaneously planning a $50 million, 45,000-square-foot Mediterranean villa in Benedict Canyon that had sparked opposition from prospective neighbors.

A Hollywood-Style Transition in the Hamptons

Months after Hughes’s death—marked by a tacky memorial service at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles where the theme from Rocky was played—Darcy LaPier traveled to the Hamptons, where observers noted she was “on the prowl,” according to social columns. LaPier was spotted at various gatherings, including a party for the Preservation of Hearst Castle and an event for the Animal Rescue Fund, openly discussing prospective romances with younger figures like Argentinean polo player Nacho Figueras and the 21-year-old son of NBC newscaster Chuck Scarborough. Staying with wealthy friends Rick and Kathy Hilton, LaPier balanced high-profile socializing with the management of the estate left behind by the Herbalife founder.

Charitable Foundations and Tangential Connections

The Herbalife Foundation for Families, established by Hughes, reported about $12 million in assets in a 1998 Form 990 filing with the government, while distributing just under $500,000 to charitable organizations, including a $100,000 disbursement to a building fund for an orphanage in Monaco. Further tying the household to high-profile legal sagas, the executive director of the foundation was Joan Kardashian, the sister-in-law of Robert Kardashian, who served as O.J. Simpson’s best friend and ally, according to source records.