James Deen Gets Cold Shoulder From Porn Industry Amid Assault Claims
Image by Getty Images
By Anne Cohen December 1, 2015
Pprominent pornography studios announced on Monday that they would no longer do business with Jewish adult entertainer James Deen, after three women accused him of sexual assault.
that Kink, the self-described “largest producer of BDSM and fetish pornography in the world,” said it would “cease all ties” with the 29-year-old. On Saturday, Deen’s ex-girlfriend Stoya accused him of rape on Twitter. Since then, two more adult actresses have come forward with claims that Deen sexually assaulted them. Deen has denied the allegations, calling them “egregious” and “defamatory” on Twitter.
“I respect women and I know and respect limits both professionally and privately,” he wrote from his official account.
Below is the statement Kink sent to Buzzfeed News:
For the Kink.com community, as well as the larger BDSM community, consent and respect are sacrosanct. Effective immediately, Kink.com will cease all ties with James Deen, both as a performer and a producer.
Our performers deserve not only safe sets, but the ability to work without fear of assault. Rape or sexual assault, with or without a safe-word, off-set or on, should never be accepted as a hazard of adult production. While many of the allegations against Deen are new, the pattern is alarming. Over the coming weeks and months, we will review our Model Bill of Rights to strengthen rights of performers off-set, and work with the larger industry to help performers to have been assaulted to more easily come forward.
James Deen stars in 237 films on the Kink website. He has yet to comment on their statement.
Following Kink’s decision, another major porn studio, Evil Angels, announced that it too would sever ties with Deen “until more information is available.”
“In light of the recent accusations against James Deen, Evil Angel today has decided not to sell any newly created scenes featuring Deen,” John Stagliano, president and founder of Evil Angel, wrote in a press release. “While our company presents what is consensual and exploratory about aggressive and rough sex, these accusations are of a nature so contrary to our company values that we feel it necessary to suspend the sales until more information is available.
Deen has also resigned from his position as chairperson of the board of directors of the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee (APAC) (essentially the porn guild).
Several other adult stars have stated that they would no longer work with Deen. But some refuse to pass judgment until all the facts are in.
Alana Evans, an adult film star who is herself a survivor of rape, told The Daily Beast that she found the allegations against him “shocking and disheartening.”
“You can’t make allegations like that, that are so damaging to someone, without backing it up,” said Evans. “When it happened to me, I went to the police and I didn’t get justice because I am a sex worker. They said, ‘How can you rape a porn star?’ I sought justice. I didn’t get it, but at least I tried.”
Months later, tired of waiting for police action that would never come, she outed her rapist on social media. “When the police decided not to press charges against my rapist that’s when I went public.”
“He’s always been one of my favorites to work with because he was always so respectful of my rules,” Evans added. “When you’re a porn star, whether you’re an aggressor or a victim, you’re not given the benefit of the doubt.” Evans isn’t ready to pass judgment before knowing the facts and says that until she learns more, “it’s not going to stop me from working with James.”
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.
If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
