12 P*rn Stars Who Made Headlines For Controversial Reasons

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Obviously, adult film stars are the exhibitionist type. They have no problem with the whole world seeing them naked and in the most compromising of positions. There is a lot of money in the adult industry, but there are also a lot of things actors have to be willing to do in order to make that money. Not everyone is cut out for it. And even if they are, there are still things like worrying about their family seeing their movies, health concerns, and constant insecurities about their physical appearance.

Adult films are easier than ever to find these days, and standing out from the herd is a lot harder than it used to be. Sometimes what they need is a little mainstream exposure in order to get people to learn their name, Google them, and get interested in their work. While a lot of adult entertainment stars stick to what they know, some of them branch out into a variety of other entertainment jobs.

But it isn't always work that gets adult stars into the headlines. Sometimes they get noticed for things completely unrelated to their job. But in general, most adult entertainment stars are happy to get the exposure, from whatever direction it comes from. Here are 12 adult stars who have made headlines for a little more than just getting naked on camera.

12. Belle Knox

Belle Knox, also known as The Duke University adult film star, began making national headlines after a classmate recognized her in one of her videos in early 2014. That led to an exclusive profile in Rolling Stone, television and radio interviews, and a lot of criticism and backlash for her career choices. Born Miriam Weeks, was a freshman women's studies and sociology major at Duke University when she started appearing in adult films. Since her identity was revealed, she has become an advocate for the X-rated film industry, but also attributed her choice to become an adult film actress to the rising costs of post secondary education. Knox has spoken out against the prevalent "sl*t-shaming" on campus, and is a strong believer than being an adult film star does not mean you are not a feminist.

11. Farrah Abraham

Former Teen Mom star, Farrah Abraham has made it abundantly clear that she is not satisfied with the 15 minutes of fame the MTV show offered her. In 2013 she starred in the film Farrah Superstar: Backdoor Teen Mom opposite adult film star James Deen. At first, she claimed the film was a personal video that was leaked, but she later admitted that she hired Deen to do the video with the intention of selling it to make money. Abraham claimed that she was "drugged and sexually abused more than once" during appearances at adult entertainment conventions, while promoting her sex tape. She was also left out of a revival of Teen Mom because the other moms thought she would be a bad influence on their children.

10. Cameron Bay

The adult entertainment industry came under a lot of scrutiny in 2013 when heavy weight Vivid Entertainment chose to fight a Los Angeles law that requires adult actors to use condoms. They claimed that the law violates the performers' First Amendment right of free expression. Besides, the industry requires that actors get tested for STI's every two weeks, so the chance of spreading diseases is limited. Until adult film star, Cameron Bay tested positive for HIV in August of 2013 the industry seemed to not take the possibility seriously. Her positive test forced a moratorium on the industry until all performers she came in contact with could be tested and cleared.

9. John Holmes

John C. Holmes (or Johnny Wadd) was one of the most prolific male adult film stars in the 70's and 80's and was known for the exceptional size of his member. He was famously portrayed by Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights. He made huge headlines in 1981 because of his involvement in the Wonderland murders. He was charged with the murder of four members of a gang he was affiliated with, but was ultimately acquitted. He later contracted HIV, but went on to film two more films without informing his co-stars of his illness. He died from AIDS-related complications in 1988 at the age of 43.

8. Belladonna

Belladonna, who began her adult film career in 2000, is considered one of the most popular adult actresses of all time. She has won numerous awards, and is now semi-retired and mostly directs and produces for her own production company Belladonna Entertainment. In 2003, she did an interview with Primetime's Diane Sawyer where she broke down in tears, and was portrayed as an adult film actress who was exploited and damaged. The interview has been used by anti-p*rn groups, and Belladonna took some heat from the industry for painting it in a negative light. But she has always maintained that she loved performing, despite that interview.

7. Bree Olson

It is pretty hard to forget Charlie Sheen's infamous meltdown after he was fired from Two and a Half Men. He started acting pretty strange, calling himself a "warlock" with "tiger blood" and "Adonis DNA" and coined the subsequently overused phrase, "Winning!" Adult film star, Bree Olson managed to get tangled up in the whole mess by becoming one of Sheen's live-in "goddesses" in 2011. She told the media she was "retired" from the adult film business while she was with Sheen, but she was officially moved out of his house a month later. She really is retired from the adult film industry now though, and is part of the cast of The Human Centipede 3: (Final Sequence).

6. Joslyn James

Tiger Woods had more than one mistress, but adult film actress, Joslyn James is the one that released their text conversations, providing proof of Woods' womanizer status. James claimed to be Woods' "full time mistress" and the text message transcripts seem to confirm that. She was only one of many mistresses all across North America who was only too willing to reveal everything Woods asked for in the bedroom. It is really no surprise that Woods' wife dumped him as soon as the scandal broke.

5. Janine Lindemulder

Jesse James' ex-wife (before Sandra Bullock, that is) was known as just Janine in the adult film business, but she made herself known in mainstream news during the custody battle with James and Bullock, for her daughter Sunny. James ended up winning full custody since Janine had served 6 months in jail for tax evasion. Her other claim to fame (besides adult films) was her starring role in Blink 182's music video for "What's My Age Again?" and as the model on the cover of their bestselling Enema of the State album.

4. James Deen

Probably one of the most famous male adult stars out there right now, James Deen is especially popular among female audiences. He became more of a household name when he co-starred opposite Farrah Abraham in her "leaked" sex tape. Deen doesn't discriminate when it comes to sex, and he even has a form on his website for anyone to apply to do a scene with him. That's right, all you have to do is ask, and you could have sex with James Deen. He attempted to make a jump to mainstream film opposite Lindsay Lohan in 2013's The Canyons. Who wants to bet he slept with her too?

3. Christy Mack

Model turned adult film actress, Christy Mack has been open about the abuse she has suffered at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, MMA fighter, War Machine. She has appeared in 101 adult films and is known for her signature mohawk and tattoos. In 2014, she posted photos on Instagram of her injuries after being attacked by War Machine. She suffered 18 broken bones, a broken nose, missing teeth, a fractured rib and a ruptured liver. During Mack's testimony, War Machine actually laughed when she spoke about the abuse, but he later tried to commit suicide in his jail cell.

2. Traci Lords

In the 80's Traci Lords started modeling regularly for Penthouse, and transitioned over to adult films, doing close to 100 movies before authorities discovered that she was underage when she shot the scenes. She had been using a fake ID that said she was 20-years-old, when in reality she was only 16. The producers of her films were arrested and charged, but she never faced any legal action. She wrote an autobiography entitled, Traci Lords: Underneath It All where she suggested that the production companies actually made more money off the scandal than they would have originally. She went on to act in various mainstream films and TV shows after leaving the adult film industry.

1. Mia Khalifa

Lebanese adult film star Mia Khalifa made her adult film debut in October 2014, and she is already the top actress on the website P*rnHub, beating out veteran actresses like Lisa Ann and Jayden James. Her most famous video features her and another actress performing while wearing hijabs (the headscarf worn by Muslim women as a symbol of modesty). She has taken a lot of criticism for her choice to do that video, including death threats and constant tweets from people calling her disrespectful of her faith. She is actually a Lebanese Christian and has lived in the US since she was a teenager. She recently tweeted back "Doesn't the Middle East have more important things to worry about besides me? How about finding a president? Or containing Isis?"