Checking In with Shape Of Beauty Star April Flores

May 13, 2019
HOLLY-KINGSTOWN

April Is Awesome

Top BBW porn star April Flores is back from a performing hiatus and she has a brand new scene with Seth Gamble over at Adult Time's Shape Of Beauty website directed by Bree Mills. Here's what Flores had to say about what's been going on with her.

So how are you, April? How are things going?

"I’m great! I took a few years off from performing to focus on my personal life. I have been working hard on healing myself and slowly working through the trauma of losing my late husband and collaborator, Carlos Batts, almost 6 years ago. It has been challenging navigating my grief. I found a new love, former performer Milcah Halili, and we got married last year! I didn’t want to take a break from performing, it just kind of happened. I think it’s important for people to listen to their bodies and inner voice and pull back from certain things if it will allow space for personal growth and the improvement of their mental health."

So what made you decide to come out of your performing hiatus? You have been seriously missed, honey!

"Aww, thank you! I have missed performing immensely! I had been feeling like I was in a better place and was thinking of starting to perform again. That’s when I heard that Bree Mills and Adult Time were putting together a site that would showcase BBW performers. I have been doing my best to change the way fat women and sexuality are perceived since the beginning of my career in 2005. Shape of Beauty is completely aligned with why I have performed sex on camera for so long. I knew that this was the kind of project I want to be a part of.:

Congrats on your new Shape Of Beauty scene! How was working with Seth Gamble?

"Seth was a dream to work with. He’s such a professional, and he helped make my first scene back feel seamless. I was super nervous about being rusty, but Seth led the scene and would gently position and angle my body for the camera while we were shooting. He had a great attitude and was energetic throughout the day. It was nice to be around that type of energy."

How was being directed by Bree Mills for this? What did you like most about working for her?

"Bree is such a force in the industry, and, after working under her direction, I understood why. I always love being directed by women. What made Bree stand out to me was the respect she showed everyone on set and her passion about the story driving the sex. A director’s disposition impacts the crew and talent. Bree, in particular, has a very focused, calm energy that her crew shares with her as well. My time on her set ranks up at the top of my best on-set porn experiences."

What do you like most about that kind of massage themed scene? What do you think is sexy about massages?

"The best thing about this massage themed scene is that I played the client. I spent a better part of the day with Seth pouring warm oil on me and caressing it into all parts of my body. The sexiest thing about massages is definitely touch. Sex doesn’t always necessarily involve penetration. For me, touch is a major part of sexuality, and a massage is a great way to give and receive sensuality."

What do you like most about the Shape Of Beauty channel? Do you have any other favorite scenes over there?

"What I like most about the Shape of Beauty is that it allows our fans to consume high end, stylized porn that features larger bodies. The BBW market has always been a viable asset in porn, but somehow it still tends to be treated as a niche. Shape of Beauty is exactly the kind of series that can remind porn of our value. It’s important when BBW talent are part of projects like this, because it sets a standard for how we should be treated both on set and in the industry as a whole."

What have you seen change most in BBW porn in your time in it?

"There is definitely a lot more diversity in BBW porn now compared to when I started in 2005. Back then, if you Googled BBW porn, the search would result in a very homogenous, narrow, stereotypical idea of beauty. Even though they were fat, the majority of performers I saw were still blonde and white. There was a serious lack of diversity. I remember the lack of representation as being one of the driving forces that made me want to put myself out there. The industry of porn as a whole has also changed. It’s no secret that tube sites and free porn being so easily accessible changed the structure of the industry. While it took some time for the industry to adapt from the old business model, it has empowered many performers to create their own content.

I think this has really had a positive impact of BBW performers, because we don’t have to wait around for a company to hire us. We don’t have to leave our opportunity and self-expression in the hands of directors and companies that may not fully understand the worth of fat performers and the audience that wants to see them. No longer are we left to work with companies who want to exploit our fat bodies or show us in a derogatory way, further perpetuating negative stereotypes. BBWs now have the power to showcase themselves the way they want and work with who they want."

What advice would you give to a brand new BBW performer just entering porn right now?

"Be yourself and know your boundaries. Staying true to yourself will differentiate you from other performers, and knowing your limits will help you avoid burnout."

What else is coming up for you? What will you be doing next?

"I am currently working on a joint essay with Milcah for forthcoming sex worker anthology, #WE TOO: Sex Work in the Wake of a Movement, and we are building my website together. My weekly radio show Voluptuous Life is on Vivid Radio every Thursday from 1 — 2pm PT. There is more in store, so fans can join my email list, and follow me on Twitter or Instagram to keep up to date on what’s coming next.

Is there anything that you would like to say to your fans here at Fleshbot?

"I just want to thank them for following my career for 14 years! It always amazes me when someone reaches out and says they have been a fan of my work for a long time. I feel truly honored and privileged to have had the opportunity to be a part of people’s empowerment and sexuality for this long."

All of the images and video here appear courtesy of Adult Time. Click right here to watch Flores' scene on Adult Time's Shape Of Beauty channel right now!