Pornstar deaths: industry rocked by spate of suicide deaths
THE porn industry is in crisis following the deaths of five young women in 12 weeks, with sex workers revealing just how badly they are bullied.
LA sex actress Olivia Lua, 23, was found dead in a California rehab facility last week, a day after posting a sombre Tweet saying “I feel it everywhere, nothing scares me anymore.”
MORE: US woman describes ‘shame’ over decade long porn addiction
The exact cause of her death is not yet known but a statement on behalf of her agency blamed a mix of prescription drugs, recreational substances and alcohol for her declining mental state.
The young woman’s death is the fifth of several adult actresses in just over two months, with fellow porn star Olivia Nova, 20, found dead earlier this month in Las Vegas.
She reportedly lay dead for 12 hours before her body was discovered, her death happening after her boyfriend ended his own life.
Investigators also found that she was suffering from an infection, and had bruised legs.
A friend of the adult actress told the Mirror Online she wanted to improve her life and “get sober” before her death.
August Ames, a Canadian porn star who appeared in over 270 films, died by suicide in December after copping abuse for refusing to shoot a sex scene with a bisexual actor.
Her husband Kevin Moore said she became a victim of incessant cyber-bullying, making a powerful statement on her website augustames.com saying she wouldn’t have taken her own life if it weren’t for the harassment.
“Bullying took her life. If the harassment had not occurred, she would be alive today,” he wrote.
“She ended her life the day after the bullying began. To think they are unrelated is delusional.”
Yurizan Beltran, known as Yuri Love by her fans, died of an apparent overdose at the age of 31 in December.
She was found in her apartment in California by the owner of the residence, who reportedly found pills near the bed.
Canadian porn star Shyla Stylez, 35, was found unresponsive in her bed at her mum’s home in November.
She reportedly died in her sleep at the property in British Columbia.
Following the string of tragedies, Arizona sex worker Ginger Banks has told US media just how poorly people in the sex industry are treated.
“The way society looks at and treats porn stars makes us more depressed, it is hard to feel like we don’t belong or that we are second-class citizens,” Ms Banks told HollywoodLife.
“I have suffered depression because of the way people view my job.
“That is the worst part of this job, the way people treat me because of what I do for a living.”
Fellow adult actress Raven Hart told the publication mental health issues needed to be addressed within the porn community.
“If you get into this business really young, and you are already predisposed to your own personal issues of depression or whatever else, working in porn may intensify your issues, “ she said.
“As someone who is already predisposed to a drug problem or depression, or another mental health issue, working in porn will only makes things worse or more difficult, your issues will be intensified.
“I think it is a bit of coincidence that so many people in the industry have been dying, it is unfortunate. I know in the case of August Ames, there was a lot of issues, there was cyber-bullying and stuff like that, so that is it more of a newer phenomenon and maybe social media could have had an impact on that.”
For help with emotional difficulties, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au
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