Hunter Biden was publicly thrown out and permanently blacklisted from an elite, masked sex den frequented by Hollywood royalty and political power-brokers after allegedly groping women and violating the club's single ironclad rule on consent, according to its founder.
The explosive account details how the former First Son's only visit ended in humiliation inside a secretive Beverly Hills mansion, triggering a rare lifetime ban from a world built on silence, privilege and absolute discretion.
Damon Lawner, the founder of the notorious sex club SNCTM, said the 2018 incident crossed a line even in an environment designed for excess, exposing the severe consequences of breaking boundaries inside one of California's most closely guarded elite circles. Lawner shared his account in an interview with Daily Mail.
The Exclusive World of SNCTM
SNCTM, short for Sanctum, was established by Lawner in 2013 inside a sprawling, nearly 7,000-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion. The club drew inspiration from the secretive orgy scenes in Stanley Kubrick's 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
Guests were required to wear masquerade masks along with black-tie attire or lingerie, with events evolving throughout the night in an atmosphere of luxury and discretion. The venue featured seven bedrooms, a stripper pole and a sex swing, catering to an elite clientele that included Hollywood celebrities, politicians, billionaire businessmen and all-star sports figures.
Most members were liberal and registered Democrats, with annual memberships reportedly reaching as high as £60,000 ($81,000).
Lawner, now 55, built a multimillion-dollar empire from the club's exclusivity, hosting monthly masquerade events that generated significant revenue. Reported attendees included Gwyneth Paltrow and her husband Brad Falchuk, Bill Maher and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, though none have publicly commented on the claims.
The club later inspired a Showtime docuseries titled Naked SNCTM and was featured in a Vogue podcast narrated by a sex and relationships columnist.
Damon Lawner's Background and Motivations
Lawner, who became a millionaire through SNCTM's operations, once identified strongly as a Democrat and voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. However, his experiences following the Hunter Biden incident led to deep political disillusionment.
He did not vote in the 2024 election and now considers himself apolitical. Lawner said his decision to publicly disclose the episode stemmed from a desire for transparency, but it came at enormous personal cost.
He said he underestimated the backlash from what he described as a 'protected ecosystem' within Hollywood and elite social circles, where discretion is paramount.
Are you ready?
— SHOWTIME (@Showtime) September 8, 2017
Naked SNCTM, a late-night unscripted series, STARTS NOW on #Showtime. pic.twitter.com/yNZpH2yXmg
Breaking the Non-Negotiable Rule
During a single visit in 2018, which fell between the collapse of Hunter Biden's marriage to Kathleen Buhle and his later marriage to Melissa Cohen, Biden allegedly acted with unrestrained enthusiasm.
Lawner described him as behaving 'like a kid in a candy store', eager to 'touch, taste and feel everything in sight'.
The club's foundational rule was unequivocal: always ask before you touch. Lawner said this principle was non-negotiable and designed to ensure consent and safety among attendees.
Biden's alleged behaviour, including grabbing women without permission, constituted a direct violation. Lawner said Biden was immediately confronted and removed from the premises. In 2022, Lawner publicly disclosed the incident on Instagram, resulting in Biden's lifetime ban from SNCTM.
Consequences for Lawner and Biden
Revealing the incident had devastating consequences for Lawner. He said it alienated powerful figures within Hollywood's elite network, leading to his own expulsion from the club he founded, social isolation, professional blacklisting and the loss of long-standing relationships.
'The response wasn't subtle,' Lawner said. 'I was banned from the club I founded. I was frozen out socially, and I was quietly blacklisted by people who had relied on my discretion for years.'
He said he spent periods couch-surfing and sleeping on floors amid severe financial instability.
Undeterred, Lawner is now organising a New Year's Eve black-tie masquerade event under a new brand, Aura, deliberately excluding former associates as he attempts to rebuild his life.
For Hunter Biden, the episode adds to a long list of controversies. It coincided with IRS investigations into his finances, including a reported £8,000 ($10,810) payment to SNCTM that was allegedly deducted as a business expense.
An IRS whistleblower later told Congress that the payment was for membership or services at the club and confirmed Biden's presence there. Last year, then President Joe Biden granted his son a full and unconditional pardon for federal gun and tax charges, shielding him from further prosecution.
Broader Implications
The saga highlights the fragile balance between privacy, power and accountability within elite circles. Lawner's experience underscores the risks of challenging influential figures, even when enforcing one's own rules.
'I broke a rule I had written myself around anonymity,' he said. 'And that single act overshadowed everything else I'd built.'
The incident also raises broader questions about ethical conduct among the powerful, where personal indulgence, secrecy and privilege can collide with public scrutiny and lasting consequences.
