James Deen Scores 20 Nominations at ‘Porn Oscars’ — Despite Rape Accusations
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By Thea Glassman November 29, 2016
XBIZ and AVN awards, two of the adult film industry’s biggest award shows, doled out 20 nominations to porn star James Deen this year.
The news comes one year after a string of sexual assault and rape allegations were lodged against the actor. 13 women came forward with their stories, including former adult star Tori Lux who alleged Deen struck her multiple times across the face. Stoya, also an adult star and Deen’s ex-girlfriend, took to twitter to accuse the actor of raping her while she repeatedly said no, stop, and used her safe word.
Dean has denied all allegations, calling them “false and defamatory.”
When asked about the actor’s nominations, XBIZ president Alec Helmy told the Daily Dot that it is natural for there to be “a lot of knee-jerk reaction.”
“But the fact is, to date, he has not been charged with a crime and therefore we must do the right thing and assume innocence,” Helmy said. “And it seems many feel the same way because James Deen continues to be one of the most active performers in the business today.”
The actor initially faced a swift backlash from the porn and mainstream media community following the accusations. Kink.com and Evil Angel refused to work with him, and TheFrisky.com stopped publishing his sex advice column.
Despite those setbacks, the porn star’s career has continued to grow at a steady pace. The actor has starred in an estimated 108 films this past year, and produced 29 others.
When Deen showed up to the AVN awards last year, three months after allegations had been made, some fellow adult film stars expressed discomfort.
“I feel uncomfortable with it,” Tasha Reign, one of the actresses who said she would no longer work with Deen, told Mic. “Not because he’s going to do something … it’s just that it’s uncomfortable that he honestly hasn’t been punished for those actions.”
Thea Glassman is an Associate Editor at the Forward. Reach her at glassman@forward.com or on Twitter at @theakglassman.
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