Embattled adult film star James Deen gave his first interview on Tuesday following a series of sexual assault allegations from former co-stars which have taken a toll on both his career and his established image as a “feminist” porn performer.
Deen, who has not been charged with any crime, has been accused by nine women of sexual assault, including his former girlfriend Stoya, who was the first to come forward on Twitter on Nov. 28. “James Deen held me down and f***ed me while I said no, stop, used my safeword. I just can’t nod and smile when people bring him up anymore,” she tweeted. Her allegations not only brought widespread support from within and outside the porn community (#SolidarityWithStoya has become a popular hashtag), but it also led to similar accusations from Ashley Fires, Tori Lux, Amber Rayne, Kora Peters, Joanna Angel, Nicki Blue, former “Teen Mom” star Farrah Abraham, and a woman who chose only to be identified by the initials T.M.
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Beast, Deen said he was “completely baffled” by Stoya’s accusations, but suggested that the rocky end to their romantic relationship may be the motivation. “There are public articles all over the internet, written by her, that make the exact opposite claims. She discusses how we communicated and how we were very careful with consent especially when involved with rough sex,” Deen said. The 29-year-old porn star had previously denied allegations made against him on Twitter, tweeting “I want to assure my friends, fans and colleagues that these allegations are both false and defamatory” on Nov. 29. MSNBC.com has reached out to Deen’s press contact repeatedly for further comment but he has not responded.
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As for his other accusers, Deen refutes each claim in The Daily Beast interview. “All of the accusations are from either ex-girlfriends or events that happened on set. I always try to take responsibility for my actions and apologize when needed. As far as these other claims, at a certain point I feel like people have to step back and analyze this stuff in context,” Deen said. He also cited the fact that most of the alleged incidents took place on BDSM or hard sex film sets.
“If at any point I pushed boundaries past the point of comfort, I am sorry. I have always tried to respect peoples’ limits and safe words and operated within that space. If someone expressed anything to me I honored the request with the fullest care,” Deen said. In the aftermath of the allegations, a sex advice column penned by Deen and a cooking webseries he was starring in were both scrapped. He also voluntarily stepped down from the board of directors for the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee. Meanwhile, the porn companies Evil Angel and Kink.com have distanced themselves from Deen. However, according to Deen, he had already severed ties with Evil Angel prior to the allegations against him and he claims that Kink is using him as a scapegoat for their “own issues.” “I have very few regrets. I love my job and I pride myself in what I do. I won’t throw my ex-girlfriends under a metaphorical bus because I made the choice to date them. I know what I did and what I didn’t do,” Deen told The Daily Beast. “I want to remind people that I am not the subject of any lawsuits, I am not under criminal investigation, and at this moment I have no intention of filing defamation suits against false accusations,” he added.
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