Cyber Bullying Needs to Stop

The past few months have been rough for our industry. Six porn stars have died. At least one, we know that bullying pushed her to the edge. I've known Kevin Moore for many years and knew August Ames in passing. I'm very sad for Kevin, because he's lost his true love and blames himself—it’s not his fault. I've seen some of the Tweets of fans body shaming her for physical enhancements she made to herself and even calling her fat. Wow, she's not someone I would have ever referred to as ugly or fat. She was beautiful on the inside and out. She voiced her opinion online and was vilified for it. But here's the thing...you never know what kind of day someone is having. Saying one negative thing could push them over the edge...literally, as it did August. It's kind of like when you were a kid and people told you if you have nothing nice to say, keep your mouth shut.

In the age of social media, people have become quite bold. They will say anything because they can be anonymous. Even if they’re not anonymous, they feel social media is there stage to harass and pick on people. This applies to gossip bloggers, industry professionals, other performers, fans, and random people who hide behind anonymously behind the Twitter egg avatar. When I was growing up, if you had a problem with someone you spoke to them. As an adult, I try to live my life that way. Communication is important. If we communicated more, maybe people would calm down and we would see less suicides, suicide attempts, depression, sadness, and a multitude of other issues people are facing.

A few weeks ago, a performer posted a photo of herself with a gun to her head. One of my industry friends and I kept this from happening—it took over an hour to get the police to her house, but we did it. And, she’s still alive today. Many fans and industry peeps were on social media trying to reach her, calling her, and doing all they could to help. Attention seekers claimed they helped, but they didn’t. I didn’t want credit for it—I just didn’t want another girl to die. I hardly knew this girl, but I could put myself in her shoes. This is what we should be doing—listening to each other and helping people get through the rough times so they can see tomorrow.

I was personally bullied as a child, teenager and even as an adult. But, no more—this stops right here and now. And, if I see people doing it to others, I’m going to say something. We need to come together as an industry and support each other. And if someone cyber bullies someone and they harm themselves, they need to be prosecuted. If you’re a fan, realize how hard it is to be a porn star. Say something nice to the girls and/or guys you support, and stop yourself from spewing hate on social media. It’s really that simple. If you don't like someone, don't talk to them--that's what I do and it speaks volumes.