Everybody needs a work/life separation, and that includes all the fine (and we mean fine) performers in the gay adult film industry.
From idyllic long walks on the beach to mundane morning rituals, here’s a taste of some gay porn star’s lives away from the camera. Well, away from the other camera.
We’d say we were never so exited by Nutella, but that would be a lie.
Last year, the gay adult studio Icon Male launched a new site named Noir Male whose tagline is “Showcases Black Men As They Deserve To Be Seen.” However, one of its biggest name performers, Jacen Zhu, has quit the studio, stating, “We are being used to sell a product that doesn’t cater to our community.”
Before we get into it, any casual observer of gay adult videos knows that the medium generally has a poor and problematic record of handling race and performers of color.
An informal 2015 study of five mainstream studios — Men.com, Sean Cody, BelAmi Online, Randy Blue and Helix Studios — found that of each one’s roster of performers only 0.8 to 10% were black (compared to the estimated 12.1% of black men in the general U.S. population).
Black performers are typically used in scenes far less often than white ones, and many scenes in gay adult videos showcase black men as submissive arrestees or hung thugs. Black performers are also siloed into low-production niche sites catering specifically to black men.
That’s why it seemed like such a breath of fresh air when Noir Male appeared, promising some long overdue representation with decent production quality.
I stopped working for Noir Male when I woke up. When I saw that everything was a lie and I would like to apologize for [helping] the wolves in suits to sell this lie. Wake up y’all and see it’s not about us.
I [want] to be clear: I’m not angry I just sat back and watched as the aspiration didn’t meet the reality. We are being used to sell a product that doesn’t cater to our community.
As the gay adult industry reporter Zachary Sire explains (link NSFW), “Icon Male and Noir Male are part of the Canadian straight porn conglomerate Mile High Media, which is owned by a straight white man named Jon Blitt.” Sire points out that when Noir Male launched, only 44% of its 29 actors were black; today that ratio is 55% (37 out of 67).
It makes sense that a black gay adult studio would feature white and non-black performers to appeal to a wide swath of viewers, but if Zhu’s tweets are any indication, the gay adult video industry still hasn’t figured out how black men “deserve to be seen.”
We have reached out to Noir Male for comment and will update this story if they respond.
Last week gay adult performer Jace Zhu stated that he had stopped working for the studio Noir Male (tagline: “Showcases Black Men As They Deserve To Be Seen) because he felt he was “being used to sell a product that doesn’t cater to our community.” A popular gay adult gossip blog followed up on Zhu’s comment by alleging that the studio has a 37-to-30 black-to-white performer ratio, a count that the studio says is inaccurate.
We reached out to Noir Male for comment and they’ve refuted several of the Zhu’s and the gossip blog’s assertions.
In an official statement give to Queerty, Noir Male wrote:
“We were slightly shocked by Jacen’s comments, but respect his personal and professional choices, and wish him the best. We have loved working with him and even tried to get him involved in the creative process when he voiced concerns in the past as to representation; however there was no continued follow through on his end. We always ask performers to come to us with any ideas or concerns; we want this to be a studio that performers are proud of and represent MOC (men of color) in a positive light.”
Noir Male also asserted that longtime adult video director Chi Chi LaRue does all casting for both Noir Male and its brother studio Icon Male, even though the site is reportedly owned by “a straight white man named Jon Blitt” as the gay adult gossip blog had claimed.
Furthermore, Noir Male took issue with the claim that only 37 of its 67 performers are black. Noir Male wrote “a large part of the initial story that went out is completely false and we ask that you fact check… especially with regards to ratio of guys represented on our site.”
The studio continued:
“A simple count would show 78 performances are by men of color versus around 50 with white males, not to mention other ethnicities represented. We tend to continue to use guys that are popular — like Pheonix Fellington, Max Konnor and JacenZhu among others — in multiple scenes because this is what the paying customers are requesting, and we listen to our paying customers.”
Here’s where things get a little confusing. Noir Male has 72 performers listed in its roster, but counting their black performers isn’t always easy since some are Afro-Latino with lighter skin. We counted 27 dark-skinned performers at Noir Male, but you can’t always tell a person’s race just by looking. Performers like Travis Yukarin, XL, Tyson Rush, Nico Santino and Mateo Fernandez are of an indeterminate race, and it’s possible that other performers are also Latino or Asian-identified, unbeknownst to us.
Lastly, Noir Male refuted the idea that Zhu “quit” their studio because he was “an independent performer who we book for scenes. He has never been under contract or employed by Noir Male.”
Noir Male tells Queerty:
“We are disappointed that he took to Twitter to state he no longer wanted to film with us, but we respect his decision. If any other performers have concerns we hope they would seek us out and communicate directly to us so we can work to find positive solutions. In fact, we are always looking for new writers and creative consultants to ensure our site is inclusive and groundbreaking.”
Indeed, Zhu has performed at other studios like CockyBoys and Lucas Entertainment. It’s possible that he simply used the word “quit” to mean “stopped working with.” We have reached out to him and Zachary Sire, the editor of the aforementioned gay adult video industry blog, to better understand their initial statements and to get their responses to Noir Male’s statement.
Sire responded:
“The straight porn conglomerate that owns Noir Male/Icon Male is Mile High Media, and the straight white Canadian man who owns all of that is named Jon Blitt. This straight white man is not interested in presenting men of color to fans and giving men of color “opportunities” (good grief), he is only interested in making money by capitalizing on the fetishization of black men and interracial porn… Their offensive claim that they (two white men, one of whom is straight) are the ones who can, according to Noir Male’s tagline, finally ‘showcase black men as they deserve to be seen’ is presumptuous lunacy.
Sire says that his count of the studio’s performers and races was “100% accurate” when he posted it. “In their misleading statement,” Sire says, “the studio is counting up the total number of performances in scenes by certain models (perhaps Max Konnor has performed in 4 or 5 scenes), NOT the number of actual individual models.”
Sire tells Queerty, “A screenwriter named DP Welles who wrote some of the scenes at Noir Male reached out to me last week, and he told me, ‘I wrote a bunch of stuff that was colorblind, like you could cast the black model in either role and Chi Chi loved it. But, 6 of my 8 scenes were rejected by the owner who wanted the stuff to be more fetishy. I was like, ‘Jesus, I thought the point was to get away from that.’ So, I did the rewrites based on [Blitt’s] scene ideas and that’s the last work I did for them.'”
A football stadium was tricked into displaying a photo of an adult video performer during their moment meant to honor military members and, um, awkward!
During the Minnesota Vikings’ football game against the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday, the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota displayed images of soldiers on their Jumbotron screen as part of the stadium’s “Salute to Soldiers.”
“We’re honoring our nation’s service members, veterans, and their families during Sunday’s game against Dallas,” the Vikings’ Twitter account wrote before the game. “Share photos and stories of your loved ones who have served or are currently serving using #SkolSalute for a chance to have them featured on the video board Sunday.”
“Skol” is a Viking word meaning “cheers” or good health.” It’s often said when toasting or saluting an honored person.
Anyway, one prankster Twitter user, @kylerulz4h wrote. “This is my cousin Joel who served in the Army,” while posting an image of adult performer Johnny Sins (also known as Steven Wolfe) in a military outfit. “He has always been an inspiration and someone I look up to for his heroism. He is also a HUGE Vikes fan #skolsalute.”
Sins is big, but we don’t know if we’d call him HUGE. He’s a 43-year-old performer who has appeared in such films as Baby Got Boobs 20, Vagitarians, and Just Turned 18 and Already a Slut (which sounds like it could be a memoir or a reality TV competition, honestly).
Sins isn’t an actual military vet, but he has played one on film. He has also played a “pizza delivery guy, cable guy, plumber, police officer, [and] fireman,” according to one Twitter user who called him “a jack of all trades.”
The stadium ended up displaying the image, not realizing it was actually taken from an adult video, much to some people’s amusement. While it’s a slightly embarrassing mistake, many folks probably had no idea they were saluting a man who once starred in MILF Hunter.
While there’s no comparing soldiers to adult video actors, many people appreciate the (ahem) service of such actors, surely.
It’s not uncommon for hot jocks to strip down and show off their bods for photoshoots or social media, like the epically drool-worthy Dieux De Stade studs or the eye-popping Sheffield Hallam University rugby team do. But a few more daring athletes have chosen to go the whole nine yards and do ankles-in-the-air gay porn.
So we dug up a roster of gay athletes turned porn stars for you to enjoy, each with their own scandalous stories and thoughtful nuggets of wisdom.
NOTE: We promise to keep the naughty bits off-screen, but these are porn stars after all.
BACKSTORY: Though he wasn’t exactly the team’s star player, Jonathan De Falco did play professional soccer with the Belgium team Racing Mechelen until he suffered an injury. Soon after leaving the team, he started dancing in nightclubs, offering massage services (with full release?), and eventually got into porn when a producer asked him to star in a film. He has since starred as a top in scenes by UK Naked Men and Hard Brit Lads. During his soccer days, he was closeted and had a girlfriend. But seven months after his gay porn debut, he now has a boyfriend and has also introduced him to his mom.
PEARL O’ WISDOM: Translated from Dutch – “Since I was 20 I have been in gay circles, but when I played soccer, nobody noticed anything. If my orientation would have been known, there would have undoubtedly problems. The soccer world is not ready for openly gay players. There are still too many prejudices and too little tolerance.”
THE DIRT: Paul Donahoe and another University of Nebraska wrestling team member—Kenny Jordan—decided to make some money spanking it for the college jock website Fratmen. But when someone noticed the letter “N” and the word “wrestling” tattooed on Donahoe’s left thigh, word of mouth spread across campus, eventually getting him tossed from the team and slapped with an NCAA violation for “promoting his image.” The NCAA had Donahoe—a #1 national champion in his weight class—pay the $2,000 he made from the site to a nonprofit. He eventually left Nebraska to wrestle for Edinboro University, placed second nationally in the 125-pound weight class and discussed the whole ordeal with ESPN’s Outside The Lines.
SASSY RETORT: “I believe it was unfair for Nebraska to dismiss me from the team. For one, there’s plenty of athletes throughout the University of Nebraska who have had DUIs and who have been in fights and are still playing. But I guess that’s OK. Posing nude, I guess, is worse than someone drinking and driving and risking someone’s life, in their eyes.”
FIGHTER NAMES: Dakota Cochrane and heck if we know
BARE-KNUCKLED BACKSTORY: Two different porn blogs—the very, very NSFW Tom Bacchus On The Vine and Men of Porn—recently outed these two porn performers as pro-mixed martial arts fighters—a style of ring fighting where opponents use any combination of boxing, wrestling, karate, and anything else you’ve ever seen used in a Van Damme or Steven Seagal movie.
Dakota Cochrane’s claim to fame is winning matches using a hold called “the Rear Naked Choke” (rad). He has also used a modified version of the rear choke as a versatile top in 17 Sean Cody scenes. On the other hand, Coxx only won two matches and lost one before joining Cocky Boys and Cocksure Men as a power bottom. However, as far as athletes-turned-porn-stars go, Dakota Cochrane is still going strong.
UNINSPIRING PORN QUOTES: Danny: “Yes [my girlfriend knows I’m doing gay porn], but she’s not happy about it.”
Jimmy in a CockyBoys scene: “Ughhhnnnn! Fuck my ass!” We wonder how long it took him to memorize the script.
Athletes-turned-porn star: The pitcher
Kazuhito Tadano courtesy of CBS News
REAL NAME: Kazuhito Tadano
PORN NAME: #9 Kazu
HIS JAPANESE SCANDAL: After proving himself a championship-quality pitcher in high school and university, Kazuhito Tadano seemed destined to become a Nippon Professional Baseball legend. But before the 2002 draft, the Japanese media caught wind of his appearance in a gay porn video called Complete File, in which salarymen put a dog collar on Kazu, tie him up, and play with his pixelated genitals before making a catcher of the pitcher, if you know what we mean.
The scandal caused Tadano to leave Japan and come to America, where he signed with the Cleveland Indians as a free agent before becoming a starting pitcher with the Oakland A’s. He joked that despite American publicity of his porn past, anti-gay jeers from fans wouldn’t bother him because he doesn’t understand English.
EXPLANATION FOR DOING PORN: “I did participate in a video and I regret it very much. It was a one-time incident that showed bad judgment and will never be repeated. I was young, playing baseball and going to college and my teammates and I needed money. Frankly, if I were more mature and had really thought about the implications of what I did, it never would have happened. I’m not gay. I’d like to clear that fact up right now.”
HIS TIME AT BAT: Kacey was a baseball prodigy in high school, but things took a twist when a certain someone led him out of the closet. Senior year, baseball took a backseat, and that’s when Kacey made a bold move to Colorado after high school. There, he had a life-changing online interaction, catching the eye of Helix Studios. He jetted off to make his mark in the adult film world as Troy Ryan, shooting scenes and diving into a pretty sweet exclusive deal.
SCHWING BATTER BATTER: While Kacey’s foray into the industry initially caused a stir, he managed to maintain a positive relationship with his family despite some an ex-partner outing him as a porn star. But, as time went on, Kacey made the decision to step away from the porn scene. His porn career still lingers in the background, keeping an OnlyFans account in his back pocket, leaving the door slightly ajar for the possibility of returning to this adventurous chapter in the future.
KACEY ON HELIX STUDIOS: “I didn’t do anything with any other studio. That was the only professional studio that I worked with. The only things I ever did was homemade stuff like Chaturbate and OnlyFans.”
From the court to the screen, these athletes-turned-porn-stars prove that everyone has a second act. And speaking of second acts, subscribing to the Queerty newsletterguarantees you the juiciest updates, on and off the field!
Is there life for adult film stars after porn? We found ourselves asking this question after legendary Héctor de Silva hung up his jock. His new gig? The retired adult film star is running for mayor in a quaint town in Spain! Talk about a costume change!
But what about the rest of the adult film world? Do they all find glamorous new careers after they’ve retired? Or is it a bit more of a mixed bag?
Let’s peel back the covers and take a peek at what happens to adult film stars when the cameras stop rolling.
He prayed the gay away, folks! Just kidding, he just stopped being gay-for-pay. After a short-lived career under the moniker Rocco Reed (NSFW), now-pastor Joshua Broome leans into his past and preaches the good word to his followers on Instagram and his church in Dallas. While we don’t love the career change, we do love a guy who can make fun of himself.
Documented in the 2005 indie Naked Fame, big bear Colton Ford made a sort of successful transition from porn to pop star. Forsaking more Grabby Awards (he won for best group sex scene in 2002), Ford went on to cover Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” with a dance mix that went to No. 9 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart. You danced to it at Mickey’s that one time.
Simon Rex
There were just those couple of solo vids in the early ’90s and the guy isn’t even gay. Still, that scene around the pool still has us panting for Young, Hard and Solo Simon Rex (NSFW). Revelation of his previous on-camera work got Rex famously dumped as an MTV VJ, but he picked up some acting credits on the WB and minor success with alter ego Dirt Nasty. That’s if you call showing up in character as a foul-mouthed rapper on Paris Hilton’s reality show success. And since Simon is still an oiled-up 19 year-old in our mind’s eye, we do.
Everyone say thank you to the TV producers who put Gutierrez on our TV screens.
Markie More
Markie More, the man who once sizzled screens in the world of adult entertainment with Next Door Studios, took an unexpected detour from his titillating career back in 2019. But why, you might ask? Well, hold onto your lube, because this is where the plot thickens. More decided to swap out his steamy scenes for a brand-new gig as an activist. He joined the ranks of some unlikely crusaders: the Mormon-backed anti-porn warriors of Fight the New Drug. Gross, hope they like being back linked to some porn-friendly queerdos!
Tag Eriksson
This Swedish hunk, real name Fredrik Elkund, was some kind of business genius back in Stockholm before jumping into porn titles like The Hole (a NSFW The Ring parody) and Training Camp II. But it was his reverse career change that piqued the Times’ interest for a Fashion & Style section cover story. Elkund is now a real estate wunderkind, out about his porn past, and broker-to-the-stars like Daniel Craig and Cameron Diaz. Bravo enlisted him on Million Dollar Listings NY, where Andy Cohen is presently perfecting his Swedish meatballs recipe.
Collin O’Neal
Collin O’Neal as an iReporter for CNN
The star of Mo’ Bubble Butt and Humping Iron traded in his porn card for a substitute teaching certificate at Miami Beach High in 2010. But, like Kevin Hogan below, was revealed and then revoked, by the Florida Department of Education. Happy ending, however, for O’Neal aka Shawn Loftis. After the ACLU turned him down (“Your case would be stronger if your job did not involve supervising children”), he was reinstated by the Florida Education Practices Commission and has gone on to become a popular weather iReporter for CNN, of all things. That POV work must have come in handy.
In 2007 we told you about this pair of on-screen and real-life lovers who left the industry for a career behind bars. Cuadra and Kerekes were found guilty in the murder of Cobra Video founder Bryan Kocis and are both are serving out life sentences. We hope together, with a camera crew, because we’d pay to be a fly on their cell walls.
Kurt Wild
Gay-for-pay top man Kurt Wild gave up guys and the business for good in a beer-fueled 2011 Twitter (now X) implosion. All while his wife was about to deliver his fifth kid! Talk about multitasking. After shutting his feed down, Wild sent a message to industry site The Sword to apologize to Brent Corrigan (haven’t we all?) and reassure us everything’s cool with his lady and him. “Now I am working on wildlife photography and family values.” “Wild” life photography. Get it? And speaking of Brent Corrigan…
Brent Corrigan, everybody’s favorite bottom, is an e-commerce Jekyl and Hyde. And who can blame him? During his successful porn career, he toed the line between both worlds, starring in both straight and gay titles. But Brent didn’t stop at just turning heads; he went on to turn the page on that chapter and ventured into mainstream cinema. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, he shed his adult film persona to star in Milk, proving he could do much more than, well, milk his previous fame.
Also known as Kevin Hogan, this guy with the homage-to-the great-director nom d’porn quit the biz to concentrate on teaching, becoming head of the English department at a charter school in Massachusetts. But his past and the poorly constructed title Just Gone Gay 8caught up with him in 2011 when he was outed by a local Fox station’s “investigative” reporting team (er, I’m watching this hot guy online and recognize him, get me the newsroom). When confronted on camera, Hogan said by way of explaining, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” And who wouldn’t? He was placed on administrative leave.
In the unpredictable world of adult film stars transitioning into new careers, one thing is certain: they continue to surprise us with their eclectic journeys, from activism to entrepreneurship, and even conquering Hollywood. Their post-porn careers prove that life after the camera can be filled with opportunities to make a lasting impact in various fields. Or, not so much.
Curious about the post-porn adventures of your favorite stars? Subscribe to the Queerty newsletter and stay in the loop about where ex-porn stars like to hang their hats (and other things) after they retire!
The internet got a new boyfriend, main character, f*ck buddy, and/or horror-movie monster this week.
He’s a 6’6″, 30-year-old Aussie who goes by the username “Girthmasterr”. And the moniker just about says it all.
While Mr. Girth has been creating OnlyFans content for nearly two years, it wasn’t until he recently got stopped for a viral TikTok video that his, uh, gifts reached the masses.
After being asked what he does for work, he revealed that he’s in “the top 0.1% of creators on the platform worldwide” and earns between “$40,000 and $80,000 a month.” The interview has been viewed over 104 million times.
And reader, let me tell you, he definitely has the goods to back it up.
While the adorable himbo’s social media account is beyond NSFW and even his PG-friendly Instagram is blocked, he’s been blessed with a reported “eight-inch-long, seven-inch-circumferenced” member. No, but really!
Even Cardi B couldn’t help but weigh in on his mind-shattering size. Though writer Ashley Reese perhaps put it best when she tweeted, “Holy sh*t it is quite literally the size of a bottle of wine.” He also seems to be friends with Lana Del Rey‘s ex Jack Donoghue?! But that’s beside the point.
According to Pornhub, searches for @girthmasterr “skyrocketed 1255%” after the post. So obviously, Gay Twitter X –– and anyone with eyeballs on the internet –– reacted as chaotically as you’d expect.
OK, so this god amongst mortals is heterosexual. Alas, some fruits are not humanly possible to take must remain forbidden.
Nevertheless, he’s made it clear that his meat is made for all to enjoy. (“Everyone is welcome ,” his bio reads.) That being said, he’s yet to collaborate with another male creator and told Rolling Stone –– yes, he was interviewed by the Stone! –– that he doesn’t see it happening anytime soon.
“I only want to create things that I enjoy and that I kind of have a vision for,” he explained. “I kind of feel like [if i shot gay content], I’d be ripping [gay fans] off. It would kind of be a cash grab in a sense. And I just wouldn’t feel ethical.” (Also, who’d hide the bottom’s body after? Kidding!)
Interestingly enough, the Girthmaster(r) revealed that while the majority of his followers are male, only about 15% identify as gay. Although he thinks “there’s some flexibility there [in terms of orientation].” And we’d bet money that his recent viral fame has certainly bolstered his LGBTQ+ following.
As the heavy-shafted knight told Rolling Stone, he got his royal start on –– where else? –– Tumblr, posting a nude selfie and immediately hearing for the first time that his sword was “out of the ordinary.”
Apparently, Girthmaster worked a handful of day jobs like pizza delivery boy and furniture builder (let the fantasies begin!) before someone suggested he hop on the OnlyFans craze.
“They told me to stop giving it away for free, because people would pay for it,” he explained. “Honestly, I thought it’d be just a little bit of beer money. But it kind of snowballed.” Sometimes, when you’ve got a gift, the best thing you can do is share it with the world!
Still, it seems he’s got a good head on his shoulders, as well as down under. Having grown up poor, he’s working to get his pilot’s license and buy his single mother a home.
Plus, he has sympathy for the double standard that female sex workers deal with. “Women should be upset they get treated differently to the way I get treated,” he added. “It’s insecure men who don’t like the idea that women can be independent, and can do all these things themselves and might not need a man in their life.”
And while he’s working hard to not “make my penis my entire personality,” he doesn’t mind if you make it yours.
“My name is the Girthmaster,” he said. “I am there to be objectified in a way. It doesn’t bother me. Feel free to objectify the Girthmaster all you want. He’s there for your entertainment.” And for that, we bow down!
since girthmaster is trending i wanted to add to the equation his colossal hands pic.twitter.com/04MQ5pduB8
Most people—that one lucky Redditor not included—can only lust after their porn crushes from the other side of the screen. But that inconvenient truth isn’t stopping Reddit users from naming the XXX performers they’d most want to meet in bed.
“Which porn star would [you] sleep with if given the chance?” a Redditor wrote in a r/askgaybros post, starting the conversation. “I personally would want to bump uglies with Teddy Torres.”
As comments poured in—by the hundreds—other Reddit users were making lists and checking them twice. “I’m here to note down all the names,” one person said.
Here are some nominations from the thread… along with the visual aids that we can safely publish on this site!
“Cody Seiya, ‘cause he’s hot and vers. Also, he’s an artist and has a lovely camera presence. He just seems like he’d be amazing to spend the night with, even if it was only one.”
“It has been changing throughout my life, so let’s say I have a list: Rafael Alencar, Viktor Rom, Diego Sans, William Seed, Legrand Wolf, Ryan Bones, Paddy O’Brian, Max Konnor, Diesel Washington, Griffin Barrows. I will update the list as I remember the others.”
“Ashton Summers. Ashton F*ckin’ Summers. Please, for the love of gawd!”
“If I had to just choose one, Blake Mitchell [now going by Lane Rogers, his real name]. Other top choices would be Joey Mills, Ashton Summers, Arad Winwin, Jacob Acosta, and Tyler Wu.”
“Surprised at how long I had to scroll for [Luke Truong]. Dude is sexy and cute, lol.”
Jonathan De Falco
–– and anyone with eyeballs on the internet –– reacted as chaotically as you’d expect.
,” his bio reads.) That being said, he’s yet to collaborate with another male creator and 