Zach Avery, aka Zachary Horwitz, was a minor-league actor who was known as a “Hollywood grifter.” He and his then-girlfriend Mallory Hagedorn moved to California “with nothing but his dog, a few suitcases, and a big dream.” Later, they got married and had two boys.
Avery is well-known for running a Hollywood Ponzi scheme that scammed investors out of an estimated $650 million. The actor convinced wealthy investors and a licensing company called 1inMM Capital LLC to put millions of dollars into his production by promising them a 35 percent return. He said that he had legal licensing agreements with sites like Netflix and HBO that let people watch shows online.
But in April 2021, the actor was arrested and pleaded guilty to federal crimes. He was then sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. Between when he was first arrested and when he was finally sentenced, his wife Mallory also asked for a divorce, saying that he was “lying to and taking advantage of” her.
Now, The Con on ABC will likely show the multimillion-dollar Hollywood Ponzi scheme and figure out what Zach Avery’s story is all about. Let’s find out more about the little-known part of his life that has to do with his hairdresser wife and how she was involved in the fraud case.
Mallory Hagedorn, Zach Avery’s ex-wife, is a hair stylist.
Zachary Joseph Horwitz, also known as Zach Avery, is a well-known actor in Hollywood. He is best known for his roles in movies like Last Moment of Clarity and Fury. He is said to have married Mallory Hagedorn, a hairstylist and his long-term girlfriend, in 2014. Reports say that he and his wife had two sons later on.
Mallory’s life isn’t well known, but it is known that she has a Bachelor’s degree in tourism management from Indiana University Bloomington. This was earned in 2010. After she graduated, she went to the Vidal Sassoon Academy to become a trainer in cosmetology, styling, and nail art.
Her LinkedIn profile, which has been taken down since Avery’s scams came to light, said that she worked as an intern for Cathy Teeter’s Beautiful Weddings before becoming an event organizer for Red Frog Events. After working at Vidal Sassoon for a while, she started working at Ken Paves Salon in March 2013.
Zach Avery often talked about his family and how much Mallory helped him. He is said to have talked about being a dad in an interview with Swagger. He said:
“When you become a dad, you feel more feelings than you ever have before. The production schedule makes it hard to be a dad and an actor at the same time. Most of the time, I’m not in Los Angeles during shoots, so I’m either away from him or, if we can make it work, my wife and son come with me.”
Avery talked about his ex-wife before they broke up in another interview with NYCasting. He said,
“Mallory, my wife, and I have agreed that we won’t be apart for more than two weeks at a time. So, if I’m shooting somewhere, we’ll figure out how they can get out or how I can get back so that we don’t have to be apart for too long. It’s very important for us to have a good relationship.”
In an interview with Medium afterward, the actor said:
“Mallory, my wonderful wife, has been my rock, my sounding board, and my partner in crime for the whole trip. Today, we both have great jobs, a real place to live in Los Angeles, and a great life. If she hadn’t helped me and believed in my dreams, I wouldn’t be where I am now.” How did Zach Avery’s wife, Mallory, feel when she heard about his arrest?
Zach Avery and Mallory Hagedorn, who had been married for about seven years, have now broken up. Mallory filed for divorce in April 2021, soon after her husband was arrested. She did this in the Los Angeles County Superior Courts. She even said something like,
“Fooling me and everyone else around him, and he’s not the person I thought he was.”
She also denied all claims that she was involved in the scams her husband ran in the Hollywood business. She said this about her husband’s arrest, according to court records: