Dror Barak, the New York City-based Israeli Consulate employee whose sideline in gay porn got him fired from his day job in 2007, has reportedly committed suicide.

Barak’s boyfriend — who was not named — told Out.com that the porn star, who performed as “Roman Ragazzi,” took his own life last Thursday. “Dror was not some drug addicted, party obsessed, former porn star,” the boyfriend said. “He was a hard working man who built a very successful personal training business with very successful and dedicated clients.” After his firing, Barak had launched a business called Freedom Fitness under the name Drew Barak. The boyfriend also told a gay porn blog that “details [of Barak’s death] are mostly personal depression issues.”

After The New York Post’s Page Six column confronted Barak with e-mails implying he was renting himself out for “modeling” work in 2007, he quit his post in the Israeli Consulate’s administrative offices. Contacted by Page Six at the time, Barak reportedly said, “I don’t know [Roman Ragazzi]. I will call you back.” Soon after, he left the consulate and tendered his resignation.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Through a spokesman today, the head of Barak’s former porn studio issued a statement mourning his death. “Roman Ragazzi (Dror Barak) was one of the finest men I have even known,” said Chris Ward, president of Raging Stallion Studios and Falcon Studios, who had worked directly with the Israeli performer. “He had a perfect physique and was one of the smartest and kindest people I have filmed — a massive man of pure beauty, intelligence and kindness. It’s hard to believe he’s not with us any longer. I’m in shock. My thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Although he stopped doing porn in 2008, Barak recently appeared in an Out magazine fashion spread alongside porn actors in the January, 2012 issue of Out Magazine. The layout was called “New York’s Finest”.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’re in the middle of our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we have a very ambitious goal of $127,000 by April 21.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a Passover gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Make a Passover Gift Today!

$90 $180

$360

Other amount