The evening’s oddest moment came when James Deen was announced as Male Performer of the Year.
Though he had been quite visible all evening, the notoriously stage-shy actor was suddenly nowhere to be found. Joanna Angel, his friend and frequent sex partner, accepted for him and kept repeating, “Where is he?” He did eventually show up to accept his award offstage, and later admitted to suffering a panic attack that prevented him from taking the stage.
“I can have sex in front of a room full of people, but I can’t get up on stage and say thank you,” Deen told AVN. “But I’m honored to accept the award. When I grow up, maybe I can do it. My goal for next year is to be able to go up there and just say those two words: Thank you.”
