Porn scandal behind him, ex-Hollywood cop Mikey V of 'Design Star' opens gym in Davie

BY STEVE ROTHAUS, srothaus@MiamiHerald.com

Former cop Mike Verdugo (Mikey V on HGTV’s Design Star) says “one door closed and a few opened” after Hollywood Police fired him three years ago for appearing in a 1996 porn film.

Verdugo, 37, who spent his teen years working out at a Hialeah gym, last month opened Bodytek Fitness in Davie. Already, the new gym averages 300 customers a week. This week, Verdugo signed a lease to open Bodytek 2 in Wilton Manors.

“It’s all word of mouth. Referrals,” Verdugo says. “We have a range from typical housewives to athletes to just regular people trying to lose weight. We have every type. That’s what I love about it.”

The fitness trainer says DEA agents and Sunrise cops also work out at Bodytek, along with gay friends and fans who took on Verdugo’s cause following his firing.

“It’s flattering, but at the same time they’re there for an ass kicking,” he says.

Hollywood Police canned Verdugo after a 1996 video turned up online showing the future cop in a 15-minute bondage scene from a gay porn flick called Rope Rituals. HGTV also dumped Verdugo from Design Star, a reality program in which 12 home designers compete for their own TV show.

Verdugo, who also owns Elite Home Staging in Davie, says he made the film for $700 at age 22 as a way of exploring his sexuality. He performed nude, but didn't engage in hard-core sex.

The police department said it fired Verdugo, hired in 2001, for not disclosing previous employment.

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