Suicide prevention is an urgent matter for erotic actors | Setembro Amarelo (Yellow September)

Este artigo também está disponível em: Português

This month highlights an important period in Brazil, known as Setembro Amarelo (Yellow September), which concerns the suicide prevention, and on this month’s 10th day the World Suicide Prevention Day is celebrated Started in 2015, the date aims to raise the citizens’ awareness about the subject, as well as prevent new tragedies from happening.

This reality is also a problem inside the porn industry. A publication made by the South Florida Gay News, raised some questions that have influence over the personal lives of the porn market’s victims:

• The majority of them hide the fact that they are actors from their families out of shame, and when they find out, it often has a devastating effect;
• Sometimes actors work with partners that don’t feel physical attraction, or even submit themselves to certain movie categories in which they don’t fit (for example: sadomasochism);
• Some of them reach stardom in a short time, and could lose that position just as well, in a rather volatile kind of market;
• Many actors join the profession seeking high earnings, but that is not the reality. In 2016, a popular star could earn between US$500 to US$1.000 per scene, being cast to act in only 5 scenes a month. Nevertheless, their annual income would be low compared to the North American life standard (approximately US$30.000,00). In times of economic crisis, said amount could be stagnant.

Adonis Cheeks (*1985 †2019)

Born in Philadelphia (USA), his career in the porn industry started a bit late, in 2010, when Cheeks was about 25 years old. He only starred in 3 movies, acting both as a top and a bottom.

- BKDR -

During scenes, he seemed to be taller and stronger, but the actor was only 5′6″ and weighed 134,5 pounds. His body had some tattoos, as well as some ear and nipple piercings. There is no information regarding what led Adonis Cheeks to take his own life.

Approximately 12 thousand suicides are registered per year in Brazil and more than one million in the world.

Alan Lambert (*1967 †1992)

The French Canadian Alan Lambert started his career in the porn world in 1988, having acted in about 24 movies, beyond those that were released after his death. Lambert was a rather solicited actor in the area, had a toned body with no body hair and was 5’8″.

On February 1992, he posed for the Fugues magazine cover, a Montreal gay publication. The young actor was only 25 years old when he committed suicide with a fire gun at the Saint-Louis Square, in the Province of Quebec. In 1997, an experimental film-maker shot a movie named Finished, based on Lambert’s life.

Around 96,8% of the suicide cases were related to mental disorders. First of all is depression, followed by bipolar disorder and substance abuse.

Damon Audigier (*1990 †2012)

Damon Audigier had Latin traits and was a descendent of the Arapho tribe, being considered “half” Native American. His porn career started when he was very young, at 19 years old. Between 2009 and 2012 (the year of his death), Audigier starred in approximately 15 movies, acting as a top in some of them, while as a bottom in others, showing his handsome body of 5’10” and 165 pounds.

In 2010, the porn star was arrested for suspected involvement in the murder of an 18-year-old young man, stabbed to death at El Reno, Oklahoma. Audigier was charged with conspiracy, for having influenced his friend in order to murder the young man, as well as gun possession.

Throughout his brief career, the actor also worked as a drag queen, besides being directed by the famous drag queen and erotic movies director Chi Chi Larue. Damon Audigier died at 21 years old.

According to a study realized by the Brazilian University Unicamp, 17% of Brazilians, in some moment of their lives, seriously considered suicide.

Kyle Mckenna (*1968 †2000)

Mckenna’s story is one of the saddest on this list. The handsome lad with an angelical face joined the porn movies universe a bit late in comparison to others, at 28 years old. Before that, he worked as a painter and illustrator, after attending art classes at a California university. From 1996 until 2000, Mckenna, artistic name for Russell Charles McCoy,starred in more than 50 movies, showing his beauty of 5’8″ and 154 pounds.

In 1999, Mckenna broke off a romantic relationship and fought depression. Still very young, he had to deal with his parent’s rejection, since they didn’t accept his sexuality. Due to the troubled relationship with his family, he moved to San Francisco, where he started his career in adult movies.

At the day of his death, he had packed his belongings, left them outside the house he shared with some friends in Salt Lake City (Utah) and, right after, wrote a goodbye note. The veteran actor died from a sleeping medicine overdose.

When his mother was finally located, she refused to claim his body. His ex-boyfriend and some friends took care of his cremation and the ashes were scattered over a few mountains where he liked to go hiking.

Centro de Valorização da Vida (Life Appreciation Center) is one of the oldest Brazilian non-governmental organizations, working towards emotional support and suicide prevention through the telephone number 188, chat, email and in person.

Macanao Torres (*1984 † 2019)

The erotic movies Spanish actor started his career in 2007, at 23 years old, and stayed in the field for almost ten years, having worked on many movies. Torres was the artistic name used by Pedro Oliver.

When he retired from the porn world, he publicly announced that he had been diagnosed with a rare kind of lymphoma. The doctors gave him 10 more years of life, however, in December 2019, the former actor jumped off the top of the building where he lived in Murcia, in Spain, at 35 years old.

On the erotic movies’ segment, Torres was engaged in debates about how the studios should deal with HIV tests, demanding more transparency and adherence to healthcare politics. At one time he declared:“we can’t teach the younger generations that there is no problem in f***ing without using condoms”.

Torres activism made him dare the producers who filmed videos without condoms to make their actors’ status public. Activists of the cause argued that these initiatives helped decreasing the virus transmission rates.

The campaign happens on September, but discussing suicide prevention during every month of the year is fundamental!

Comunicar erro

• Issue: *
  Link não funcionando Erro de ortografia Informação incorreta Faltando informação Outro
• Your Name: *
  
• Your Email: *
  

• Details: *
  

Enviar