Bourbon maker accused of secretly filming guests having sex, including at Kentucky Castle

Kentucky bourbon maker Wes Henderson has been accused by family members of secretly filming them, as well as others in multiple places, including at the Kentucky Castle, according to a lawsuit filed in Kentucky.

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Henderson is a Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame member best known as the founder of Angel’s Envy, which was sold for a reported $150 million to Bacardi in 2015. Representatives of Angel’s Envy had no immediate response to a request for comment.

Later, Henderson purchased The Kentucky Castle in Versailles in Woodford County, a wedding and tourist destination with a hotel and restaurant, and launched a new whiskey brand, True Story, with plans to build a $92 million distillery nearby. Those plans are on hold.

What the lawsuit against Wes Henderson alleges

In a lawsuit filed in June in Oldham County, family members accuse Henderson of invasion of privacy, voyeurism, and possession or viewing of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor. A court filing says some underage family members were captured on the cameras nude.

Family members did not respond to requests for comment; the Herald-Leader is not naming them due to the nature of the allegations. The lawsuit has been sealed. The lawyers who filed it have not responded to repeated requests for comment about the filing.

Henderson denies the allegations

On Friday afternoon, an attorney for Henderson issued this statement: “Wes unequivocally denies the allegations in the lawsuit. It is our understanding that the complaint will be voluntarily dismissed. If that does not happen, he is prepared to vigorously defend himself.”

According to the filing, the family members were vacationing in Henderson’s home near Melbourne, Florida, in June 2025 when they discovered multiple hidden cameras, including some capable of live-streaming. They subsequently turned over the cameras and recorded footage to law enforcement, according to the lawsuit.

Because the case file has been sealed, any response that has been filed by Henderson was not immediately available.

No criminal charges have been filed, apparently.

Cameras with Wi-Fi, recording devices found

According to the filing, the family members removed approximately 15 hidden cameras and their SD cards and returned home, where they reviewed some of the footage, which captured intimate acts as well as images of themselves in various stages of undress and using the restroom.

“The cameras also captured the defendant, Wes Henderson, having sex with other women (not his wife). Upon information and belief, the cameras captured other adults having sex, as well as footage of what appeared to be a homeless individual, potentially a minor, who happened to be carrying a portable medical device, using the restroom,” according to the filing.

In a footnote, the filing noted, “Some of the videos were from SD cards that captured sex at the Kentucky Castle which is connected to a business interest of the Defendant Wes Henderson.”

Henderson has owned the Kentucky Castle since 2023. He is facing multiple lawsuits for debts related to his distilling and hospitality businesses.

The cameras in the Florida home were disguised as fire alarms, behind a mirror, in a fan, in a clock, in a speaker, in a bathroom air vent directly above the toilet, in charging blocks and plug outlet extenders, according to the filing.

According to the filing, “there are a total of 40 people identified as being captured without their knowledge.”

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Some of the footage included Henderson placing the cameras and deliberately placing them to capture views of a bed, according to the filing.

More cameras found

In the filing, the family members allege they notified other relatives and Henderson’s wife, who “gave (them) permission to sweep their Oldham County, Kentucky home for similar hidden recording devices.” Allegedly, another 15 similar cameras were found there.

The filing also alleges that footage “showed Wes placing cameras in various third parties’ homes.”

Henderson is a deputy coroner in Oldham County and a former firefighter. According to the filing, the footage also showed him wearing a firefighter’s shirt while installing a hidden camera.

According to the filing, the family members contacted local authorities and turned over the cameras and SD cards from the Oldham County home and the Florida vacation home.

“At present, law enforcement continues to maintain possession of the evidence,” according to the filing. It is unclear which law enforcement agency has the cameras and footage.

Versailles Police Chief Rob Young said he was not aware of the filing. Oldham County Police Chief Greg Smith also said his department is not involved in the case.

“After being confronted, and throughout the last 11 months, Wes Henderson has frequently apologized for his actions and requested forgiveness through several text messages to multiple members of his family,” according to the filing.

The lawsuit seeks punitive damages for pain and suffering, medical expenses, and a jury trial.

Unrelated lawsuits were filed earlier this year in Jefferson Circuit Court against TKC Distilling and related companies that produce True Story. Architects Luckett & Farley, which designed the now-shelved distillery, alleged they are owed more than $936,000.

And Bourbon Hall of Famer Peggy Noe Stevens alleges her consulting company is owed more than $510,000 for work done.

A third lawsuit, filed in June by GMR Marketing, alleges TKC Distilling owes them more than $120,000.

All of those lawsuits are still pending.

This story was originally published October 2, 2026 at 9:04 AM with the headline “Bourbon maker accused of secretly filming guests having sex, including at Kentucky Castle.”

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