Wes Henderson was fired as CEO of a Kentucky whiskey firm after a family lawsuit alleged hidden cameras recorded relatives and nude minors, claims his attorney firmly rejects.
Fox News reported that TKC Distilling ended Henderson’s tenure as CEO effective Oct. 3, citing allegations in a lawsuit filed by relatives.
The company runs The Kentucky Castle in Versailles and True Story Whiskey. Its board said it will run a full independent investigation. Henderson’s lawyer says he denies every claim and expects the complaint to be dropped.
At stake is a sealed civil case out of Oldham County, Kentucky, built around alleged covert recordings at a Florida vacation home, the couple’s Kentucky residence, and the castle property itself. Plaintiffs want damages for pain, suffering, and medical expenses and have asked for a jury trial.
Charity Bird, attorney for TKC Distilling, told Fox News Digital the firm is not a party to the suit. She said leadership moved anyway.
"The Board and leadership of TKC Distilling, the parent company of The Kentucky Castle and True Story Whiskey, have terminated the employment of CEO Wes Henderson, effective immediately, in light of allegations outlined in a recently filed lawsuit,"
Bird added that the board plans to “conduct a full and independent investigation into the allegations.” She also said the company “remains committed to addressing the matter responsibly and to ensuring that the investigation is conducted thoroughly and fairly.”
Kyle Henderson, Wes Henderson’s son, is set to take over as CEO of The Kentucky Castle and True Story Whiskey.
Separately, Oldham County Coroner David Pendleton told the Courier Journal that Henderson recently took a leave of absence from his role as an Oldham County deputy coroner. Henderson is a former firefighter and once served as chief innovations officer at Angel’s Envy.
According to the Courier Journal, which obtained the now-sealed complaint, relatives filed the lawsuit against Henderson in Oldham County in June. The filing describes a June 2025 stay at Henderson’s vacation home near Melbourne, Florida.
Family members allegedly found and removed about 15 concealed cameras there. Devices were said to be disguised as fire alarms and placed in a fan, a clock, a speaker, charging blocks, and outlet extenders. One camera was allegedly hidden in a bathroom air vent. Footage reportedly showed Henderson positioning a camera in front of a bed.
The complaint described recordings of guests changing clothes and using bathrooms without knowing they were on camera. It also described people engaged in sexual acts. Some recordings allegedly showed Henderson, who is married, having sex with other women.
The lawsuit further alleged that cameras recorded minors while they were nude.
After reviewing some of the material, family members turned evidence over to authorities. The suit account says Henderson’s wife later gave relatives permission to search the couple’s Oldham County home, where additional hidden cameras had been installed. Other memory cards allegedly held footage recorded at The Kentucky Castle, the Versailles property owned by Henderson.
The filing reportedly identified 40 people who appeared in the recordings without their knowledge or consent. One description involved an alleged homeless person carrying what appeared to be a medical device into a restroom.
The Lexington Herald-Leader reported that the Department of Homeland Security is examining the hidden recordings Henderson allegedly made. Fox News Digital sought comment from DHS and did not receive an on-record reply in that coverage.
Brevard County Sheriff’s Office in Florida and the Oldham County Police Department did not immediately respond when asked whether they had taken possession of the evidence. Versailles Police Chief Rob Young said his department is not part of any probe.
"We don't know anything about it,"
Young also said the department is “not involved in the investigation.” No arrests or criminal charges are described in the available reporting.
Exact custody of the cameras, memory cards, and recordings remains unclear.
Henderson could not immediately be reached for comment. His attorney, speaking to the Herald-Leader, rejected the lawsuit’s account in plain terms.
"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."
TKC Distilling has also faced separate lawsuits over allegedly unpaid architectural and consulting bills. Those cases sit apart from the family complaint.
The civil case is sealed. Named plaintiffs beyond the family description, a full case caption, and a docket number have not been laid out in the reporting. Whether prosecutors will ever file charges is an open question. So is the final path of the company’s internal review and the son’s leadership handoff.
Secret cameras in a bathroom vent and a guest bedroom are not a paperwork dispute. If the allegations hold, the people caught on those files, family, visitors, and minors, deserve a complete public accounting and real consequences, not a quiet corporate shuffle.
