EXCLUSIVE: 'Village People' Star Victor Willis' Drug Addiction And Assault Arrest Exposed After Singer's Death at 74 — 'Cocaine Has Stolen Everything From Me'
Victor Willis found himself in trouble with the law before his death.
July 1 2026, Published 6:20 p.m. ET
Victor Willis, the legendary lead singer of the Village People who famously dressed as a cop in the costume-clad group, found himself in trouble with the real police after a wild night in Reno that ended with him under arrest, RadaOnline.com can report.
The founding member of the disco band passed away on Tuesday, June 30, at age 74 after a "short but aggressive illness."
Drug Trafficking Charges
Willis was the lead singer of the Village People, who regained popularity after President Trump used their hit 'YMCA' at his rallies.
Long before the campy Village People became President Trump's favorite band, Willis faced life in prison on charges of drug trafficking and assaulting a homeless woman.
The alleged attack went down in Reno, Nevada, in 1997, when Willis was arrested by police hours after picking up a 29-year-old woman outside the Flamingo Hilton.
"She's not a hooker," explained a Flamingo insider at the time. "She's a homeless person and likes to party, but she's not selling s-x."
Willis came to Reno from San Francisco to gamble. Onlookers said he dressed the part: a long brown leather coat, fedora, black pants and boots, and a silk shirt. The woman said he showed her about $2,000 and promised that she'd "have a good time."
Victor Willis 'Lost His Cool' in Reno
The singer was arrested twice for allegedly assaulting a woman.
The pair reportedly played craps and roulette before going up to his room, where insiders said Willis went wild.
"She said Willis was demanding s-x," the source claimed. "She said no, and he lost his cool."
According to police, Willis beat the slim, 5-foot-1 party girl, ripped off her necklace and bracelet, and emptied her purse. Bruised and weeping, she found a security guard, who called the police.
Cops grabbed Willis as he played roulette and escorted him up to his room, where they discovered $1,500 in cash, drug equipment, and 15 grams of crack cocaine worth $10,000.
Willis was jailed on a $16,500 bail. Ultimately, the felony robbery and drug charges were later dropped.
Victor Willis' Drug Addiction Downfall
He blamed cocaine for 'ruining his life'.
However, that wasn't the first time Willis found himself under arrest for assaulting a woman. In October 1992, he was jailed for beating and raping a woman who lived with him for a week in San Francisco. The jury deadlocked on charges, and Willis walked.
Willis blamed his troubles on the end of his two-year marriage to actress Phylicia Rashad in 1979, right at the height of his popularity. Rashad later soared to fame on The Cosby Show and married sportscaster Ahmad Rashad.
Then in 1980, after hits YMCA, Macho Man and In the Navy, the Village People booted him from the group. He claimed it was because he wasn't gay. After that rejection, he got hooked on cocaine – and his life fell to pieces.
"I've had my chances, and I've blown them," Willis lamented. "Crack cocaine has ruined my life. I don't have the money for bail. I could face a big sentence. I still can't understand: How did it all go so wrong?"
RIP
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Willis died Tuesday, June 30 at age 74.
Willis' death was announced in a brief statement shared by his wife on Facebook.
"It is with profound sadness that I must announce the death of my husband, Victor Willis," Karen Huff-Willis wrote. "Victor passed away on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 as a result of a short, but aggressive illness."
"The family request privacy at this time of great loss."
